Tag Archives: Denver Broncos

Coleman, Marco

Cards:  Action Packed Rookies 1992, Classic 1992, SkyBox 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 11/8   Received: 11/21  (13 days)

Nice acquisition here in the form of 1992 defensive rookie of the year Marco Coleman signing 3 cards in under two weeks. The SkyBox and Classic cards were hilarious as they are taken less than 5 seconds apart. You usually see cards where it is the same photo, but not one a few seconds apart. The Action Packed 1992 Rookies card is stellar though making up for it, as it’s well known I like getting these cards autographed.

Marco Coleman was a dominant linebacker out of college from Georgia Tech. He broke the school record of sacks previously held by sackmaster Pat Swilling (28).  At 6’3, 286, Coleman was considered slow for his position but undersized for defensive end. Certainly he was a forerunner to what is referred to sometimes as a ‘tweener’. The Dolphins needing new blood at the position drafted Marco #12 overall in 1992, and he was the second linebacker off the board behind Quentin Coryatt. Coleman would start both at linebacker and defensive end in his rookie season, finishing with 6 sacks and 84 tackles but after it was all said and done, Marco really took off at defensive end. He’d start there the rest of his career primarily playing on the right side, averaging 5.5 sacks over the next three seasons.
After a 3 year stint with the Chargers from 1996-1998, where he tacked on 9.5 more sacks to his career totals, Marco signed with the Redskins in 1999. Returning to his rookie form, Coleman made 6.5 sacks, 42 tackles and recovered a fumble that he returned 42 yards for a touchdown. He’d top that in 2000 lodging a career high 12 sacks and earning a Pro Bowl berth after being moved to left defensive end.  In 2002, he’d enter the journeyman phase of his career, and play for the Jaguars and Eagles one season a piece, before finishing out his career playing for the Broncos in 2004 and 2005.

G/Gs  207/185     Tac  520    Sac  65.5     Fum 18    Int 1     Yds 2     Avg 2.0      Td  0     Lg 2

 

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.

 

Smith, Sammie

Cards: ProSet 1989, Score 1990
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent:  5/27   Received: 11/2   (159 days)

Sammie Smith is a cautionary tale. After breaking rushing records for the Florida State Seminoles during the late 1980s, Sammie declared for the 1989 NFL draft. His stock would shoot up in the final weeks leading up to it, buoyed by a reputed 4.35 40.  A stacked draft, Smith was the third runningback taken off the board in the first round, (after Barry Sanders and Tim Worley) with the 9th pick. A tremendous talent, Smith would set a Dolphins rookie rushing record with his 659 yard season in 1989, including a 3 touchdown performance against the New England Patriots. He’d follow this up in 1990 with another solid season with 839 yards and his two year career totals set new Sophomore marks for the 20+ year old franchise at the time, but that would all come crashing down in 1991.

You see, Sammie had a habit of putting the rock on the ground. My friends and I knew that he was so notorious for it, that when a player fumbled twice in a game or on a regular basis, we called it, “A case of Sammie Smith-itis”. Sammie’s 1991 would be incredibly rough and after 2 games, Smith didn’t even have positive yardage.  At Kansas City in week 3 Smith fumbled on the goal line against the Chiefs, who recovered it and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown as the Dolphins got crushed 42-7, but the worst was yet to come. In a home game the following week Sammie and the Dolphins would play the Houston Oilers. Clutching to a 14-10 lead late in the game, the ‘Fins would have a chance to seal the victory as they knocked on the Oilers doorstep for a touchdown. The announcers casually mention Sammie Smith in the backfield and how he fumbled the previous week. As the ball was handed off to him, Lamar Lathon came through the line with Cris Dishman and punched the ball loose- again. Lathon recovered the ball and the Oilers marched down the field for the winning touchdown. Sammie sobbed on the sideline as fans chanted “Sammie Sucks!” Smith would be pulled aside after the game, where coach Don Shula tried to tell Sammie that he had made big plays in the past for the Dolphins and he’d make big plays in the future. He just needed to shake off today.

It never happened. Sammie’s 1991 would come to a thudding end, and during the season’s epilogue the Dolphins would trade Sammie Smith straight up with the Broncos for Bobby Humphrey. The hope was that a change of scenery would help both players, but a groin injury would derail most of Smith’s 1992, and end his career.  Sammie despite only playing roughly 4 seasons still finished financially well off.

He’d return home, but be caught in a drug sting as a ‘major player’ in a cocaine operation in 1996. Sammie would plead guilty and be sent to jail. Convicted of 2 counts to distribute he faced 20 to life in prison at the age of 29. Sammie would take his time in prison to refocus his life and try to turn it around, helping those who are potentially at risk in life and with drugs. After 7 years he was placed on parole, and in 2010, at the age of 43, with the help of his former coach Bobby Bowden, friends and family, he won the restoration of his civil rights. Smith remains active locally conducting football camps, connecting with former friends and teammates, and trying to help at risk children.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Sammie despite my genial poking at his career and while I would’ve decried what happened to him as ‘stupid’, the reality of it is, that it was tragic and saddening. I would have sent to Sammie sooner, had I known he was out of prison earlier and I was happy to receive these two autographs in roughly 6 months time. It’s been a long and winding difficult road for Sammie- but he is proof positive that you can find redemption after your darkest hour.

G/Gs 44/35  Rush   532    Yds 1881   Avg  3.5     Td  15    Lg  33  |
Rec   32   Yds  310    Avg  9.7     Td   1     Lg  53