NFL

Lowdermilk, Kirk

Card: ProSet 1989
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Kirk Lowdermilk was an offensive lineman out of Ohio State taken in the 3rd round of the 1985 draft. With great measurables at 6’3″, 284, he stepped right in, starting 2 games at center for the team his rookie season and playing mainly on special teams as a long snapper. It wouldn’t be until 1987, that Kirk solidified his regular starting status for the Vikings,  and he’d work hard paving the way for guys like Darrin Nelson, and Alfred Anderson out of the backfield, while snapping to quarterbacks Tommy Kramer and Wade Wilson. At the time he was the league’s youngest starting center at the age of 24. He broke his thumb the following season, in 1988, which caused him to miss 4 games. Still he earned AP honorable mention after the season concluded. The team’s workmanlike approach allowed them to field very consistent playoff caliber teams through the years, and Kirk played for them through 1992.

1993 hearalded the dawn of a new era of free agency, and Kirk cashed in becoming the highest paid lineman in the league. Indianapolis desperately needed new blood on the o-line and Kirk fit the bill.  He did not disappoint, playing for the Colts over the next 4 seasons, retiring after the 1996 campaign. Retired and living in Ohio, Kirk has dabbled in coaching in his spare time.

G/Gs 178/150

NFL, University of Texas

Robinson, Keenan

Card: Leaf Rookies 2012, Leaf Young Stars 2012
Acquired: 2012, Box Breaker.  2/16/2013, Longhorn Neighborhood Foundation Bowling Tournament

Keenan Robinson was a solid outside linebacker for the Texas Longhorns as a 3 year starter. In the 2011 campaign he notched 106 tackles, 10 TFL, 1 sack, and 2 FF. Keenan also earned Holiday Bowl MVP Honors after the season. Keenan in college wore (from what I can tell) undersized pads. Either that or the technology has come so far that they look small. Initially the name did not click when I got the Leaf Draft box breaker and I thought he was a wide receiver. His combine numbers were purely average, but this was good enough to rank him 4th among inside linebacker talent. A solid athlete, with a nose for the ball and decent pass coverage skills, Keenan was drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 draft by the Washington Redskins.  Jim Haslett and his defensive staff immediately shifted him to inside linebacker in the hope that he can become one of the heirs to aging superstar London Fletcher, but in the meantime expected Robinson to get a lot of repetition on leafys12 robinsonspecial teams and sparse time full-time in the lineup. He was able to scoop up 12 tackles, but blew out his pectoral muscle in Week 12 and missed the remainder of the season.

I got into the Longhorn Bowling event sheerly through my connections, and while I was there I happened to bump into James Kirkendoll who had shaved his dreds off. Along with him were Aaron Williams and Keenan Robinson. – I embarrassingly did not recognize them. They sat down and had lunch with me and were talking a whole gambit of topics from football to the women of Montreal. Later once the bowling teams were announced I finally attached the names to the faces that were sitting in front of me a short time earlier. Keenan took it all in stride and signed the Leaf Young Stars 2012 card for me. It turned out to be a great event and I hope that they consider expanding it in the future on a limited basis to the general public.

 

 

NFL, WLAF

Gilbert, Greg

scan0001Card: Pro Set 1991
Acquired: TTM work 2013, C/o Central Florida University
Sent: 2/5     Received: 2/28     (25 days)

Greg Gilbert played for the Crimson Tide of Alabama from 1985-1988 posting 256 tackles. In his banner  Sophomore season he recorded 103 tackles, (5 TFL), recovered 2 fumbles, and intercepted a pass. While he posted 90 tackles in his Junior season (second on the team,) an injury riddled Senior season sent his draft stock plummeting. Gilbert was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 6th round of the 1989 NFL draft. He’d then spend the 1990 season on the roster of the Indianapolis Colts after some training camp action with the Raiders, a team that he returned to in 1991 after a training camp stop with the Eagles.

In 1991, the San Antonio Riders, (coached by Alabama alum Mike Riley,)  selected Greg Gilbert with the second overall pick of the league’s initial positional draft (after Wayne Davis, Orlando). Starting for the Riders at linebacker in the team’s 3-4 alignment, Gilbert starred alongside linebackers Tim Walton and Mark Ledbetter.  He’d make a pick for 15 yards that year, but by the end of the season was on the roster of the Barcelona Dragons. Greg played in 1992 with the Dragons again before the league suspended operations until 1995.

Gilbert is a player that I had been trying to find for a long time. Occasionally I will do Google searches of players, and sometimes, I get a hit. I happened to get lucky and find Greg working for Central Florida University where in 2012 he was named Associate Director of Athletics Development. Since 1995 Greg has been an outstanding member of the business community, working in communications, marketing, and consulting roles.  I immediately put a letter in the mail to him, and he responded in a little under a month. He enclosed a nice note to me, thanking me for the nice letter and how much it means to be remembered, and how great the league was, as they were all just kids trying to play the game they loved. Really nicely put.

G/Gs  N/a    Tac  N/a   Sac  N/a   Fum N/a    Int 1   Yds 15    Avg 15.0   Td 0   lg N/a

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