Tag Archives: 1987 scab player

Brazley, Carl

All World CFL 1991, #85

CARD: All World CFL 1991
ACQUIRED: TTM 2021, C/o Home
SENT: 7/8/21 RECEIVED: 9/18/23 (802 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • After playing defensive back at Western Kentucky, Carl Brazley would go unselected in the 1980 NFL Draft.
  • He joined the CFL where he went on to have a banner career, playing 13 seasons in the league.
  • Brazley was a free agent signee by the Montreal Alouettes in 1980, seeing action in 4 contests.
  • He’d be claimed off of waivers partway through the ’81 season by the Ottawa Rough Riders.
  • Saw measured growth in 1982, recording 4 picks and a fumble recovery.
  • After a cup of coffee with the Bills in ’83, returned to the CFL, joining the Toronto Argonauts.
  • From 1983-’92 established himself as a lethal defender in the secondary.
  • Recorded 20 picks over 3 seasons (’84-’86).
  • Played briefly for the Chargers in ’87 as a replacement player before returning again to the CFL.
  • Also was used on special teams as a returnman.
  • Had a 108 yard return of a missed field goal in 1990.

ACCOLADES:

  • CFL All-Star (1982-’86)
  • 1983 Grey Cup MVP (Defense)

NOTES:

Had sorta given up on this one that was a shot in the dark, but was pleasantly surprised to see this one bounce back to me in a bit over 800 days.

TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
N/a2.094352212.2363
CFL
TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
N/a0.00100.000
NFL

Kramer, Erik ‘Brass’

Cards: ProSet 1991, GameDay 1993, Action Packed 1992
Acquired: TTM 2017, C/o Home
Sent: 3/20      Received: 4/17     (28 days)
Failure: TTM 2011, C/o Home

I’m not sure where to start with Erik Kramer. I tried him back in 2011- shy a few months before his son tragically died of a drug overdose. Things spiraled out of control so much that Kramer in 2015 attempted to take his own life with a gun. Somehow he managed to survive and over the past two years has been rising from the ashes of his own personal pain.

Kramer went to college at NC State. He was the team’s starting quarterback in 1985 and 1986.  Posting solid numbers as starter, over his time with the Wolfpack, he threw for 4,602 yards, 30 TDs/ 28 INT, on 334 completions and 616 attempts. Kramer also posted an 11-11-1 record as a starter and earned ACC Player of the Year honors as a Senior.  He went undrafted in 1987 and initially signed with the New Orleans Saints, but was subsequently released. Quickly he was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as a replacement player during the 1987 strike.

Erik joined the Calgary Stampeders in 1988.  Playing in 5 contests he threw for 5 TDs and 964 yards. The next season he’d blow out his knee and not see a snap under center. Afterwards he was released by the Stampeders. Erik’s story could’ve very easily ended there, but he chose to give it another shot in the NFL, signing with the Detroit Lions after getting spotted during a tryout by offensive coordinator Mouse Davis.  Kramer’s string of bad luck continued, as he suffered a season ending shoulder injury during the 1990 preseason.

The Lions had a classic quarterback rivalry going on between Andre Ware and Rodney Peete going into 1991. Erik Kramer was an afterthought on the squad.  This worked to his advantage as he was a consummate professional in preparation for each and every game. He supplanted Ware and then bode his time until Peete was injured. Kramer picked up and after a rough start or two, he led the Lions on a 6 game winning streak to conclude the season. The Lions made the playoffs, and Erik set team playoff records with 29-of-38 passes for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Lions ambushed the Dallas Cowboys. It’d be the Lions first playoff victory since 1957.

It would be safe to assume that after the season Kramer would’ve been chosen to be the hands down starter for the Lions, right? Well this is the Lions and that didn’t happen. Instead 1992 opened again with another open quarterback competition- this time lasting into the regular season. While it finally took Kramer being named starter and then rallying Detroit to a 3-1 record down the stretch to win the division title, the Lions lost a home wild card game to Brett Favre and the Pack 28-24. Detroit had another bumpy season in 1993 and while Kramer went 3-1 as a starter, the Lions ran out and signed Scott Mitchell, effectively ending their quarterback carousel in 1994.   Erik in the meantime took a flyer with the division rival Chicago Bears.  While his first season there was met with mixed results due to a separated shoulder, there is no question that he had an impact season in 1995 setting personal highs and franchise records going 315 of 522 for 3,838 yards with 29 TDs to only 10 interceptions. Kramer hung around with the Bears another 3 injury plagued seasons before abruptly retiring midway through the 1999 season with the Chargers due to a persistent neck injury.

Kramer was the definition of the ‘walking wounded’ during his playing career in the league. He gave up his body to injury leading Detroit and Chicago back to periods of respectability. Concussions may have also contributed to his severe depression as well.

It is said that the bullet traveled through Erik’s chin, tongue, nose, and out the top of his head. Amazingly, the damage was so clean, and the medical attention paid to him was so quick, he survived.  Much like his playing career- Kramer quickly has moved to rise from controversy and loss, making an impressive recovery- and coming to an understanding that life is worth living for.

Pro Set struck gold in Erik’s initial release in their 91 update set with a nice straight on shot of him. This was Proset at their best: minimal design, dynamic action photography, and an unobtrusive logo. I was a big fan of Action Packed- but their 92 set annoyed me by flipping profile information on the back. The player name type was also just a tad too small. Gameday barely tweaked an overall successful design over the entire lifetime of the brand. I liked this 1993 issue of Kramer in the elements.

G/Gs 83/67        Att 2299      Cpd 1317       Yds  15337       Pct 57.3
TD 92    Int 79      Lg 85t
Rush  153       Yds 217      Avg 1.4      Td 5     lg 31

Burbage, Cornell

psetwlaf91 burbageCards: Proset WLAF 1991, Wild Card WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent:  2/10  Received: 2/27
Failure: TTM 2012, C/o Home

Cornell Burbage graduated from Kentucky in 1987, where he had 994 career receiving yards playing for the Wildcats. Although he went undrafted, Cornell’s timing couldn’t have been any better as the NFL Players’ Strike happened. As many teams had already scouted the college ranks for draft prospects, some teams went a step further and identified players that they could sign if the strike happened. Cornell was one of the replacement players the Dallas Cowboys brought into camp. He’d make 7 receptions for 168 yards and 2 TDs, playing for the ‘Rhinestone Cowboys’. His first TD would be the first scored by a replacement player during the strike. Burbage would be one of those rare players who made the cut after the strike was over. and play with the Cowboys through the 1989 season.
wcwlaf92 burbageThe New York-New Jersey Knights were a Run ‘N Shoot team in the WLAF, so receivers were a bigger part of the team’s offensive game plan. Cornell was drafted by the Knights in the first round of the league’s initial pool of wide receivers in 1991. Despite the team’s instability at quarterback and rotating door offensive line, Burbage hauled in 22 catches for 419 yards and a TD. His 19 yards per reception ranked 4th in the league. He’d play in 1992 for the team as well, recording career highs with 35 catches for 478 yards, and see duty as the team’s primary kick returner with 22 kick returns for 592 yards, a 26.9 yard average and a 101 yard TD.

Cornell briefly coached at Eastern Kentucky and posted a 7-4 record. He lives in Lexington and has worked for the Parks and Recreations department there.

NFL    Rec  26            Yds 352       Avg 13.5       Td  2        Lg  77t
KR  23         Yds 503       Avg 21.9       Td  0       Lg  53
Pr  8              Yds  34        Avg  4.2        Td 0        Lg 13

WLAF  Rec  57            Yds  897       Avg 15.7         Td 2       Lg 49
Kr  30          Yds  728        Avg 24.3        Td 1       Lg 101t
Pr  11            Yds 48           Avg 4,4          Td 0       Lg  14