Tag Archives: Denver Broncos

NFL, WLAF

Sancho, Ron

pset91 sanchoult92 sanchowcwlaf92 sancho

Cards: ProSet WLAF 1991, Ultimate WLAF 1992, Wildcard WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent: 8/15   Received: 8/21 (6 days)
Failure: 2010, C/o Home

An LSU linebacker from 1985- 1988, Ron Sancho earned Honorable Mention All-American and 2nd Team All-SEC after recording 77 tackles, 10 TFL, and 5 sacks in 1988. Ron was selected in the 7th round of the 1989 NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs but did not survive the final cuts. Ron signed with the Broncos later that season. He re-upped with Denver again in 1990, but did not make the squad.

The WLAF New York-New Jersey Knights selected Ron during the 2nd round of the league’s positional draft in 1991. He’d go on to record a banner year for the team scoring 3 defensive TDs (recovering a fumble against Frankfurt in the endzone, blocking and recovering a punt against Montreal, and returning a fumble 14 yards against the Skyhawks). The Knights went on to lead the league with 8 defensive touchdowns that season behind Ron’s impressive season. Ron finished second on the team with 69 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 6 sacks. His nose for the endzone earned Sancho Second Team All World Honors in 1991.  Ron returned to the Knights for the 1992 season where he’d add another 4 sacks to his career totals, but the league under pressure from the NFL owners (who did an about face on supporting the league) elected to suspend the operations of the WLAF.

Ron retired in 1993 and currently owns his own company- Cardio Health Solutions LLC, and has been married to his high school sweetheart for some 25 years, while raising 3 wonderful children. He kindly took the time to write me a short letter thanking me for updating him on the status of his friends and teammates, -many of which he hadn’t seen or heard from in 20 years.

WLAF      Tac   N/a      Sac 10.0     Fum N/a    Int  0   Yds 0   Avg -.-   Td 0

 

 

NFL

Miller, Billy

sco03 millerCards: Topps 2004, Score 2003, Score 2004
Acquired: 2013, C/o Elite Performance Factory
Sent: 6/1   Received: 7/8   (37 days)

Billy Miller is best remembered by Texans fans for scoring the franchise’s first TD against the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. His reaching grab on the opening drive of the game, (an eventual 19-10 victory) served notice of Miller’s determination to be accepted as a football player on the pro stage. It also was the first touchdown scored at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Miller was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos as a wide receiver out of USC in 1999. The 7th round choice did not see any playing time through 2001, and was so upset about being cut that season by the Broncos that he used his ‘turk buckslip’ as motivation, taping it to the inside of his locker.

Basically adopting a “Will do anything mentality”, Miller arrived in Houston before the team took the field its inaugural season, not even really registering a blip on the free agent signee radar. sco04 millerShifting to TE, Billy supplanted Rod Rutledge in the lineup and quickly developed a rapport with quarterback David Carr as his safety valve. With his soft hands and speed, he provided a mismatch against nearly all opposing linebackers and defensive linemen that might shift into coverage to stop him, forcing most teams to deploy a DB in coverage when he released out into the flat. Billy became the team’s first receptions leader, finishing the 2002 season with 51 catches (for 613 yards and 3 TDs), in 7 starts. In 2003, he added another 40 receptions to his team leading total, but already with the emergence of Andre Johnson by 2004, Miller’s reception accomplishment has been rendered to an interesting footnote.  An injury riddled 2004 limited Billy to 17 receptions and a touchdown. He’d score that final touchdown with the Texans, in a 31-21 rout of the Tennessee Titans, as the franchise finished 7-9.

The Texans in 2005 decided they were ready for primetime football with the big boys, after their impressive 2004 season. To further this theory they decided to purge their roster of many of their expansion draft players. Billy in the meantime signed with the Cleveland to04 millerBrowns, suiting up for only 3 games but getting no play time.  In 2006 he’d join the roster of the New Orleans Saints and his statistics saw a slow but strong rebound. Over the next 3 seasons, he’d record 86 receptions for 1036 yards and 3 touchdowns. Resigning with the team in 2009, Miller blew out his Achilles in training camp. While he’d win a Super Bowl ring for the Saints victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Billy decided that it was fine time to retire.

Miller currently runs Elite Performance Factory, a strength and conditioning facility gym in California. In 2013, Miller was named the strength and conditioning coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

G/Gs  114/36      Rec 200     Yds 2248    Avg 11.2   Td 10    Lg 57

 

NFL

McCaffrey, Ed

pset91 mccaffreyap91 mccaffrey

Cards: Action Packed 1991, Pro Set 1990
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Pro Link Sports
Sent: 1/7   Received: 4/16   (99 days)

Underutilized by the Giants in their ground and pound based offense, nobody really paid much attention when he signed with the San Fransisco 49ers as a free agent in 1994. Why, Ed McCaffrey only had totaled 92 receptions for 1091 yards and 7 touchdowns in 3 seasons after being a 3rd round pick of NY. It’d be in those early years with the Giants, who were struggling with the departure of their coach Bill Parcells, and a Super Bowl hangover, that I’d see McCaffrey go out one Thanksgiving contest and give his all in a game, while his team lost 30-3 to the Cowboys.  Ed didn’t really impress with the 49ers that next season either, however he won his first Super Bowl title. After that one unimpressive season, the jig was up in San Fransisco-land and Ed was back on the street by 1995.

With the Three Amigos at the end of their career, new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak was looking to stir things up. The Broncos were transitioning at the time and McCaffrey (and fellow receiver Rod Smith,) seemed to fit the bill. McCaffrey proved to be a nice find for the Broncos as every season through 2000, he increased his receiving production with his sure hands and deceptive speed.  This culminated in career highs that year (2000) with 101 receptions for 1317 yards and 9 touchdowns. While injuries finished his NFL career prematurely in 2003, Ed won 2 Super Bowl rings with the Broncos and was named to the Pro Bowl for his 1998 performance. As one of John Elway‘s favorite targets, McCaffrey finished his career in Denver with 462 receptions for 6200 yards and 46 touchdowns.

In 2009, Ed was named to the Denver Broncos 50th Anniversary Team and in 2012, became a color analyst for the Broncos Radio Network.

G/Gs 185/109     Rec 565    Yds 7422   Avg 13.1    Td 55     Lg 78