Arena

Reed, L.A.

tntafl14 reedCard:  TNT AFL Talons 2014
Acquired: IP 5/17/14, San Antonio Talons vs. New Orleans Voodoo

I met L.A. Reed at the previous game against the Iowa Barnstormers when I was getting the autograph of another injured player. I think he felt miffed that I didn’t have a card of him yet, as the only thing I had found was a photo of him going face first into the turf, so I was resolved to finding something more exciting and suitable. I must say this one really hit it out of the park. While I was wandering around the field, a woman in a walker beckoned me over to see him at the trainers’ table. He was extremely gracious and asked me what I wanted for the card. I told them the price was an autograph, and the rest that I gave him that evening were free.

I understand that players are just as much as fans as we are. Their own football card, especially at the level of Arena football, is a way of a player actualizing one of those dreams they’ve always wanted. It is a way of saying that they have indeed arrived on a professional level.

A four-year letterman for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, L.A. switched from wide receiver to safety as a Senior in 2008. He collected 19 tackles and 3 pass breakups that season, and is considered a blistering hitter and special teams demon. As a wide receiver, Reed had 39 receptions for 482 yards and 2 TDs. He was a surprising find for the San Antonio Talons in 2014 and really started laying down the wood before he was injured in Week 8 against the Barnstormers.

I ran into LA hiding out in the crowd in the same section as me after the Talons loss to the Rattlers,  with some of his rehab team. We talked briefly about basketball and the angst he was feeling as a LeBron fan being in a city full of Spurs fans.  After discovering that I was a Spurs fan, he told me that he still liked me, – since I did such an awesome card of him.

NFL

Davis, André (2)

ud04 adavisad10 adavisCards: Adrenalyn 2010, Upper Deck Foundations 2003
Acquired: 2013, C/o Home
Sent:  8/15/13    Received:  2/17/15   (555 days)
See Also: André Davis

The new longest wait champion briefly was this response from André Davis at 555 days. Since then amazingly I got another player’s autograph through the mail that was over twice that long. The success percentage for waits over a year is pretty low, so I had easily given up on this one. I think that I sent it to an address in New York, but the response was postmarked from South Carolina.

I really liked these two cards of Davis. The Upper Deck Foundations card has a really nice design, but I really enjoy the Adrenalyn set. – It’s too bad that the set is a virtual card game that doesn’t really place any focus on the card backs.  Still it is a winner because it features Davis in a Texans’ uniform, where he enjoyed some of his finest play outside of Cleveland.

NFL

Gerhart, Garth

Card: Sage Hit Low 2012
Acquired: 2012, Box Breaker

One of the younger brothers of Minnesota Vikings runningback and Stanford graduate Tony Gerhart, in 2011, Garth garnered Second Team All-PAC 10 honors for his blocking at center for Brock Osweiler and the Arizona Sun Devils. A 4 year letterman that played in 39 games with 35 career starts, Garth played all the interior positions of the line for the squad, and also appeared in the 2012 East-West Shrine Game, and the 2012 Senior Bowl.

At 6-2, 302, Garth was invited to the combine, ran a 5.29 40, and bench pressed 225 lbs 25 times. A big-motor guy, who puts in good effort, and finishes blocks strong, Gerhart is considered a leader among his peers.  Garth was viewed as a late round prospect, but ended up going unselected in the 2012 draft. The Cleveland Browns signed him to a free agent contract shortly after the draft concluded. Since that time Garth has bounced around the league splitting time with the Packers and Panthers. He was promoted from the practice squad and signed to the active roster of the Packers before the beginning of the 2014 season and played in 2 contests.

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