Category Archives: Arena

Arena, CFL, NFLE, University of Texas

Brown, James

utud11 brownCard: Upper Deck University of Texas 2011
Acquired: Spoodog Box Break, 2015
Failure: TTM 2011, C/o Home

James Brown is one of my favorite quarterbacks from my time growing up watching UT football.  I remember when one of the local news channels showed a high school highlight reel of Brown running down the sideline in Beaumont.  I knew he was the real deal. When he joined the Longhorns I remember sitting in my High School cafeteria telling my friends that James Brown was going to be the next big thing. It didn’t exactly start that way for James.

After redshirting in 1993, he battled encumbent quarterback Shea Morenz for the majority of 1994.  He’d solidify his starting role under head coach John Mackovic, with a comeback Sun Bowl win over North Carolina- ironically over future Texas head coach Mack Brown.  With the impending death of the SWC, Brown led the Longhorns to the final conference title and a 10-2 record in 1995.  As Texas joined the new and flashy Big 12 for 1996, they stumbled out of the gate early, but recovered in time to face defending National Champion Nebraska for the league championship. There would be his signature moment, in a stunning upset over Nebraska 30-27, with the infamous Roll Left play on 4th down, deep in their own territory.  Although Brown did not see the same success in an injury plagued Senior season, it did culminate with him being named MVP of the Blue Gray Senior Bowl.  James Brown paved the way for future black quarterbacks (Vince Young) to start at Texas, and at the time of his departure from the school held numerous passing records.

terminatorsBack then in 1997 there wasn’t really the farm system in place at Texas to get every prospect to the NFL level. It also didn’t help Brown that a tsunami of bad karma hit James in his final year at UT, along with the fact he was considered undersized to play the position (6’0″).

Keeping his football dreams alive,  James played a preseason in the CFL with the British Columbia Lions in 1998.  He’d then become the marquee player of the IPFL, playing for the Texas Terminators based in Austin during 1999.  The Terminators played at the Livestock and Rodeo arena at the edge of town, a non-air conditioned arena sarcastically known as ‘The Barn’.

james brownDuring the Terminators slaughter of the Colorado Crush that season, I caught one of the footballs as it bounced out of bounds. Afterwards I bought a James Brown jersey, that I still have along with the football till this day.  Brown earned Offensive Player of the Year Honors, as the team finished with the best record,  and played in the league championship.

ipflJames jumped at the opportunity to play for the Arena Football League the following year, joining the Nashville Kats.  He’d play with the team through 2001, and the preseason for the Georgia Force in 2002, and after a short stint in NFLE with the Scottish Claymores, returned to finish the season on the roster of the San Jose Sabrecats of the Arena Football League. The Georgia Force in 2003 resigned Brown again, but after only a few games, James went back to the NFLE to join the Claymores, but instead ended up on roster of the Frankfurt Galaxy. He played in the two-headed QB rotation with Quinn Gray, as the team won World Bowl IX. He played a third time with the Georgia Force in 2004 when he decided to hang up his cleets. James felt the urge to play again, and after the All American Football League folded before it even got off the ground, he played one final season for the CenTex Barracudas of the Intense Football League, guiding the team to the playoffs.

James has been a coach for a few years now, both at the high school and college level. He coached at Lamar University for a few years, and in 2014 became head coach at Sunnyside HS in Houston, Tx.

jersey brownI emailed James in 2011 at Lamar University to ask him if he could sign some memorabilia for me. A few months later he responded giving me his address and telling me to send it there. I gleefully put the cards in the mail, along with photos of his James Brown jersey, and an SASE. I never heard back from him again. A few months went by and I emailed him, but still never heard back. Recently I had a conversation with another collector who reported a similar result.  I was pretty disheartened.  Luckily at the card break that I had, one of my fellow collectors hit this card, so I pulled the trigger to make the trade and grab this card.

 

Arena

Ransom, Jamar

tntafl11 jransomtntafl14 ransom

 Card: TNT AFL 2011 promo set, TNT 2014 AFL Talons
Acquired: 2014 IP, San Antonio Talons v. New Orleans Voodoo

Jamar Ransom was the heart and soul of the Talons defense going all the way back to the franchise’s day as the Tulsa Talons, where he was a member of the Talons 2007 AF2 Championship squad. As the ‘Jim’ linebacker, Jamar has recorded at least 50 tackles in each season since the team joined the AFL back in 2010, and over his first three seasons, he was also utilized as a fullback, adding  24 rushes and 11 touchdowns to his name.  To top things off, Jamar’s been involved in causing 20 turnovers in 4 seasons. Ransom’s best season came in 2013, when he recorded 70 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 10 pass blocks, 2 forced fumbles, and 7 interceptions for 76 yards and count ’em- 3 touchdowns, earning him AFL first team honors. He garnered quite a reputation around the league as a punishing enforcer with a hard hitting and relentless style of play.  The Talons in turn promoted him as their defensive leader with jersey sales.

Ransom had been a dodgy guy for me to track down. Jamar not only skipped the season ticket holder event- he wasn’t even available for the Talons game against the Barnstormers. Luckily after the game against the Voodoo, I tracked him to the autograph tables and pushed my way into him. When I gave him his card, Jamar was absolutely estatic. He told me that he had never had his own card before, and clasped the two cards I had created of him as though they were a cherished toy of his. He gleefully signed the two cards for me and it was very obvious I had made Jamar’s day. It is moments like those that I truly cherish. Jamar later got in contact with me asking for a few new customs. I speced out some ideas, but I did not hear back from him.  The Talons in the meantime went on hiatus for 2015.

Arena, NFL, NFLE, ufl

Boyd, Shane

psetwlaf14 boyd tntufl11 boydMM

tnttal14 boydUP

tntafl14 boydCard: TNT AFL 2014, TNT AFL 2014 B, TNT UFL 2011 Memorable Moments, Pro Set WLAF 1991 Final Update
Acquired: IP, 5/3/2014 Talons vs. Barnstormers. IP, 7/6/14 Talons vs. Sharks.

Shane Boyd joined the San Antonio Talons a few games into the 2014 season. He fits the mold of the prototypical quarterback that head coach Lee Johnson likes- big and with a cannon for an arm. Shane boasts an impressive resume. Playing for the Cologne Centurions he set the career and single season marks for quarterback rushing yards in the NFLE with 339 in 2006. He put up decent stats initially for the Talons, but got into a quarterback controversy with Matt Bassuener as the season drug on.

Joining the UFL in 2009, Shane was the starting quarterback for the California Redwoods. He scored the first points in the short lived league’s existence.  Boyd finished the season with 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions to 814 yards to go along with a 60.5 compleation percentage. He was not retained the next season, as the Redwoods moved to Sacramento, -rebranded themselves the Mountain Lions, and then signed Daunte Culpepper to a contract.

Later, Boyd joined the AFL, in 2012 with the Milwaukee Mustangs, throwing for 557 yards and 6 TDs, and the Tampa Bay Storm in 2013. He’s also spent time on NFL rosters through the years including the: Titans (2005), Steelers (2006), Texans (2007-2008), the Alouettes, and Colts (both 2009). Boyd also was drafted by the Portland Thunder, but later saw action with the Bluegrass Warhorses (of the CIFL) in 2014.

I spotted him out near the edge of the arena after the Barnstormers game and quickly approached him before the throngs arrived. Although Boyd appreciated the card I rendered of him, he lamented the ‘nasty #19’ jersey that I had him in. He asked me for an updated card of him with the correct number on it. Later when I ran into him getting an autograph from Shannon Tevaga, he told me that the #19 card could be a promo or limited edition card. Boyd also had me tell Tevaga about Shane’s Jeopardy question relevance in football history, scoring the first TD in UFL history.

I went ahead and did those extra cards for Shane: a correction card with his 17 uniform on, a UFL memorable moments card, and a Pro Set WLAF hack card. I was finally able to get back around to him after the squad lost to the Jacksonville Sharks where I gave him the extra cards. He loved them, and gleefully signed and incribed them for me.