Tag Archives: cincinnati bengals

NFL, ufl

Davis, Chris (WR)

Card: Playoff Contenders 2007
Acquired: 3/6/12, Target Authentic Memorabilia Autograph Edition

During his time with the Florida Seminoles, Chris Davis recorded 137 receptions for 1842 yards and 12 touchdowns. In his senior season in 2006 Chris played in the Senior Bowl and finished among the elite receivers and returners in FSU history.

A dynamic weapon with the versatility to play wide receiver and return kicks, Chris Davis uses his 5-foot-10 frame to his advantage, running precise routes and making quick cuts. His elusiveness makes him dangerous after the catch and in the open field as a returner. In pre-draft workouts, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.52 seconds, bench pressed 291 pounds and recorded a 36-inch vertical jump. The Titans selected him with their second of two fourth-round picks (128th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft. Through his first two NFL seasons, he appeared in 17 games and totaled seven receptions for 69 yards, 33 punt returns for 299 yards (9.1 avg.) and six kickoff returns for 156 yards (26.0 avg.).

In 2010, Chris signed with the Cincinnati Bengals and also saw time on the roster of the Giants as well. Eventually Chris signed with the Hartford Colonials of the UFL later that year, but was released. In 2011 he signed with the Omaha Nighthawks where he currently remains on their roster.

NFL

Holman, Rodney

Cards: Pro Set 1990 PB, Fleer Ultra 1991, Fleer 1990
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent:  6/22    Received:  11/15  (146 days)

The Bengals during the late 80s and early 90s had an impressive offensive lineup featuring a variety of soft handed receivers, but one who received much less credit than he deserved was Tulane University grad, Rodney Holman.

At 6-3, 238, Holman was ideally suited for the Bengals offense as a tight end or h-back and while Rodney’s rookie season in 1983 was a wash, he’d begin to come into his own in his second season grabbing 21 balls for 239 yards and his first touchdown. He’d continue setting career highs in 1985 (38 catches, 479 yards, 7 touchdowns) and 1986, (40 receptions, 570 yards, 2 touchdowns). His unparalleled blocking and pass catching at the time was ahead of the tight ends of his age, and he was crucial in the team’s run to SuperBowl XXIII.  Holman would bottle the magic again in 1989 with a career high 50 receptions for 736 yards and 9 touchdowns. Rodney would also earn ProBowl and AP nods for his 1988-1990 seasons, and also be enshrined in Tecmo Super Bowl with the Bengals.

With the dawn of free agency, Rodney signed with the Lions in 1993 and play there two additional seasons before retiring. Since then he’s been an assistant coach with the Saints. In his spare time Rodney is an avid fisherman and hunter. He is also a cousin of Preston Pearson.  At this time Rodney remains the all-time leader in career receptions for the Bengals at tight end with 318.

G/Gs 212/146     Rec  365    Yds  4771    Avg 13.1       Td  36       Lg  73t

NFL

Williams, Darryl “Hitman”

Cards: GameDay 1992, Action Packed Rookies 1992, StarPics 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o  Home
Sent: 8/26    Received:  9/3  (7 days)

The Miami Hurricanes free safety and head hunter Darryl Williams helped the team win the National Championship in 1989 and 1991. Quick, fast, and fluid, Williams was a great athlete who showed the willingness to apply the hit as well as sit in zone to make the pick. A team leader out of the gate, Darryl had great instincts and reacted well to plays. The knock on him was his lack of size (6’0″, 193) and experience at the position (only a 2 year starter). He’d finish as the Hurricanes 4th all-time leading tackler with 173 total tackles, and 8 picks for 150 yards, 2 td, and 4 fumble recoveries. An All American in college recording 84 stops and 3 picks in 1991, Williams would declare early and be drafted by the Bengals in a draft day swap with the Washington Redskins during the first round (#28) of the 1992 draft.  It’d be the first time the Bengals would draft a safety in the first round of the NFL draft, underscoring their attempts to keep up with the pass happy Oilers in the AFC Central arms race.

Williams rookie season was a strong performance in 1992, with 4 picks, 2 sacks and 78 tackles starting 12 games that season.  It’d be in 1993 that he’d start the oddest of streaks: the NFL record for most consecutive starts by a free safety, a record he still holds to this day with 108 games. During that season Hitman made an interception that he’d return 97 yards in a 24-16 loss to the Steelers.  Darryl would also wreck havoc in the secondary recording a career high 126 tackles. He’d also notch a safety in 1995 before heading west to play for the Seattle Seahawks.

It’d be in 1996 that Williams put together a masterful season with 5 picks for 148 yards and a touchdown. Williams would earn his only Pro Bowl nod and AP nomination in the following season in 1997, where he led the league with 8 interceptions for 172 yards and a touchdown.  Although he had a down year in 1998 with 3 picks, and his streak of starts would end in 1999, he’d prove that indeed you can return home, resigning with the Bengals in 2000.  Hitman would play with the squad through 2001, recording a career high 3.5 sacks in his final season.

I quit collecting cards pretty much en masse after 1992. GameDay, Action Packed and Star Pics, were the last brands I really liked at that point, but by 1993 everybody had left the style that defined themselves behind, (ProSet and Score,) were out of business, (StarPics,) or were concentrating on premium branding (Fleer) that I just didn’t care about.  I sent off for Darryl at the end of August and got a very quick reply in a week. Oddly there was no post mark from where he sent it to me from on the envelope that had taken some water damage, but thankfully the cards were unharmed. He signed the 3 cards I requested, plus the additional card I asked him to keep. A nice return from the Cincinnati Hitman.

G/Gs 156/137     Tac 715       Sac 9.5       Fum 15       Int 31       Yds 691        Avg 22.3       Td   4     Lg  97t