Tag Archives: baltimore ravens

Austin, Teryl

CARD: Pro Set 1991 World League Helmet Insert
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o The Pittsburgh Steelers
SENT: 1/22 RECEIVED: 4/11 (79 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Teryl Austin played DB for at Pitt from 1984-87.
  • Had outstanding 1985, notching 7 picks for 186 yards.
  • Also used as return man, finishing with 96 punt returns for 640 yards.
  • Going undrafted in 1988, he eventually joined the World League of American Football in 1991.
  • Played for the Montreal Machine during inaugural season.
  • Made the jump to coaching later that year, joining Penn State for 1991 and 1992.
  • Over the 90s got more seasoning first as a DB coach at Wake Forest (1993-95) and then later as a Defensive Assistant at Syracuse (1996-98) and Michigan (1999-02).
  • Saw first turn in pros with the Seahawks (2003-06) and then Cardinals (07-09) as a DB coach.
  • After one year stint as DC at Florida (2010), worked for the Ravens as a Secondary Coach from 2011-13.
  • Then took reins with Lions (2014-17) and Bengals (2018) as defensive coordinator.
  • In 2019, joined Steelers as Senior Defensive Assistant and Secondary Coach, and in 2022 was promoted to defensive coordinator.

NOTES:

Another success story, Teryl has quietly made the puddle jump up the ranks of football coaching ranks after getting some seasoning in the World League.

Teryl came to my attention around 7 or 8 years ago, when he was considered for the head coaching position at the University of Texas. He actually played– so I wanted to get him on something. Since many players did not have cards who were in the World League, I thought this helmet card was the next best thing.

WLAF

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Bennett, Drew

CARDS: Leaf Rookies & Stars 2005 (Purple 206/250), Leaf Rookies & Stars 2006 (Red 070/249)
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home
SENT: 8/5/22 RECEIVED: 9/7/22 (33 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Played QB at UCLA from 1997-99, converting to WR in his Senior campaign of 2000.
  • Statistically didn’t have much to show, catching 8 passes for 167 yards, while throwing for 788 yards and 7 TDs on 57 of 104 throws, over college career.
  • Signed as a free agent by the Tennessee Titans in 2001 and impressed enough to make squad, catching 24 passes for 329 yards and a TD in rookie season.
  • Started first 16 game slate in 2004, catching 80 passes for 1247 yards and 11 TDs.
  • Spent an additional two seasons in Tennessee posting sub 700 yard seasons.
  • Joined the St. Louis Rams in 2007, logging 34 catches for 379 yards and 3 TDs over the season and the following year.
  • Signed with the Ravens in 2009, but did not make the squad- retiring due to a lingering knee injury.
  • Since retirement has dabbled in broadcasting and commentary, moonlighting as an NFL analyst.

NOTES:

I really liked Leaf’s trading card design at this time- especially how the color hits these parallels. It absorbs the ink well and looks good on most colors- well- besides black.

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Blizzard, Bobby

CARD: Hamburg Sea Devils Team Issue 2005
ACQUIRED: 2022, Private Acquisition

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Bobby Blizzard played TE for Kentucky in 1999-00 posting 30 receptions for 275 yards.
  • Transferred to North Carolina, and after sitting out a year, played for the Tar Heels in in 2002 and 03.
  • Led the team in ’02 with 28 receptions for 440 yards and 5 TDs and garnered national attention for positional watch lists.
  • Felled by viral meningitis during senior year, impacting his numbers.
  • Finished college career with 78 receptions for 876 yards and 6 TDs.
  • Went undrafted in the 2004 NFL Draft, but signed as a free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
  • After being cut, was signed by the Cardinals.
  • Assigned to the NFLE, Blizzard played for the Hamburg Sea Devils.
  • Caught 34 passes for 335 yards and 2 TDs.
  • Returned to the Cardinals but was injured and released.
  • Signed by the Baltimore Ravens late in the year and was on the team’s practice squad through mid-06.
  • Had an outstanding year in Europa playing for the Cologne Centurions in 2007, leading most TEs in all receiving categories.
  • The Bengals signed Blizzard to the team that year, but he suffered a career ending back injury.
  • Bobby joined his former coach at Kentucky- Hal Mumme at a variety of stops at the Division III level.
  • In 2019, Bobby followed Mumme to the AAF serving as TEs coach of the Memphis Express.
  • After the league collapsed, he joined Mumme on the staff of the XFL Renegades as RB coach, and later as co-offensive coordinator in 2020.

ACCOLADES:

  • All NFLE 2006
  • All Europa 2007

NOTES:

A nice coup for me, Bobby is another solid player/ prospect of the NFLE/Europa who has become an intriguing up and coming coaching prospect. An apostle of the Hal Mumme tree, Blizzard came to my attention after he joined the AAF in 2019. I’ve been a fan ever since.

NFLE/EUROPA

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