Carl Lee played defensive back for the Marshall Thundering Herd where he was primarily known as a speed merchant. He recorded 3 interceptions over his time at Marshall and was selected in the 7th round of the 1983 NFL Draft. It is notable as Carl was the 35th DB off the board, but would go on to have a stellar NFL career.
In 84 he’d notch a career high 100 tackles playing at free safety, before making the transition to corner where he’d play for the remainder of his career. Carl’s best season came in 1988 when he finished second in the league with 8 interceptions for 118 yards and a league leading 2 touchdowns. He’d earn his first of 3 consecutive Pro Bowl appearances for the Vikings top rated defense and play with the franchise through 1993. He’d play one final season in 1994 for the New Orleans Saints and retire.
Since that time, Carl has spent time coaching at the college level and was head coach for West Virginia State from 1996-2005. He was also inducted into the Thundering Herd Athletics Hall of Fame in 1995 for his contributions in both football and track.
Carl signed these 3 cards for me in roughly 30 days. A dependable signer, Carl has a very good autograph, that is encapsulated well on all 3 of these canvases. Pro Set for once fell on its face with their contribution. It’s a good action shot on their 1989 entry but it feels notably dated with the artifacts floating around on top of the photo shot. His 91 Pro Set All-NFC card illustration is top notch however and the black autograph over the white canvas is striking. I really liked this Action Packed 1990 card. The lighting is excellent on this photo and it has the right amount of pop.
I think the first time I really heard of Curt Warner was when I picked up the original copy of Tecmo Bowl on the Nintendo Entertainment System. It took me a little bit to get used to it but I really liked playing the Seattle team as I relied heavily on the run with Curt Warner. I’d add a ProSet 1989 card and his Starting Lineup figurine to my collection soon enough. Despite the fact that he was in the downward phase of his career at that point- Curt was my favorite player on the Seahawks so I was really surprised when they left him unprotected for 1989.
Curt Warner played for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1979 to 1982. There he became a legendary runningback for the school running for over 900 yards in 3 consecutive years. He’d finish ranked first on Penn State’s all time rushing list with 3,398 yards, and a bevvy of school records.
The 1983 NFL Draft was considered by many to be one of the best in league history. After John Elway and Eric Dickerson went off the board 1 and 2 respectively, the Seattle Seahawks selected Curt with the 3rd overall pick. Curt would become the bell cow of rookie head coach Chuck Knox’s ‘Ground Chuck’ attack.
An electric player out of the backfield, Curt could do it all for the Seahawks, running, catching or blocking. He led the AFC in rushing with 335 carries for 1449 yards and 13 TDs on the ground, He also caught 42 receptions for 325 yards and a TD. The Seahawks became legitimate contenders when Warner was in the backfield, and if not for Eric Dickerson, Warner probably would’ve won rookie of the year in 1983. As it stands he settled for his first of 3 Pro Bowl appearances.
After a gruesome knee injury in the opening game of 1984 ended his season, Curt rebounded in 85 with another 1,000 yard season. He’d have the best season of his career in 1986, returning to Pro Bowl form when he rushed for 1481 yards on 319 carries (13 TD)- averaging 92.6 yards per game. Warner earned his final Pro Bowl nomination in the strike shortened 87 campaign, with 985 yards in 12 contests. While he’d still cross the 1,000 yard barrier in 1988, Warner’s production began to slow down.
He’d sign as a free agent in 1990 with the Los Angeles Rams, expected to replace newly departed RB Greg Bell in the lineup. Things looked good initially as Curt scored the first TD of the Rams 1990 season, but it was pretty much downhill from there. After the Rams stumbled to a 2-5 record, they decided to lean on young backs Gaston Green, Cleveland Gary, and the reborn Marcus Dupree. Curt was unceremoniously cut rushing for 139 yards on 49 carries for LA. It was a quiet end to a quick and prolific NFL career.
Curt was inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor in 1994. He’s done some coaching and in the founder of an autism foundation. In 2018 he popped up onto my radar thanks to my hobby friend Deadhorse, who found that Curt was now an insurance agent. I had burned through all my cards for him in my previous attempts- so I opted to nab this Action Packed card to go along with the Rams card I had wanted for so long to be signed.
I had tried previously in the past to get Curt, but admittedly he is as elusive as he was in his playing career. He has two twin boys that have autism which understandably has been quite a handful. He and his wife have written an inspiring book about their experiences called “The Warner Boys”- Our Family’s Story of Autism and Hope.
Great cards here of Curt. It was really tough to choose between any of his modern NFL cards from Score, ProSet, and Action Packed- but in the end I settled on these two. The Rams card was a set need, and is the only card during a game in the uniform. It’s a great looking card. Too bad his career didn’t work out in LA. His Seahawks card shows Curt in all his imposing glory and it was a tough choice between that and his Score 89 card.
Despite playing alongside future defensive hall of famer Bruce Smith at Virginia Tech, linebacker Mike Johnson ended up in the upstart USFL playing for the Philadelphia Stars (1984) and the Baltimore Stars (1985). NFL teams took notice, and after finishing a stellar career in the USFL, Mike was selected in the USFL player dispersal draft with the 19th pick. Mike joined a host of other USFL castaways (Mack, Minnefield, and McNeil) on the Browns, helping solidify the nucleus of a powerful playoff opponent.
Johnson was a rare talent. A versatile, durable inside linebacker, who could cover runningbacks and tight ends in the flat in Cleveland’s defensive alignment. Mike earned two Pro Bowl appearances in 1989 and 1990 both as a middle linebacker. During the 1990 season he’d record a 64 yard interception return against the Chargers (Billy Joe Tolliver). In 7 of his 10 years in the NFL, Mike recorded over 100 tackles, and 6 of those, he’d manage over 130. Johnson’s best season came in 1993 when he pulled down 181 ball carriers.
In 1994 Mike was allowed to depart for Detroit where he finished his career in 1995. Rejuvenated, he’d start 32 of 32 games and have 250 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 3 interceptions for 71 yards and a TD.
Mike Johnson is the Browns 1980s TTM version of Ernest Givins!
-Deadhorse
A sure friend to the TTM community, Mike’s responses are of legend. He takes the time to respond to letters that ask questions, signs everything and includes extras. I only dropped 4 cards in, but he included an extra two for my trouble, giving me an extra signed ProSet 1990 and including the Fleer Ultra 1991 card.
I was surprised that I couldn’t find Mike’s Pro Bowl 1990 card, but whatever- I was still happy to get this bevvy of cards signed. Both his Score cards and his ProSet base cards are very nice action images. His Fleer Ultra 1991 leaves a lot to be desired. I really hated this set from a design standpoint. It was just lazy, and his silhouette is partially obscured by a Bills player’s butt. Action Packed took what they could get sometimes, even if the action shot was from behind (as is the case with Johnny Holland and Mark Carrier’s (S) cards- respectively). I wasn’t really a fan of it, but since I had gotten this card in every other pack of Action Packed that I first bought for a while there, it made sense to send one up to see if I could get it autographed.
USFL
TAC
SAC
FUM
INT
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
N/A
5.5
N/A
2
29
14.5
1
N/A
NFL
TAC
SAC
FUM
INT
YDS
AVG
TD
NFL
144/125
1224
14.5
26
13
217
16.6
2
64t
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
