Category Archives: ufl

NFL, ufl

Palmer, Chris

Hartford Colonials 2010 Team Issue

Card: Hartford Colonials 2010 Team Issued Card
Acquired: TTM 2021, C/o Home
Sent: 2/22 Received: 3/11 (17 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Chris Palmer was a QB for Southern Connecticut State from 1969 to 1971.
  • He quickly went into coaching in 1972 seeing stops with Connecticut, Lehigh, and Colgate as a positional coach.
  • After working with the Montreal Concordes of the CFL in 1983, he worked in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals in 84 and 85.
  • Palmer’s first HC gig came in 1986, where he’d work with New Haven, and later Boston University.
  • His first taste of the NFL came with the Houston Oilers in 1990 as a WR coach, before working with the Patriots from 1993-1996.
  • After helping Jacksonville’s offense reach new heights in 97/98, Chris was named head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 1999.
  • He’d work as the OC for the expansion Houston Texans in 2002. A position he’d hold through the 2005 season.
  • Palmer worked with the Cowboys (06) and Giants (07-09) as a QB coach.
  • In 2010 Chris would serve as both the GM and the HC of the Hartford Colonials of the UFL- posting a 3-5 record.
  • Chris spent the next few years working with the Titans, 49ers, and Bills, and in 2019 worked as an AD with New Haven.

ACCOLADES:

  • New Haven Chargers Athletics Hall of Fame 1997

NFL

Coach Chris Palmer, 62 Cafe

NOTES:

Tony Sparano, Romeo Crennel and Ken Whisenhunt are considered children of the Chris Palmer tree. Chris himself is considered an acolyte of the Bill Parcells tree, although an argument could be made he was from the Jack Pardee tree, since he gave him his first professional break at the NFL level with the Oilers. Chris is also considered to be one of the major architects behind the maturation of Eli Manning as a passer. While coaching with the Browns, Palmer appeared as himself on an episode of The Drew Carey Show.

Hi Lee,

Good to hear from you. The Oilers were great! Beating Dallas opening nite was outstanding. The UFL was a fun time.

Love Football,

Chris Palmer

Palmer has always had a fond place in my heart, since he was a coach with the Houston Oilers, and was the OC with the Texans when they beat the Cowboys in their Franchise debut (02). I had been looking for some sort of card of his for years but I gave up sometime ago, when a friend of mine CFLFanInPhilly sent me this card (along with a stack of others) to try to get autographed. I jumped at the chance to add Chris. He added this very nice note and wrote up a play for me as well (52 Cafe).

WLTPCT
5270.156
NFL, ufl

Devlin, Pat

Card: Upper Deck College Legends 2011
Acquired: 2020, EBay

Pat Devlin split his time playing for the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Delaware Fighting Blue Hens. He made the jump to play for the Blue Hens in 2009, helping guide the team to a 6-5 record while throwing for 16 TDs to 9 interceptions. Along the way he’d break multiple single game, season and career passing records at the school. Pat’s numbers really shone brightly in 2010, as he threw for 3,032 yards, 65.2% completion percentage (261/384) and 22 TDs to just 3 interceptions. Although considered by many to be a fine quarterback, he was not selected in the 2011 NFL Draft.

He signed with the Miami Dolphins and was on the team through 2014, joining the Vikings only briefly that year. The next year, Pat spent about a month with the Bears, and then later the Browns. He retired without throwing an NFL pass. Of note, the UFL tried to make a run at Pat to join their league in 2011, but due to a mandatory contract they were unable to come to terms.

AAF, NFL, NFLE, ufl, XFL

Novak, Nick ‘The Kick’

Cards: TNT UFL 2011, Topps AAF 2019, Topps AAF 2019 Certified, Topps XFL 2020 Certified
Acquired: TTM 2019, C/o Home
Sent: 7/6 Received: 7/15 (8 days)

Nick Novak is just one of those kicking mercenaries- and he’s been all over now FIVE different leagues. It started at the University of Maryland in 2001. As a four year starter for the Terps, Novak was 153/159 on extra points, and 80/107 on field goals. He finished overall with 393 total points (5th all-time in college history), and lurked near the top of the college leaderboards for both total points and field goals made in 2002 and 2003.

Going unselected in the 2004 NFL Draft, Nick tried out with both the Bears and Cowboys, before ultimately landing on the Redskins in 2005 as an injury sub for John Hall appearing in 5 games. Nick was then snapped up by the Cardinals- who also had an injured kicker. After failing to unseat incumbent Neil Rackers in camp the following year (2006), Nick found himself in a familiar place again- back with the Redskins as an injury replacement for John Hall. After losing out to Shaun Suisham, Nick was signed by the Bears and allocated to NFL Europe.

Novak had a solid campaign with the Cologne Centurions. He’d finish 25/25 on extra points, and 10/17 on field goals (including a game winner) with a long of 49. Although Nick had a solid preseason with the Bears, he lost out in camp to All Pro kicker Robbie Gould.

After trying out for the Jaguars and Chargers, Nick made the roster of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008 but after an inconsistent start to his season, he’d be cut in mid-October. Not one to give up, Nick then joined the Chargers in 2010 but he’d again lose out, this time to incumbent Nate Kaeding.

Nick then took the path less traveled. He joined the upstart United Football League. While playing for the Florida Tuskers, Nick was 24/24 on extra points and 15/18 on field goals (69 points). He’d also hit a league record 54 yard field goal. He’d earn Special Teams Player of the Week Honors twice, and then later be named the UFL Special Teams MVP at the conclusion of the season.

Again after signing with the Jets this time, Nick lost out to Nick Folk. He’d be welcomed back to the Chargers, where he spent the next five seasons. Over those meritorious seasons Nick set field goal percentile records and consecutive field goal records for San Diego and ended up 6th all-time in scoring for the franchise with 503 points.

Nick signed with the Houston Texans in 2015, where he again set franchise records hitting 35/41 field goals in 2016. The Texans in 2017 decided to get younger at the position, and went with Ka’imi Fairbairn.

Novak proved you could indeed return home- well sort of- as he was signed by the nomadic Los Angeles Chargers in 2017 replacing the current kicker Younghoo Koo, but Novak himself was injured just two short months later.

Nick joined his 4th league in 2018, playing for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF. He finished 13/16 on field goals, including a 47 yard long, and earned AAF Special Teams Player of the Week Honors for his Week 1 effort. – The league would be shuddered after the 8th game.

For some reason his certified autograph has hovered pretty solidly at about $10.00 on Ebay. – Most expensive kicker ever! Anyway I got lucky and got a great deal on his certified for not even half that price.

In 2019, Nick’s journey continued as he was drafted by the LA Wildcats of the XFL 2020 initiative. He was 2-5 with a long of 47 yards before he aggravated an injury after 4 games.