Category Archives: NFL

Green, Jacob

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Cards: Action Packed 1990, Action Packed 1991, Action Packed All Madden 1991, GameDay 1992, SkyBox 1992, ProSet 1989
Acquired: In Person 5/19, 610 Houston Fan Fest 2013

Wow, not really sure what to say here other than Jacob Green: A man of few words. At the Fan Fest, I love to pepper players with questions. Green seemed so low key, it was almost distant, and his answers consisted of: “I think so.” “Yes.” “Thanks.” That sort of thing. I tried really hard to engage him, but in the end I felt that he might be uncomfortable or not really happy to be there. Still he signed 6 cards for me. Of all the participants at the Fan Fest in 2013, Green probably had the most underrated resume. At the time of his retirement in 1993, Jacob Green was only behind Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White, and Richard Dent on the All-time sack list.

A first round choice of the Seahawks way back in 1980 out of Texas A&M, Green was the 10th overall choice of the draft after Seattle traded up to grab him. While playing for the Aggies, Green set the school’s record for most career sacks with 37 (since surpassed by Aaron Wallace).  While sacks weren’t tracked until 1982, it didn’t stop him from actually sacking anybody for Seattle. In his rookie season Jacob posted 6.5 sacks and 58 tackles. He followed his rookie campaign up with a dominating 1981 season, notching another 12 sacks and 74 tackles before it became an official statistic. In 1983, Green posted a career high 16 sacks, while in 1985, he had 92 tackles. Over his 12 seasons with the Seahawks, Jacob posted double digit sacks 6 times, and narrowly missed the mark by 1 sack in two other years. He joined the 49ers in 1992, just in time to help the team win his only Super Bowl, but injuries only allowed him to play two games. Jacob retired in 1993.

A popular member of the Seahawks, Jacob is the team’s all time leading sacker and turnover maker at fumbles. His 176 games started ranks 3rd on the franchise only behind Steve Largent and Walter Jones, and Jacob was named to the Seahawks’ 35th Anniversary team.

G/Gs 180/176    Tac 716   Sac 116   Fum 17
Int 3     Yds  90    Avg 30.0    Td 2   Lg 73t

Jaworski, Ron “Jaws”

udldg97 jaworskiCards:  Upper Deck Legends 1997, Score Supplemental 1989, Topps 1984
Acquired:  TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent:  1/2     Received: 1/23   (21 days)

Ron “Jaws” Jaworski, is a famous commentator and color man for the eponymous sports network ESPN, but before most of the recent generation of fans recall, he was a great quarterback story that unfolded in the City of Brotherly Love, – Philadelphia.

Well we have to go back even before that to where the tale of  ‘the crossroads of quarterbacks’, Ron Jaworski begins. Youngstown State isn’t exactly a household name when it comes to football – and in fact is more well known for the Ward Beecher Planetarium more than anything else.  The Penguins though played in a hybrid offense called the side-saddle T formation (where the quarterback stood off center and faces a sideline with two runningbacks and a wingback in motion). Ron played for them from 1969 through 1972 setting multiple records and ranking among the school’s leaders in 11 offensive categories.In his senior season Ron was ranked 5th in the country among college-division passers. He finished his career at Youngstown with 32 TDs, on 325 completions, and 4,612 yards.

to83 jaworskiThe Los Angeles Rams selected Ron in the second round of the 1973 draft. The draft proved to hold a bevvy of talent for the franchise, as Fred Dryer, Cullen Bryant, and Jim Youngblood were drafted alongside Jaworski. A young offensive backfield guy named Dick Vermeil noticed, “Ron’s raw talent and eagerness to learn,” and with the torch passed on from Roman Gabriel to John Hadl, there was room on the roster for Jaworski to be brought up to speed. He’d get some mop up duty in 1974 and start his first game in 1975, creating a frenzy when he led the team to a playoff win after the season. Handed the job in 1976, he went 2-0, but threw 1 TD to 5 picks. He’d lose the starting job to Pat Haden who went 5-1-1 the rest of the way. The Rams put Jaworski on the table for a trade, after Ron refused to sign.  You see the Rams ownership didn’t feel that Jaworski was an ‘LA kind of kid’ but Ron thought he could start. He just wasn’t in the ‘Hollywood cool’ image. The long suffering Philadelphia Eagles franchise decided to come to the trough and made the call in March. (The Rams later signed Hollywood friendly free agent quarterback Joe Namath in May.)

sco89supp jaworskiDick Vermeil liked what he saw out of ‘The Polish Rifle’ back when he was an assistant with the Rams, and now as head coach was more than happy to bring Ron on board in 1977 (where he’d ironically take the place of Roman Gabriel.) Mentored by guru Sid Gillman and Vermeil, Ron made titanic strides in 1978 and guided the Eagles into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. He’d beat his numbers in 1979 posting 18 TDs to only 12 picks, and the team surged to an 11-5 record as his exuberance, leadership, and fun-loving nature infected teammates and Eagles fans alike.  Jaworski bettered himself again in 1980, with a 12-4 record guiding the team to the Superbowl XV against the Oakland Raiders. After the season, ‘Jaws’ 27 TDs to 12 Ints and 3529 yards, was good enough to earn him the 1980 NFL MVP honor. Ron continued to prove his detractors wrong, winning more games as a quarterback from 1978-1981 (with the exception of Terry Bradshaw). After the Eagles slipped back under the playoff surface again in 1982, Dick Vermeil decided to quit coaching and handed the reins over to his longtime defensive coordinator Marion Campbell. By 1985 the writing was on the wall with the drafting of wonder quarterback Randall Cunningham who started 4 games that year. Still, Jaws managed to pop a memorable 99 yard touchdown to Mike Quick that season. In 1986, firey Buddy Ryan was brought in to right the ship in Philadelphia, and by the 11th game of the season decided that the era of Ron Jaworski was over for the Eagles.  Unceremoniously dumped after the season, Jaws headed over to Miami to back up Dan Marino where he’d play sparingly in 1988. Ron kept it up another year and closed out his career with the Chiefs as Steve DeBerg’s back up in 1989, at the grand old age of 38. (Bizarrely during the 1991 season, Jaworski had to turn down appeals from Eagles fans to return to Philadelphia after Cunningham and backup Jim McMahon were injured.)

For a guy who the Rams couldn’t stand because he didn’t fit their scene (4-0 record as a starter), the criticism he took for not being able to get to the big game (4 playoff wins, superbowl appearance), and the belief he’d never make it out of tiny Youngstown State (15 seasons in the NFL), Ron Jaworski is a great story about a kid who decided to chase his dreams so that he wouldn’t have to straighten metal bars in a factory and play a game he loved for the rest of his life. At the time of his retirement, Jaworski held the NFL record for most consecutive starts with 116, (since surpased by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Eli Manning).

Ron is a popular name in the sport of American Football. He is a fixture at ESPN, spent 5 years on Monday Night Football, has been involved with youth football, expanding the sport for many years investing overseas in a variety of  football ventures, and is part owner of the AFL Philadelphia Soul. Jaws has been nominated for the NFL Hall of Fame, and in 1992 was inducted into the Eagles Honor Roll. You can visit him at ronjaworski.com.

Att 4117       Comp  2187         Yds  28190        Pct  53.1%     Td   179      Int  164      Rat 72.8
Rush  257     Yds  859      Avg  3.3      Td  16      Lg 44

 

 

Gruber, Paul “Groobs”

Cards: Pro Set Power 1993
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Paul Gruber played offensive tackle at Wisconsin and was the highest rated offensive lineman that came out of the 1988 draft. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team that frequently missed badly on its draft choices, really did their homework on Paul, drafting him with the overall #4 pick that year. Paul really graded out well in the rough and tumble NFC Central against some really fine defensive opponents, but played on some really horrible Buccaneer franchises which lessened his impact at the position. One wonders how Gruber would’ve fared if he had traded places with Randall McDaniel in Minnesota? Would we be talking about Gruber in the Hall of Fame instead?  It took only his rookie season before Paul was selected All Pro in 1989. He’d again notch the mark in 1991 and 1992. Still the team suffered through losing seasons, and just couldn’t turn the corner. Despite playing 9 losing season for the Bucs, Gruber re-upped with the team in 1996, thinking that coach Tony Dungy had the Bucs going in the right direction. He wouldn’t have to wait long as Tampa posted its first winning record in 14 seasons in 1997. Paul enjoyed some of his favorite times there over the next two seasons, until a broken leg against Chicago sidelined him for the remainder of the 1999 season. Gruber played in 183 straight games and 4,850 consecutive snaps on offense which were both team records at the time. He retired early in 2000 and was inducted into the Buccaneer Ring of Honor in 2012.

G/Gs 183/183