College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Dean, Fred (DE) (1952-2020)

Cards: Upper Deck Legends 1997, Topps 1979
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Home
Sent:  7/11   Received:  7/18   (7 days)*
* Donation enclosed

Fred Dean was a rangy linebacker from Louisiana Tech (392 tackles) that was drafted in the second round of the 1975 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He was converted to defensive end and set his sights on terrorizing quarterbacks in the AFC West. His best season for the Chargers occurred in 1978 when he recorded an unoffical 15.5 sacks. A core member of the ‘Bruise Brothers’, Fred played for the Chargers through the 1981 season, where he was traded during the season to the San Fransisco 49ers.  He served notice to the league by helping the 49ers win Superbowl XVI as the final cornerstone to San Fransisco’s defensive front. To top things off he also was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. During 1983, Dean single-handedly humiliated the New Orleans Saints to the tune of 6 sacks, en route to a season high 17 sack season.  He retired after the 1985 season and returned to his native Louisiana.

The awards have slowly but steadily trickled in for Fred since then, with LA Tech honoring him in 1990, the Pro Football Hall of Fame honoring him in 2008, and finally the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019. A fearsome force, one must wonder if the accolades as a premiere defender would have come quicker to Dean if sacks were recognized earlier as a statistic in the annals of NFL history.  He redefined the role of a pass rusher, helped modernize defenses, and be among the first situational pass rushers late in his career. Fred is also one of the rare players who has been recognized by two different teams as part of their anniversary teams. Such as the case it is hard to decide if Dean is represented better as a member of the Chargers or 49ers.

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UPDATE 10/15/20- Fred Dean passed away yesterday. He had recently contracted COVID but it is unknown if it played a role in his passing.

NFL

Randle, Joseph ‘Joe’

Card: Score 2013 Hot Rookies (11/25)
Acquired: 2016, EBay

Joseph Randle is a painful tale.  After an impressive college career at Oklahoma State from 2010-2012, in which he rushed for 3085 yards and 40 TDs, Randle decided to turn pro.  He was selected in the 5th round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2013 NFL Draft.

He earned the backup spot behind DeMarco Murray his rookie year, starting 2 games (when Murray was injured), and scored his first professional TD in a 31-16 romp of the Washington Redskins in week 6.  Even though he started no games in 2014 Joseph saw his workload increase, and he saw a career high 345 rushing yards, including a 65 yard blistering scamper.  The timing couldn’t have been better, as Murray would bolt via free agency.

Randle would be named defacto starter in his absence for the 2015 season.  Fans clamored that Randle was a sleeper in upcoming fantasy football drafts, but cracks had already started appearing in Joseph’s football foundation, as he started running into legal trouble in October of 2014.

He’d be arrested for simple theft, which caused him to be the butt of late night jokes for a few weeks, because it was over cologne and underwear. 4 months later in February of 2015, he’d be arrested again, this time for marijuana possession- but the charges were later dropped.  It was a pivotal fall from grace from the heir apparent to the Cowboys rushing mantle. During the bye week of the season the Cowboys installed Darren McFadden as starter, and tried to get Randle psychiatric help.  He’d be cut shortly thereafter, and then received a 4 game suspension from the NFL.  Joseph was lost.

Things didn’t end there as far as Joseph’s legal issues are concerned.
He’d be arrested in November of 2015 for assault of security guards at a local casino.  He’d keep in NFL shape, but no teams were calling. Joseph continued to seek counselling in the meantime.  Then in February of 2016 he’d be arrested for an outstanding warrant for speeding.  At the time of his arrest, he’d sadly state, “This is the end of my career.”

Joseph later claimed that teams were interested in working him out, but Joe- whether it was from drugs, alcohol, or maybe even a lingering concussion, continued to spiral out of control.  He’d be again arrested later that month for an assortment of charges, including battery and possession of drugs- most of which would later be dropped.  His bond would be pulled after he failed to appear in court.  In February of 2017 he’d be arrested again on disorderly conduct and battery while in a Kansas jail.  He’s been held in solitary for a great deal of his confinement, and as of early 2017 still awaits trial on many charges stemming from his recent behavior.

Joe is a terribly tragic case. It’s not really certain if it is concussion related, mental illness related, or drug and alcohol related- but one thing is for sure: A young man’s life has fallen through the cracks of a system that should have helped him.

 

NFL

Crockett, John ‘Taz’


Card: Sage 2015
Acquired: 2015, Gunderson Trade

A really nice card of runningback John Crockett here. The clean photography and contrast really hearken back to the days of early media photography.

The 2015 combine positional leader in both the vertical jump and the broad jump, John Crockett has many of the athletic tools to make the jump to the NFL level.  Playing for North Dakota State, he rolled up the yardage (4339 yards) in only 3 years with the Bison.  Thanks to the stigma against players in small school conferences, Crockett did not turn very many heads, but still warranted enough interest that he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the 6th round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

After an impressive preseason, Crockett made the squad and was a back up for Eddie Lacy and James Starks. He saw action in 2 games rushing 9 times for 21 yards. John injured his shoulder in 2016.  He spent the entire season on IR rehabbing. In 2017 he was not tendered by the Packers and became a free agent.

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