Category Archives: Arena

Arena, CFL, NFL

Dukes, Cliff

tntafl11 dukesCard: TNT AFL 2011
Acquired: IP 2014,  San Antonio Talons vs. Arizona Rattlers

Cliff Dukes played collegiately for the Spartans of Michigan State starting 35 games and collecting 15.5 sacks over his time there. After hopping around the practice squads of the Rams (2005-2006) and Saints (2006), Cliff joined the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League in 2008 but notched only 1 tackle. He’d head north and play for the Toronto Argos of the CFL in 2009. Returning to Tampa in 2010, Dukes unleashed havoc across the league and was named second team All-Arena after collecting 34.5 tackles and 7 sacks for the Storm. In 2011 Cliff led the league with 12.5 sacks. He’d be traded in 2012 to the Kansas City Command, but the Command would trade him just a few short days later to the Arizona Rattlers in a blockbuster trade. Since he joined the starting lineup of the Rattlers, Dukes has solidified the defensive front of the team and helped them win the past two Arena Bowls.  Dukes was cool enough to sign his card for me and thanked me for the support. An imposing figure, Cliff’s recognizable afro seems almost out of character on his menacing frame.

 

Arena

Benson, Mykel

tntafl14 bensonCard: TNT AFL Talons 2014, TNT 2011 AFL promo
Acquired: IP, 5/3/2014 Talons vs. Barnstormers, 5/17/14 Talons vs. Voodoo

With Chad Cook sitting out the season for the Talons, the team signed Mykel Benson to be the starting fullback. A compact, low to the ground runner, Benson was originally signed by the Milwaukee Mustangs in 2011, after graduating from Florida A&M. While playing for A&M, Benson lodged 14 career scores.

During his rookie season with Milwaukee, Mykel ran for 178 yards and 17 touchdowns. The following season, he’d split time with the Georgia Force and Orlando Predators, but still managed to record 8 scores in 74 carries. He’d continue playing for the Predators in 2013, rushing for 89 yards and 10 more scores, before hopping over to the Talons for the 2014 season.

When I got Mykel’s autograph he remarked that the cards looked similar to one he had signed of himself in his Mustangs uniform.tntafl11 benson I must admit that I am flattered that somebody out there printed out the older card previously and had him sign it. When I told him that I was actually the person who designed that card, he quickly also asked me for a copy of that card as well.

I approached Benson after the Voodoo game, this time with his 2011 promo. He told me he had already framed up the card I gave him in his Talons uniform, and also printed out a copy of the card I made of him back in 2011 from my drawingwithlee.com website. He thanked me profusely for the Mustangs promo and signed an extra for me to keep. It is amazing how things work out, as I never would have thought back in 2011, that the promos I was working on would ever be treasured so much by these players- little less signed by them. As word has spread, a lot of players have begun requesting a copy of their cards that I designed or for me to design one for them. It brings me great joy that I can bring these players happiness and added sense of pride/ accomplishment through what I do for them. It is the least I can do to pay them back for their efforts on the gridiron and in the arena.

Arena, NFL, ufl

Windsor, Rod

tntufl10 windsorCards: TNT AFL 2011, TNT UFL 2011

Acquired: IP 6/15/2014, San Antonio Talons Vs Arizona Rattlers

Failure: TTM 2011, C/o The Sacramento Mountain Lions, TTM 2013, C/o The Arizona Rattlers

Rod Windsor played only one year at wide receiver in college at Western New Mexico, but he made it count earning All-Conference Honors with 1,118 yards on 81 catches to go along with 6 TDs.

Going undrafted, Rod joined the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of the AF2 in 2009 where he made an immediate impact. He’d rack up 184 receptions for 2,364 yards and 59 touchdowns, and his efforts translated into Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year Honors.

tntafl11 windsorIn 2010 Windsor became a member of the Arizona Rattlers of the AFL. Again he’d have a banner season with 193 receptions for 2,372 yards and 47 TDs, earning Rookie of the Year Honors there as well.  Eager to springboard to the NFL, Windsor joined the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the UFL after the season. He’d have a respectable season with the MoLos with 25 receptions for 379 yards, a 15.2 YPR average, and 3 TDs.

Rod then bounced around in between the Browns and Bills practice rosters, but with the lockout on, and Windsor not being a high priced player, he jumped to the AFL in 2011 to play for the Rattlers. He’d earn First Team All-Arena Honors, as he caught 156 passes for 1,830 yards and 36 TDs. Afterwards, with the strike over, he returned to the Browns, where he was reassigned to their practice squad.

windsor'sgloveRod opted to return to the AFL in 2013 with the Rattlers, earning Second Team All-Arena after totalling 110 receptions for 1,590 yards and 42 TDs. He’d cap his season off with MVP and Offensive Player of the Game Honors for ArenaBowl XXVI, as he pulled in 10 receptions for 145 yards in Arizona’s victory over Philadelphia.

Well, where there is a will there is a way. The Talons game against the Rattlers provided me with the opportunity to get autographs merely by leaning over the rail at my choice seating spot (near the visitors bench in the end zone) and merely getting the player’s attention that I wanted. I then had players daisy chain to the next player that I needed until I got all three members of the Rattlers knocked out who were members of my TNT AFL 11 promo set. I did not have any more extras cards of Rod to give him as I did the others.

Unfortunately I had blown those over the past 2 years on failed attempts through the teams he had played for previously. Still he’s one of the bigger AFL names that I had been wanting, and after explaining to him what happened, he almost looked like he flashed a wry grin of “I got them and thought they were so awesome I kept them all,” so I didn’t feel too badly. He absolutely torched the Talons during the game, adding another 96 yards and 3 TDs on 7 receptions including a diving catch into the back of the endzone I was in. After the game I caught his eye and congratulated him on his great effort and in return he gave me one of his gloves. A nice momento, and a classy move by another Arena player in a league that continues to prove it cares about its fans. Despite the fact that the Rattlers are considered the Talons division rival, they have quickly established themselves as my second favorite team thanks in part to guys like Rod.