CFL, NFL, WLAF

Gelbaugh, Stan (2)

Card: Ultimate WLAF 1992 Promo
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 5/23    Received: 6/14    (22 days)
See Also: Stan Gelbaugh ‘Blueprint’

“Well he was one of the real good players over there with the London Monarchs there. He’s played a lot of football in his life and I know that he counts that time with London as one of the highlights- and to be the World Bowl champ in year number one and to be a part of that team, I know he has great memories.”

– Former SA Riders QB and Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett on Stan Gelbaugh

So I had this one last card of Stan Gelbaugh,- part of a promo pack given to fans upon entry during a 1992 WLAF game. I think I got them all, but I only had a few of them or a rare single here and there. There are two differences when you look at the promo cards: First, the front has a different color stripe than the default team. Second, with some rarety, the photo of the player can be different. Finally the back touts the Ultimate brand and their million dollar promotion they were doing that year if you spelled out the word WORLD. Some of the promotions were in different languages as well. I am not sure how many made it into circulation- little less what players are officially covered in this mini set. The demand is low so they probably aren’t worth much, but for a collector like me, it holds value. This is an otherwise great card of Stan, and I actually prefer the promo with the alternate stripe in yellow and black over the base card set.

NFL

Warren, Chris

aprks90 warrenCard: Action Packed Rookies 1990
Acquired: Paid Signing 2014, Sportscollectors.net

Chris Warren doesn’t pop up much, and the underrated and unheralded back was on my list. One of the last cards I got in those Action Packed Rookies packs I’d buy at 7-11, this is a very solid picture of Warren. He eluded me when he joined the Cowboys blocking for Emmitt Smith at Cowboys’ Training Camp in Austin, but I kept the card all those years. When the paid event came up, I thought I might as well knock him off my list.

Chris Warren started at UVA but finished his college career at Ferrum College, a tiny Division III school in Virginia. After putting up solid numbers for the Panthers, Warren was drafted in the 4th round of the 1990 draft by the Seahawks. Seattle had recently lost career leading rusher Curt Warner to free agency, and with JL Williams not getting any younger, Warren was a good fit for the team returning kicks and getting spot duty when he could. In 1992, Warren recorded his first of 4 1,000 yard seasons for the Seahawks. In 1994 he ran for a career high 1,545 yards on 333 carries. He also logged a career high with 323 yards receiving. Chris played for the Seahawks through 1997. In his final season with the team he recorded a career high 45 receptions, but with him now recording back to back 800 yard seasons,  Warren was not viewed as a feature back anymore- at least for the money Seattle was willing to pay him.

Warren signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1998. He spotted Emmitt at runningback while blocking up front for him over the next 2 and a half seasons. Warren played one final game for the Philadelphia Eagles retiring after the 2000 season. His son in 2014 recently signed a letter of intent to play for the Texas Longhorns.

G/Gs 162/91      Rush  1791      Yds  7696   Avg  4.3    Td 52     Lg  52
Rec 273    Yds 1935    Avg 7.1      Td 5    Lg76

Arena, CFL, NFL

Beavers, Larry Jr.

tntafl14 beaversCard: TNT AFL 2014
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 8/16    Received: 9/13     (27 days)

Larry Beavers is an outstanding talent in the Arena Football League. He attended a small Division III school, Wesley College in Delaware. There Beavers set the NCAA record for career kick return touchdows with a whopping 10.  He also demonstrated a knack for the ball, finishing second in school history with 2,366 yards.

He went undrafted in 2009 but was signed by the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately Beavers was among the final cuts that preseason by the squad. The following year Larry was signed by the New Orleans Saints, but again was cut in the offseason. In 2011, he signed with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League, but quickly decided to take his talents to the CFL, landing on the roster of the Edmonton Eskimos.  Beavers returned to the Arena leagues the following year and was an offseason addition to the Pittsburgh Power.

It was in 2013 that Larry joined the New Orleans Voodoo, and that’s where he’s made an impressive impact. He’d earn second team All-Arena Team Honors in 2014 as a kick returner cracking the 1,000 yard barrier both as a receiver and as a kick returner. Larry was assigned to the expansion Las Vegas Outlaws for 2015, but ended up rubberbanding back to the Voodoo before the season was out, scoring 2 more TDs on kick returns.  The Voodoo (and the Outlaws) were taken over by the league before the conclusion of the season.

I had gotten a few customs I had made autographed by players in the league over Twitter. Impressed with Beaver’s play in the finale against San Antonio I created this custom of him and asked him if he’d like one, to which he gleefully signed this one for me in about 2 weeks.

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