Cards: Topps Total 2005, UD UT 2011 CC
Acquired: In Person 2012, 1300 The Zone’s Houston Texans Playoff Viewing Party 1/7/12
Previous Post: Babers, Rod “Kool Aid”, Rod Babers (3)
At the University of Texas release party for the Upper Deck University of Texas cards last year, I met Rod who is a host of 1300 The Zone’s “The Afternoon Buffet”. He lamented to the people at UD about them not producing a card of him over the radio, – so I took it upon myself to produce a card for Rod. Off the cuff I had made a front, but had not produced a back due to time and printing constraints, and completely ripped off the UD design, just so that Rod could say he was part of the set.
When I met up with him at the Houston Texans’ Viewing Playoff Party at the Alamo Drafthouse, I asked for his autograph on a few more cards, which he had no problem doing. When I presented him with the custom fake I had made, he beamed and gave me a giant hug. Rod loved the shot from him versus Oklahoma, especially the fact that he was ‘Tebowing’ before it was cool. Graciously, Rod told me the card truly made his afternoon even if the Texans didn’t win, and I told him that next time we’d meet up I hoped to have his trading card completed with a front and back for him to keep, which he told me I didn’t have to do.
After the Texans’ victory I talked to him a bit more, ribbing him for a few minutes and telling him that defensive lineman JJ Watt‘s interception for a touchdown, was already 1/4th Rod’s total number of picks at UT. He laughed and stated that Watt was already one up on him in the pros, but he wouldn’t hold it against me since I gave him the custom.
Rod in his playboy way, also jokingly intimated that the card was so nice he was going to carry it around in his wallet, and use it to pick up women, to which I quipped to him, “That I was sure he had no problem with that!”
Card: Top Notch School of the Legends 2011-12
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 12/14 Received: 12/24 (10 days)
Frank is a really cool player that I met through School of the Legends. After talking with him for a bit, it hit me to send him a card of his. I thought, “Maybe he had a Topps card floating around somehwere,” but surprisingly Frank did not,(-outside of a McDonald’s oversize Happy Meal card from 1985,) so I set out to make one for him.
Embracing the SotL brand look, I gave the card a nice background featuring the city and added a vignette of a shield for his action shot to be composed in. After receiving multiple photos from him to work with, I had Frank’s helmet pop from the top of the shield to give the card more depth. I also used various color adjustment layers and other Photoshop and Illustrator techniques to bring it all together and complete out the card. Frank got his card from me and was stoked, since he had never had a card before. He asked me for my address and popped a few in the mail for me. They came in right before the new year which made it all the more nice.
A headhunting Safety out of Kansas who played alongside speedster Leroy Irvin, Frank Wattelet was not drafted coming out of the 1981 draft, signing with the New Orleans Saints, who had just hired former Houston Oiler Bum Phillips as head coach. Wattelet stepped into the lineup in 1981 and started 3 games, but played primarily on special teams. Still he’d manage to rake in 3 picks. In 1982 his true home would be found at Free Safety starting beside Dave Waymer in 9 games and making a fumble recovery. In 1984 he’d return a pick and a fumble in consecutive weeks for touchdowns- A team mark for the Saints. As the upback in the Saints special teams set, he’d also occasionally see a few fakes come his way completing 1 pass for 14 yards against the Colts in 1986, and 42 yards in 1985 on 2 scampers. Considered one of the Saints best free agent finds, Wattelet would play for the Saints from 1981-1987 starting 78 contests. Frank was reunited with Leroy Irvin (from his days on the Jayhawks) on the Rams in 1987, and retired following the 1988 season. Still an avid football fan, Frank lives with his family in Joplin, Mo where he cheers on the Jayhawks- win or lose each week, beside the Saints.
G/Gs 98/78 Tac N/a Sac 1.0 Fum 10 Int 12 Yds 135 Avg 11.3 Td 1 Lg 35
Coach: Roman Gabriel Stadium: Carter-Finley Record: (1991) 0-10
BACKGROUND:
The Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks were one of the ten founding members of the WLAF in 1991. Owned by Carolina sports enthusiast George Shinn, the team boasted former LA Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel initially as GM, -who later took over head coaching duties as well.
Johnny Walton (who was best known as a quarterback in the WFL of the 1970s, and HC of the Boston Breakers of the USFL during the 1980s,) was the offensive coordinator. Doug Kay was named the defensive coordinator of the Skyhawks and future CFL GM Jim Popp served on the staff as well.
The Skyhawks colors were decided early on. The team wanted red as the definitive color of the franchise. As the area is considered the birthplace to modern flight, the design firm wanted to come up with something futuristic looking and unexpected- so instead of a bird, the franchise went with rocket trails. The logo itself felt abstract- or influenced by Memphis design style.
Carter-Finley Stadium was to serve as the backdrop to the team’s future and it boasted a reasonable seating capacity of some 50,000 at the time.
Things seemed optimistic enough for the young franchise.
The Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks won the first overall pick of the specialist portion of the draft and went for offense, choosing the No. 1 wide receiver, the No. 2 running back, the No. 3 tight end and the fourth quarterback.
1991:
The Skyhawks marquee players were NC product Mark Maye at quarterback, linebacker Shawn Woodson, and defensive end Jon Carter. Paul Wulff- future Washington State head coach, played center for the franchise.
The team opened its first game on USA Network at Sacramento where Raleigh-Durham went to lose its first contest 9-3. Right out of the gate, the team lost promising QB Mark Maye to injury for the season. Joe Pizzo stepped in at quarterback for RD and guided them until Bobby McAllister supplanted him in the lineup due to ineffectiveness. Woefully none of the quarterbacks would finish with over a 55 quarterback rating, highlighting the team’s issue at the position.
The team got walloped by the Orlando Thunder 58-20 in week 2. (The 58 points stood as a league record.) By the time the team played their first home game- in week 3, fans were clearly discouraged, but nonetheless a season high 17,000 showed up for the Skyhawks. They’d play a close game to the Frankfurt Galaxy 30-28, but that is as close as the franchise ever got to winning.
One could point to the running game as well. With the Skyhawks playing from behind or getting little penetration on the line, the team’s leading rusher was Darryl McGill with 187 yards. The team finished with a woeful 748 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. Receiving was the bright spot for the franchise. Marvin Hargrove finished as the team’s leading receiver with 38 catches and former Duke star Clarkston Hines had 614 yards.
The defense had its share of issues, but boasted Quentin Riggs as the team’s leading sacker with 4. Jon Carter, Shawn Woodson, and Ezekial Gadson would all tie with 3 a piece.
In the secondary, Peda Samuel chipped in 3 picks, but the true black hole back in the secondary was Pat McGuirk. McGuirk finished with 6 interceptions- good for 3rd in the league, but as an ultimate slap to the franchise, he wouldn’t be nominated for the All World Team at season’s end.
Near the end of the 1991 season only a paltry 4,200 showed up to see rematch between R-D and Orlando. The writing was on the wall for the 0-10 franchise, and the Skyhawks would be euthanized.
NOTES:
Players were reallocated to the draft pool for the next upcoming season, and the Ohio Glory would replace them in the WLAF for 1992.
Since the Skyhawks were only in existence for one season, only ProSet made cards for the franchise.
LEGACY:
Although Carolina proved to be a disastrous venture for the league attendance wise, surprisingly the market grabbed the expansion Carolina Panthers in 1995 where it has enjoyed NFL football ever since.
Raleigh-Durham itself hadn’t been mentioned seriously for Spring football until 2019- as AAF ‘owner’ Tom Dundon lived in the area, however that league folded before the expansion process even began.
Cards: Topps Total 2005, UD UT 2011 CC
After the Texans’ victory I talked to him a bit more, ribbing him for a few minutes and telling him that defensive lineman JJ Watt‘s interception for a touchdown, was already 1/4th Rod’s total number of picks at UT. He laughed and stated that Watt was already one up on him in the pros, but he wouldn’t hold it against me since I gave him the custom.
