Tag Archives: chicago bears

NFL

Cox, Bryan

Cards: Score Supplemental 1991
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o The Miami Dolphins
Sent:  9/2/11  Received: 1/11/12  (131 days)*
*Forwarded from old address.

Powerful. Intimidating. Ahead of his time. That’s the best way I can describe the fearsome caveman, Bryan Cox who played linebacker for the Miami Dolphins. He was a guy who used the word HATE to describe how he felt about other teams and had no problem expressing his lack of respect thereof for his opponent to the media. An unrelenting force in the final years of Don Shula, Bryan Cox’s mouth and presence on the field was contrary to the no nonsense workmanlike attitude of Dolphins teams of the past, and he really foreshadowed a few years there that aggression and smack talking became more and more prominent in the league.

An All-America 1st team recipient in 1990, Cox was drafted in the 5th round of the 1990 draft by the Dolphins. With aggressive tackling, blitzing and special teams play, he blocked 5 kicks in his final season at Western Illinois for the Leathernecks.  A fearsome hitter, he quickly asserted himself, starting 13 contests at right outside linebacker for the Dolphins recording 61 tackles and  2 sacks that rookie season. In 1991 Bryan recorded a career high 14 sacks, 127 tackles and his first career interception earning AP Honors for his efforts.  In 1993, the team moved him to right linebacker, and while the name was only a subtle change, Bryan was utilized differently in coverage. He’d make 122 tackles and 5 sacks and force 4 fumbles. Bryan returned to his ProBowl form in 1994 after he moved to middle linebacker.  He’d again see a return to the ProBowl in 1995, earning 7.5 sacks that season. He’d would depart via free agency to Chicago for 1995.

Two uneventful years playing for the Bears passed and Cox returned to terrorize the AFC East- this time for the Jets, playing both RILB and LILB for them over 3 seasons, recording his first career pick for a touchdown, 3 FR and 12 sacks.  He’d again move in 2001 to play for the Patriots, winning the SuperBowl at the end of the season. Cox then played one final season for the Saints in 2002 retiring at season’s end.

After doing a bit of commentary, Bryan has gone into coaching since his playing days. He has spent his time working for the Jets, Browns, and now the Dolphins as their pass rush specialist, where I got his autograph on a card in a bit over 4 months. I was a tad disappointed in this one since he signed 1 of 3 cards, but you can not look a gift horse in the mouth, and I was more than happy to add this fearsome linebacker to my collection.

G/Gs 165/145     Tac 764     Sac  51.5       Fum  22     Int  4   Yds  65   Avg  16.3     Td 1   Lg 27

CFL, NFL, University of Texas

Babers, Rod “Kool Aid” (2)

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!”

CFL, NFL, University of Texas

Babers, Rod “Kool Aid”

 

Cards: Upper Deck Finite 2003, Bowman 2003
Acquired: In Person, 11/9/11 Card Traders of Austin UD 2011 UT Football Card Launch Party
See also: Babers, Rod (2), Rod Babers “Black Caesar” (3)

Rod Babers is a legend for the University of Texas where he started 36 games, and returned 3 of his first 5 thefts for touchdowns. He earned 1st Team All Big 12 honors in 2002 and excelled in tight coverage. He’d finish his career at UT with 131 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 picks, 3 FF and 3 TDs, -and as a Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist.  At 5’9″, 190, Babers was undersized for the position, but made it onto the radar of NFL scouts with his career numbers and speed (4.3 40).

The New York Giants would draft him in the 4th round (123rd pick) of the 2003 draft, but he’d walk out of camp- distraught over the death of his grandfather. The Giants, unable to justify keeping him cut Roderick. He’d quickly sign with the Detroit Lions where he played the next two seasons suiting up for 7 games recording 5 tackles. In 2005, Rod was signed by the Bucs, and also played for the Broncos and Bears that season.  He’d move to Canada in 2006 to play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, retiring after the season.

Babers quickly found a home working on 1300 “The Zone” in Austin, Texas as one of the crew of the Longhorn Station and you can frequently hear him on the airwaves cutting it up and talking about football and the cougars around Austin. Recently he had been doing multiple autograph appearances, so I put in an order on a few cards of his to see if I could add him to the collection, but a local card shop I had been frequenting recently had a promotion for a new set of Upper Deck Cards. Luckily I had ordered these cards a few days before from Burbank Sports Cards, and they delivered them in no time flat. (They may cost a little bit more, but BSC typically has the largest selection and variety and treat their internet customers with the same respect that they do their in person collectors.)  Overall these were pretty nice cards for the collection to get autographed. I did really hate the computer serial number coding that they used at the time to denote limited edition cards, but overall both of these cards hit their mark nicely.

Rod was impressed with my football knowledge and plugged me on the radio when he noticed that I was a Texans fan. Josh and I made lots of noise from time to time before they went out to commercial break to plug the event as though it was really happening. We all had a great laugh and Rod asked us to be sure to come out again and have a good time.