Category Archives: Arena

Schlichting, Craig

Card: ProSet WLAF 1991
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent: 8/9    Received:  8/17

A monster defensive lineman, Craig Schlichting played for the Wyoming Cowboys in college. As Team Captain, there he’d amass 135 tackles, 19 sacks, and 5 fumble recoveries over 4 years. He also won Weight Lifter of the Year honors from the college in 1989. The Minnesota Vikings scouts liked the 6-5, 270 pounder, and drafted Craig in the 8th round of the 1990 draft. Although he didn’t make the team, he eventually spent 5 games on the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers that season. The WLAF’s New York- New Jersey Knights drafted Schlichting in the 2nd round of the league’s 1991 positional draft.  Craig ended up starting all 10 games for the Knights that season at defensive end, raking in 28 tackles, 6.5 sacks,  and a recovered fumble. His 52 yards for losses, led the team. Perhaps his best day came against the Montreal Machine, where he manhandled their line for 4 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 33 yards in losses. Craig returned for the 1992 season, and put up another 3 sacks. After the WLAF reorganized following the 1992 season, Craig headed over to the Arena leagues, playing for the Cincinnati Rockers for one season recording 6 tackles, 3 sacks, and a forced fumble.

Oddly along with Paul Berardelli (who I received back on the same day), Craig entered into the educational system and has been with the Triton Public School System since 1993. He’s earned his Master’s in Educational Leadership and is currently a Principal at a Dodge Center Middle School in Minnesota. He wrote me perhaps the longest and kindest letter I’ve received to date from a player talking to me about his experience in the WLAF. In his letter he discusses the ‘quality of experience’ (ie. allowing fans onto the field and the affordability) that the league brought to the table. Craig went on to tell me about a fan who said he couldn’t get a Giants ticket for even $100.00, but for the Knights, he could get tickets, parking, and a hot dog for less than that. Craig also agreed that the WLAF could have been successful if the NFL had just committed to the WLAF’s success instead of just letting it die on the vine in North America. Such a shame really, because based on the fan’s reaction to Craig, it sounds like there were a few crazed fans out there just like myself that appreciated what WLAFers were doing. I gave Craig an extra card, that I hope that he takes the time to frame somewhere for the great memories.

Tac N/a   Sac 9.5   Fum N/a  Int  0    Yds  0    Avg  -.-   Td 0   Lg  -.-

Wilkerson, Eric (2)

Cards: ProSet WLAF 1991 TD leader, ProSet WLAF 1991 Rushing leader, ProSet 1991 WLAF, Ultimate WLAF 1992, Ultimate WLAF 1992 LL, Wild Card WLAF 1992.
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Kent State Alumni Association*
Sent:  6/16    Received: 7/28  (34 days)
See Also: Eric Wilkerson
* Donation requested

The paid side of SportsCollectors.net has been really good to me, and I’ve been able to unearth some very nice gems recently out of there recently. Case in point: Eric Wilkerson. I had been looking for Eric for quite a while. After hearing he had been stabbed, I hadn’t been able to find anymore information on him, but combing the archives of SC I found a success for the elusive runningback by writing to him care of Kent State’s Alumni Association. Since I had reached a desperate level on him, and he is one of those players with a bunch of cards, I decided to give it a shot and throw in a donation, since I felt so guilty about sending so many cards. While reconciling my bank account statements, I noticed that he cashed the check out a few days earlier, and then crossed my fingers on the return.  I would not be disappointed as he signed all 6 cards, which represents the single highest haul from a player since probably – Stan Gelbaugh? With Eric’s autographs on his 3 ProSet WLAF 1991 cards, it officially puts me over the halfway mark on the set (76/150).  Among the cards is the really slick touchdown league leader card, that he split with Orlando Thunder receiver Byron Williams. Nearly all of these cards are just really great heroic images of Eric in action, with probably his regular base card from the Ultimate 1992 WLAF set being my favorite. He signed each one, and wrote 91/92 on either one indicating the year.

During his time at Kent State, Eric ran his way into the record books rushing for 3,380 yards from scrimmage, and crushing the Mid-American Conference’s combined yardage record with 5,974 all purpose yards. During his senior season he set a single season school record with 1,325 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Due to his diminutive size, and the small school he went to, Wilkerson went undrafted but signed with the Steelers in 1989, and the Lions in 1990.

The WLAF gave him a shot in 1991. He’d be the 8th runningback taken in the draft, by the New York New Jersey Knights, and lead the league in rushing in 1991 with 717 yards and 11 TDs.  While his 1992 season was not as successful, it was more about the Knights offense diversifying as much as anything else. Eric is unofficially the WLAF’s career leading rusher- since the league reorganized after the season and was not seen again until three years later in 1995.

Spielman, Chris

Card: ProSet 1990
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home*
Sent:  9/2/11  Received: 7/8/12 (309 days)
* signing fee now of 20.00.

Chris Spielman was a fearsome linebacker that played for the Lions, Bills, and Browns during the 80s and 90s.  A tackling machine from Ohio State, he’s really remembered for his time in Detroit where he sucked up the middle of the field as Mike Cofer blanketed quarterbacks at OLB. A second round pick of the Lions during the 1988 draft, he’d be the 6th linebacker taken off the board, after Aundray Bruce went #1 overall.

After a rookie season that included a club rookie record 153 tackles, 7 blocked passes, and a fumble recovery, he’d be named defensive rookie of the year in 1988. Chris followed his 1988 season up with an equally impressive 1989, with another 125 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries, earning him his first starting Pro Bowl nod. Spielman wrangled in his second appearance by leading the Lions in tackles in 1990 (despite spending 4 weeks on injured reserve) with 108 tackles,2 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries and his first interception. 1991 culminated in an AP nod, as he lodged 126 tackles, a sack and 3 FFs. Despite leading the team in tackles in both 1992 and 1993 with 146 and 148 tackles respectively he didn’t get named back to the Pro Bowl until 1994 (124 tac, 3FF). 1995 saw a shift from left inside linebacker to middle linebacker for Chris, after the Lions converted to a 4-3, but he still managed to tally 90 tackles, 2 FF, 1 sack, and an interception.

Spielman signed with the Bills in 1996 and returned to his native position and true to form with 111 tackles. Injuries claimed half of Chris’ 1997 season and it’d be his last statistically. He’d attempt a comeback with the Browns in 1999 but elected to retire before the beginning of the season to take care of his wife who had been struck by breast cancer.

Of note, Chris is apparently one of the first high school athletes to appear on a Wheaties box, is the Lions’ All-Time leading tackler with 1,020 tackles, and is considered one of draft guru Mel Kiper’s more notorious misses.

Chris has climbed into the broadcasting booth since retirement and also as head coach of the Arena Football Columbus Destroyers in 2005.  Spielman was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009, and has a foundation for Cancer research, that he dedicated to his wife, who passed away of breast cancer in 2009. He also has written a book about his time with her entitled: “That is Why I am Here”. You can visit his website at: http://chrisspielman.com/index.php

I wrote him last year after seeing some very short responses on sportscollectors.net for quite a few cards, so after I didn’t hear back from him after a few weeks I sorta gave up on this one. It was nice to finally get an autograph back from him 311 days later, but it disheartened me to see that he enclosed a pricing list. Apparently Chris has been getting a lot of requests, and can not honor them anymore for free. He has some very stringent rules on the mailings, but guarantees that they will be signed by him. You must also enclose $20.00, but thankfully since I sent mine last year, it didn’t apply to me, and he signed a card for free and returned the rest. Can’t knock a gift horse in the mouth though, and the fact remains that he was a player that I wanted, and happy to add to my Hall of Fame.

G/Gs 148/148    Tac 1181     Sac 10.5     Fum 13       Int 6      Yds 36     Avg 6.0      Td 0     lg 13