Reaser, Keith

sage14 reaserCard: Sage Hit 2014
Acquired:  2015, Box Breaker

Keith Reaser played at Florida Atlantic and was an impressive athlete. He surprised scouts when he did 22 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press on top of the 4.32 40 he ran before he tore his ACL and knee up. Coming up to the draft, Reaser wasn’t even sure he’d be drafted, but he had been in contact with the 49ers who were interested. They selected him in the 5th round of the 2014 NFL draft.  Reaser, still coming off the major knee injury still had rehab ahead of him.  To most scouts, Reaser was seen as a value pick. He saw limited playing time in 2015, recording 8 tackles.  Keith was one of 7 cornerbacks that made the squad in 2016.

Shorts III, Cecil

bo11 cshortsCards: Topps Inception 2014 (#97/199), Bowman 2013
Acquired: In Person 12/15/2015, Whataburger Community Player of the Year

Cecil Shorts went to Mount Union- located in Alliance, Ohio. The Purple Raiders are a Division III team and a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference. Among the other notable alumni to graduate from Mount Union, are Dom Capers and Pierre Garçon.  After  Garçon graduated in 2008, Shorts shifted from quarterback to wide receiver. He finished his career at Mount Union with 63 touchdowns and 4,705 yards receiving.

Cecil was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 114th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. Scouts got the impression that Shorts’ early on experience at quarterback helped him adjust quickly to receiver, reading opposing defenses, and running crisp routes.  They were equally impressed by his intangibles, level of competition, and his
leadership. The knock on Cecil was he played at DIII, and while he is a complete receiver -he lacked the size and burst that first round prospects possessed. It wasn’t until 2012 that Cecil got a shot at the starting lineup as Blaine Gabbert’s #1 target.  Barely missing the to13 shorts inc1,000 yard mark (979 yards), Shorts established himself as a long bomb threat. He scored 7 TDs that year and averaged 17.8 yards per catch. Over the next two years Cecil’s production slipped and after the 2014 season he was allowed to seek free agency.

After the departure of longtime receiver Andre Johnson, the Texans were looking to rebuild their wide receiver stable and signed Cecil to a two year contract.  Shorts makes a natural fit for what the Texans want to do, and threw him in at the slot. He made an impact during the preseason catching a 58 yard TD against the 49ers, and was one of the team’s impact players.  In 2015 Shorts played in 11 games, recording  42 catches for 484 yards and 2 TDs.  Entering 2016 Cecil is the ‘grizzled’ veteran now in the WR corps entering only his 6th season. Liking what he has experienced in H-town, Shorts actually negotiated his contract to be more cap friendly but with so much speed on the Texans roster he didn’t make the 2016 squad. Although his veteran presence and leadership will be missed, Shorts will surely find a home with a squad in need of an experienced slot man.

I faced a dilemma at this event trying to decide which card of Shorts I should get signed at this event. The situation resolved itself quickly since I was the first person in line and Shorts was the first player I met. He signed both cards for me, and his son gushed over his Topps Inception card, that I was equally enthralled by.

Lossow, Rodney

ultwlaf92 rlossow

Card: Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Work
Sent:  12/28/15     Received: 1/14/16    (17 days)

Originally a  10th round selection of the New England Patriots during the 1988 draft, Rodney Lossow earned All Big 10 Honorable Mention as a Junior while at Wisconsin. He’d bounce around with the Los Angeles Rams and Calgary Stampeders, before being selected with the 4th pick of the 4th round during the WLAF offensive lineman draft. He’d anchor the Orlando Thunder‘s  offensive line at Center through their appearance in World Bowl II in 1992.

Rodney loves teaching and has been a coach at Roosevelt High School in Minnesota for many years. He responded in under a month and included a nice note. Apparently his kids were blown away that he got a TTM request. He also inscribed the card with a bible verse:

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.