Tag Archives: calgary stampeders

CFL

Leonard, Kenton

Card: All World 1991
Acquired: TTM 1993, CFL Blitz

This is one of the worst designed card sets. Not only did All World do a bad job of a poor man’s Pro Set 1989, with its framing and stripes, they put two equally saturated colors (red and blue) up against each other on the type. The word ‘Rookie’ in cursive is just so 1990s…Not only is it not an action shot or a stoic pose, it’s of the player making stretches with a poor man’s skull cap on that looks like a woman’s stockings. Just a bad, bad, card.

Kenton Leonard was not drafted by the NFL out of tiny Nicholls State University in Louisiana so he elected to fulfill his dream to play pro ball in the CFL. I don’t know what they put in the water in Louisiana, but the state just cranks out NFL talent like nobody’s business. (Nicholls State was also where notable LB Johnny Meads, OL Jay Pennison, and WR Mark Carrier went to college.)

Kenton never let his diabetes stop him from playing defensive back  for the Calgary Stampeders from 1991-1997 winning a Grey Cup with the team before retiring. Over his career he spent a lot of time talking to students about diabetes in Canada and helping raise awareness of the disease. He also has spent some time on the celebrity golf tourney circuit.

CFL

McLoughlin, Mark

Card: Jogo 1992
Acquired: TTM 1993, CFL Blitz

Another England born kicker in the CFL, Mark McLoughlin left North Dakota as the Coyotes leading kicker in many categories before heading  over to Canada.  In Calgary, McLoughlin would redefine the kicker category and holds the record for the most games played for the franchise at 244 from 1988- 2003. (He’d play one final season for the BC Lions in an emergency stint before retiring in 2005.) Mark is second all time in scoring with 2848 points and in career field goals with 673.  Mark would hit 80 extra points in 1994, a CFL record and in 1996 tie the league record for most field goals in a game (with Dave Ridgway) at 8. A 6 time All-Star McLoughlin has won the Grey Cup 3 times and made the game winning kick for the championship against the Tiger Cats in 1998.  He’d score over 200 points 7 times in his career and received 3 All Star selections for his achievements.

After his playing days ended McLoughlin was inducted into the Stampeders Wall of Honor and had his number retired.  A voracious community volunteer, Mark currently resides in Alberta, Canada and has worked for Olds College and in 2007 was named into the University of South Dakota’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Note: Mark McLoughlin’s card is spelled “Mark McLaughlin” and is considered an uncorrected error card.

G  244     XPA  834     XPM  833       FGA 909    FGM 639         S 143     Pts 2992

CFL, NFL, WLAF, XFL

Moore, Shawn

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1991, Score 1991
Acquired: In Person 1992, San Antonio Riders v. Birmingham Fire
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o The University of Virginia

After the Birmingham Fire lost to the San Antonio Riders that humid night I tromped onto the field and got Shawn’s autograph on his Action Packed Rookies and Score 1991 card. You could see on his face the frustration of being buried on the depth chart and the relative annoyance he felt about being there, but he still managed to sign these two cards for me.

In the early 90’s, Dan Reeves decided that he was going to pull rank and find the heir apparent to John Elway after tensions boiled to the surface between the two seasoned professionals. Dan drafted not one, but two quarterbacks in the 1991 draft. Highly regarded Tommy Maddox from UCLA and Shawn Moore from Virginia. Shawn had finished 1st in passing efficiency in the nation and broke most passing records for the Cavaliers in 1990. Moore would be drafted in the 11th round of the draft and back up both Maddox and Elway.

The Broncos would loan Moore to the Birmingham Fire for the 1992 season where he was expected to compete for the starting job, however he never saw any time off the bench sitting behind Mike Norseth. Shawn returned to the NFL for the 1992 season throwing for 232 yards and 3 picks in injury relief for John Elway. Afterwards he’d return to the bench of the Broncos, where he’d stay through 1993. In 1994, Shawn signed with the Arizona Cardinals, but saw no playing time. He’d then head North to Canada for the 1995 season, splitting time with the Blue Bombers and Stampeders before retiring from professional football.

Since then Moore has spent time in administration working as a national scout for the XFL and an enforcement representative for the NCAA. Currently he’s the wide receivers coach for his alma mater, The University of Virginia.  I sent two cards out to Moore last year, hoping to get his autograph on two final cards but at this point am still waiting hopefully for a response.