Tag Archives: cleveland thunderbolts

Arena, CFL, NFL, WLAF

Nittmo, Bjorn

Pro Set World League 1991, #91

Cards: Pro Set World League 1991, Ultimate World League 1992
Acquired: TTM 2021, C/o Home
Sent: 6/21 Received: 7/24 (33 days)
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Home

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • At time of graduation, was Appalachian State’s all-time leading scorer with 277 points, and field goals made (62).

  • Undrafted in 1989, tasted first NFL action later that year with the New York Giants. 

  • Scored 39 points in 6 games, converting 9 of 12 field goals as injury replacement for Raul Allegre.

  • After failing to beat out Nick Lowery in camp in 1990 with the Chiefs, was the #1 overall pick amongst kickers in the WLAF positional draft by the Montreal Machine in 1991.

  • Paired with punter Chris Mohr to form the best special teams duo in the World League.

  • Scored 51 points on 13 of 18 field goals for the Machine in 1991, setting numerous league records along the way including most field goals in a game (4, Orlando), and longest field goal (50 yards, SA).
     
  • After season concluded, signed alongside Mohr to the Buffalo Bills, but failed to unseat incumbent kicker Scott Norwood.

  • Joined the Cleveland Thunderbolts of the Arena Football League in 1993 playing one season with the franchise.

  • Hopped over to the CFL, kicking for the Shreveport Pirates in 1994 and 95.

  • After two more attempts at making an NFL roster in 1996 (Chiefs) and 1997 (Bucs), returned to the Arena Football League in 1998.
  • Played for the Tampa Bay Storm (1998), Buffalo Destroyers (1999), Arizona Rattlers (2000), and Carolina Cobras (2001).

  • Briefly reemerged for a comeback attempt in 2005 and was an offseason addition for the Ottawa Renegades, retiring soon thereafter. 

ACCOLADES:

  • All World League 1991 Second Team
Ultimate World League 1992, #85

NFL

XPAXPMPCTFGAFGMPCTLGPTS
131292.391275.03939

WLAF

XPAXPMPCTFGAFGMPCTLGPTS
272488.9282071.45084

CFL

XPAXPMPCTFGAFGMPCTLGPTS
7272100.0917481.3N/A306

ARENA

XPAXPMPCTFGAFGMPCTLGPTS
29827391.61626037.0N/A453

NOTES:

Bjorn Nittmo was the first Swede to play professional gridiron football and is considered an ambassador of the sport. While playing for the Giants, late night host David Letterman fell in love with his name and made jokes about it, leading to two appearances by Nittmo on Letterman’s show in late 1989 and early 1990. In 1999, Bjorn also appeared in the movie Any Given Sunday and was the placekicker for the Sharks.

Nittmo is unfortunately a long study in concussions and CTE. After taking a bone crunching hit during the preseason with the Bucs, he was never the same again. His short term memory was severely damaged by the injury and he apparently has dealt mood swings. Estranged from his family, he became a nomad of sorts, moving around the country, picking up jobs here and there. Over the years, multiple articles have been written about his case, so after failing out in 2010 on him- not knowing he was estranged from his family, I tracked him down in Northern Arizona of all places.

It’s a small world really. Back in 2007 I drove through Northern Arizona, and passed through the town he was living in. The only reason I remember it was because it was in the middle of nowhere, and it was just a blip on the radar, so I honed in on his location and wrote him a letter.

I was shocked to get a response from this ‘white whale’ in less than 30 days. It was nice hearing from him. I know his life has been… hard- over the last few years, but I hope that he is making the best of it and trying to better himself.

As a final note, I’d like to thank those out there who have collaborated with me over the years to find World League players. I have been at this for many years now. This is a success, for me personally, a triumph of singularity that others can only claim to have found, but more than likely got from me. – There is no reason I shouldn’t toot my horn about this one.

Nonetheless, I hope that this information finds its way into the right hands, and reunites some more players with each other and brings back fond memories of their time in the World League.

Arena, NFL, WLAF

Egerton, Tim ‘T.E.’

Card: Ultimate World League 1992
Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o Home
Sent: 9/11 Received: 9/22 (11 days)
Failure: TTM 2019, C/o Home

A 4th round selection of the Barcelona Dragons in 1991 out of Delaware State, TE had a brief 4 game stint with the British Columbia Lions of the CFL in 1990, after being in camp with the Cincinnati Bengals. A dangerous and shifty return man and receiver, Tim led Delaware State 3 years running from 1987 through 1989. His best year came in 1989, when he caught 34 passes for 525 yards and 5 TDs. On special teams, he carved up opponents to the tune of 59 career punt returns for 951 yards and FIVE… count em… 5 TDs… snapping fellow alum John Taylor’s record. Among his returns for touchdowns, he had 3 greater than 67 yards.

While playing for the Barcelona Dragons in ’91 Tim had 27 catches for 336 yards and a 57 yard long, and 10 punt returns for 91 yards. He joined the Cleveland Thunderbolts of the Arena Football League in 1993 and recorded 5 catches for 94 yards and 2 TDs, while seeing action also on defense, with 9.5 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup.

As I round the final turn here on the Ultimate set, now with well over 100 of the base 180 signed, I’m starting to refocus on some names that I may have missed over the years. I doubled down on Tim and had a decent feeling that the mail may have gotten lost. He has a great looking action card and was a key contributor to the Dragons’ offense. He responded in a short 11 days and thanked me and said he’d be honored to sign my card, signing on both the front and back.

CFLRECYDSAVGTDLG
45413.5028
WLAFRECYDSAVGTDLG
2733612.4057
ARENARECYDSAVGTDLG
59418.82N/A

Arena, CFL, NFL, WLAF

Fears, Willie

jo93 fearsCards: Wild Card WLAF 1992, Jogo 1995
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 1/7       Received: 1/16    (9 days)

Willie Fears took a strange,winding, inspiring route, to his dreams of being a professional football player and coach. Undrafted out of Northwestern Louisiana St in 1985, Willie played 5 games for the Ottawa Rough Riders in the CFL.  Invited to the Miami Dolphins minicamp, he showed up admittedly out of shape and had to put his career on hold.  He became a corrections officer at the Arkansas State Maximum Security Prison, but along came the NFL Players Strike in 1987. At 6’4″, 280, Fears had the frame to still play, and probably had the greatest vacation time ever from work, spending 3 weeks as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals. Afterwards he went back to the CFL, playing for both Ottawa and Toronto in 1988 and 1989, before returning again to the NFL in 1990 as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.

Willie was then drafted by the WLAF San Antonio Riders in 1992. Willie’s technical precision, skillset, and size, allowed the team to shift him into any of the 3 places on the line, which was invaluable to the Riders 3-4 alignment. An experienced force on the line, he proved difficult for offensive linemen to handle, and helped the Riders be one of the staunchest defenses in the league.  After the league went on hiatus, Willie begun a career playing in the Arena Football League. He’d sign with the Cleveland Thunderbolts and played for them through the 1993 season, before hopping back into the CFL with the Sacramento Gold Miners. In 1994 the Gold Miners moved to San Antonio and became the Texans. He’d join them there back in his old stomping grounds. Afterwards, Fears joined the AFL again, playing in 1996 for the Tampa Bay Storm, and then in 1997 for the Nashville Katz.

wcwlaf92 fearsHe then continued his dream by becoming a football coach.  In the ArenaFootball2 league, he’d coach with the Arkansas Twisters for 3 seasons, before joining Jay Gruden on the Predators to coach the linemen. Ironically, later Pat O’Hara, joined the staff replacing Gruden as head coach. Pat was a member of the Ohio Glory and probably felt Willie breathing down his neck more than once during the Riders 17-0 stomping of the Glory back in 1992. Fears remained with the Predators through 2011. Currently he lives in Arkansas. My first success from the Meiselman 2014 list, I had been looking for Willie for quite sometime, and had been unable to locate him since his stint ended with the Predators. He was kind enough to not only sign the Wild Card WLAF 1992 card I enclosed, but like Billy Hess also enclosed one of his own from the Jogo 1995 set. Unfortunately both of the autographs were smudged as he signed with an overhead Vis-A-Vis instead of a Sharpie. The Riders card was smudged beyond recognition, so I resent it back out with a team photo of him and the other linemen for Willie to keep. He sent it back in about 2 weeks signed with the marker I gave him.

AFL    Tac  46     Sac 9    FF 2    Int  0   Yds   0   Avg  -.-   Td 0   Lg -.-
WLAF  Tac   N/a    Sac   2   FF  0    Int 0   Yds 0   Avg -.-   Td 0  Lg -.-
NFL  2     Tac  N/a    Sac 0   FF 0   Int  0  Yds 0   Avg -.-   Td 0  Lg -.-
CFL  N/a