Category Archives: ufl

White, Dewayne

poff04 DeWhite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Card: Playoff Contenders 2004
Acquired: Box Breaker 2013, Target Autograph Memorabilia Pack

white FRA very inspiring story of overcoming long odds and tragedy, Dewayne White  overcame the loss of both his parents, two fires that destroyed family homes, and a serious knee injury during his senior year of high school. He went to school collegiality at Louisville, where he established himself as one of the nation’s most formidable pass rushers at defensive end, with an NCAA leading 27 sacks from 2000-2001.

He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with their 2nd round pick in the 2003 draft but did not see significant playing time that year. In 2004, White began to come into his own with 6 sacks and 23 tackles. In both 2005 and 2006, he recovered 3 fumbles in each season with increased playing time. 2007 was a change of scene for Dewayne, as he headed up to Detroit. In both 07 and 08 he had 6.5 sacks, but an injury plagued 09 season, in which he didn’t even register a sack, combined with an upcoming million dollar bonus, prompted the Lions to cut White early in 2010.

Dewayne was made the overall #1 pick of the Omaha Nighthawks in the 2010 UFL Draft. He finished the season with 5 tackles, a sack, and 2 pass defensed that season. I did a custom card of him, but since the league folded I never got a chance to get it signed.

Theismann, Joe

aw91 theismannCard: All World 1991
Acquired: 2013, trade

How things would have been different on the NFL landscape if Joe Theismann had signed his 4th round offer from the Miami Dolphins in 1971 instead of with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL. He certainly wouldn’t have wound up with the Redskins that he infamously guided back to NFL glory and a Super Bowl Championship. Most fans don’t recall Theismann even playing in the CFL, helping the Argos to a CFL Grey Cup game, and himself to All-Star Honors in ’71 and 73.

The Redskins shrewdly obtained his rights in 1974, and he quickly joined the team. Unable to crack the starting lineup, he quickly lined up as the Redskins’….. punt returner. Theismann took some time to assert himself as the team’s lead quarterback, as Billy Kilmer and Sonny Jorgenson both finished out their careers. George Allen was notorious with sticking with his seasoned vets, but eventually Joe found himself running the show. He’d lead the Redskins to a victory against the Dolphins ironically in Super Bowl XVII and a return appearance the next season against the Raiders. Joe would win the NFL Offensive MVP award after the 1983 season. The Redskins played in the NFC Central with the Eagles, Giants, Cowboys, and Cardinals. During Theismann’s tenure in Washington, every team in the division took their turn going to the Super Bowl (with the exception of the Cardinals), which illustrates the dominance of the division in the league during this period. It appeared that the Redskins were on their way back to glory again under head coach Joe Gibbs, but Theismann’s career took a detour.

On a Monday Night Football contest in 1985, Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor blindside sacked Theismann, snapping both his tibia and fibia. (In the annuls of NFL history, it is considered one of the most gruesome hits ever sustained by a player.) Joe’s playing career was over, after 71 consecutive starts, but this didn’t take his focus off of football. Theismann has become a color commentator since then, spending time primarily on ESPN. Love him or hate him, Joe gives it his all whatever he does. He spends an immense amount of his time giving to charity, including the donations he gets from autographs, that he gives to St. Jude. Joe was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003 for his playing time at the University of Notre Dame. While playing for the Golden Domers, he set various school records for passing in a season, and threw for an incredible 526 yards in one game in 1970.  He also still holds many of the Redskins passing records- some 25+ years later.

He bought a stake in the UFL Florida Tuskers in 2010, but the team and the league did not use his high profile personality to promote the team or the league. The Tuskers moved later that year to Virginia and became the Destroyers, and the league itself folded in 2012. You can visit his website at www.joetheismann.com .

CFL   Att 679    Comp 382    Yds 6093   Pct           Td  40    Int  47      Rat N/a
NFL 167/124    Att 3602     Comp 2044    Yds  25206    Pct 56.7%    Td 160    Int 138    Lg 84t
Rush 355    Yds  1815       Avg 5.1    Td  17     Lg 37

Williams, Doug

sco89 dwilliamsCard: Score 1989
Acquired: Trade 2013
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o The Buccaneers

One of the first Super Bowls I vividly remember watching was Super Bowl XXII between the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins. After spotting John Elway and the Broncos 10 points, Doug Williams came onto the field and guided the Redskins to 42 unanswered points. It was the first time a black quarterback had started in the Super Bowl, -and people were making a big deal about it, but as a kid this didn’t really seem to be the biggest storyline. The best thing to me about the game was Williams’ receivers, Clark, Monk, and Sanders who had really great celebrations. I wasn’t really aware of what Williams had been through to that point to get him to the Super Bowl, little less win and become its MVP. Really it’s pretty legendary.

Well, Doug Williams’ career started way, way back in 1978 when he was drafted out of Grambling State by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he was under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Joe Gibbs for that one season. Although his numbers were pretty atrocious, especially his completion percentage early on, Doug showed marked improvement every season from 37.6 in 1978, to 53.2 in 1982. As the team progressed into the playoffs for the first two times in the team’s history, Williams got embroiled in a contract dispute with owner Hugh Culverhouse after the 1982 season.  Unable to reach terms with the Bucs, Doug bolted for the upstart USFL in 1983. Some would say that the Buccaneers were cursed after Williams left, as they slipped into the doldrums of the NFC Central where they’d languish for nearly 15 years going through a revolving door of quarterbacks (13) that included names such as Steve DeBerg, Vinny Testaverde, Craig Erickson, Chris Chandler, Steve Young, and Trent Dilfer, before they got it right and then later won the Super Bowl in 2001. (Note that both Young and Dilfer also won the Super Bowl after leaving Tampa, and Young was also MVP. Ironically Chandler and DeBerg showed up on the same team but did not win for the Falcons.)

Doug was selected by the Oklahoma Outlaws. He then moved on to play for Arizona when it merged with Oklahoma as the USFL began imploding the next season.  The team didn’t make the playoffs either season, and Williams’ penchant for being an inconsistent passer began to take hold in the media once again. He finished his career in the USFL and it appeared that Williams career was at a standstill as a starter, but an old friend had a roster spot for him on the Washington Redskins- Joe Gibbs.

With Joe Theismann’s career winding down in Washington, the Redskins needed new blood behind Jay Schroeder at quarterback. Familiar with Doug all the way back from his brief stay in Tampa, Gibbs nabbed Williams off the street in 1986. While Doug didn’t really see any playing time that season, it’d be in 1987 that he’d cement his legacy as a historical quarterback of the modern era. Taking over for the injured Schroeder that season, Williams commanded the team and the offense with 11 touchdowns to only 5 picks. He’d also set a then NFL record with the most yards passing in the Redskins’ Super Bowl victory over the Broncos, a game that he won MVP honors for. With Schroeder leaving the Redskins the following season for the Raiders, Doug took over as uncontested starter for the Redskins, but unfortunately Doug could not stay injury free. Instead, he became backup to the next quarterback to win a Super Bowl for the Redskins, Mark Rypien. He retired after the 1989 season, due to lingering back issues. Despite his limited playing time for the Redskins, and 5-9 starting record, Doug is considered legendary by many of the Washington faithful. He was inducted into the Washington Redskins Ring of Fame, and was named one of the team’s 80 greatest players.

Williams jumped into coaching and front office roles with equal vigor, enjoying stops at the US Naval Academy (1994), Scottish Claymores (1995), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-1996), Morehouse College (1997), Grambling (1998-2003), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2004-2010), Virginia Destroyers (2010-2011), and then returned to become head coach at Grambling where he has remained through 2012.  It’s very easy to say that Williams legacy as the first black starting quarterback in the modern era cemented leadership roles for future players such as Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham and on into the modern era of quarterbacks today.

G/Gs 88/81   Att 2501     Comp 1240    Yds 16998     Pct 49.5      Td  100    Int 93     Rat 69.4  |
Rush 220     Yds 884      Avg  4.0       Td  15    Lg 29