Tag Archives: gameday 1992

NFL

Duncan, Curtis (3) ‘CD’

to88 cduncan sco92 cduncan tosc90 cduncan tosc92 cduncan

 

Cards: Topps Stadium Club 1991, Topps Stadium Club 1993, Topps 1989, Score 1992, GameDay 1992, ProSet 1992
Acquired: In Person 9/13/2015, Churrascos Club Pregame Party Texans vs. Chiefs
See Also: Curtis Duncan, Curtis Duncan (2)

Well I was quite the celebrity at the Houston Texans opener against the Kansas City Chiefs this year as I walked through the rows of tailgates and throngs of people wearing my powder blue Houston Oilers jersey. On quite a few occasions I was stopped and asked who it was a jersey of, and I’d quickly respond with, “Wide receiver, Curtis Duncan of the Houston Oilers. You know the least respected of the Fab 4 Run ‘N Shoot during who played during the late 80’s until the mid 90s.”

pset92 duncanPreviously I had met Curtis and liked him so much I busted out this old jeresy for the next time I saw him. When I ran into him outside the Churrascos he was very impressed and flattered that I had a jersey of him. Bubba McDowell laughed that I had it and said that I looked better than Duncan in it. I said, “Only my belly,” and rubbed it to their laughter.

The Churrascos event was a nice set up. There was a last second substitution, but Curtis was already on the docket to appear. I got a feeling of bourgeoisie from the catered all you can eat/all you can drink exorbitantly priced event- which made me feel slightly ill. There were photos and event tables and a lot of things to do. People who plan on attending should be there when it starts at 10AM, and prepare to leave 15 minutes early to reach their seats on time.

gday93 cduncanThe signing went well. Curtis wanted to take a photo with me, and I jabbed him telling him, “What so that you can prove to the world somebody is a fan of yours or has your jersey?” Bubba said it would be even more impressive if I had his jersey. Curtis signed every card I had. I previously got his rookie card signed, but we talked about it briefly joking that it was one of those Topps entries with him on the sidelines looking up into the air.

Overall these cards weren’t bad. There maybe just one or two more of Curtis I’d like to get autographed, but pretty much this does it. Even with these entries so late into the CD race, I was still pulling pretty decent looking cards and action shots of the former Oiler. The Topps entry of him sitting on the sideline is a well framed photo. About the only one I didn’t like was his 1991 Topps Stadium Club entry of him jumping up into the air with a defender draped on him.

 

 

Arena, NFL

Swann, Eric

aprks91 eswannCards: Action Packed Rookies 1991, GameDay 1992
Acquired: 2016, Paid Signing

Eric Swann does not sign through the mail. When I saw this affordable signing, it was a no brainer to go ahead and send out two of my favorite cards.

Swann took a unique route to the pro level. Academically ineligible he was unable to begin college at NC State. Instead he enrolled in JC at Wake Technical, but left soon thereafter to join the semi professional football Bay State Titans in 1990.  During his single season with the Titans, Swann rocked the league with 72 total tackles, 11 sacks, 4 blocked field goals, and 4 forced fumbles playing at both defensive end and tackle.

The Arizona Cardinals fell in love with Swann’s unusual combination of size (6’3″, 311), strength (bench press of 400+ lbs), and speed (4.98 40). They’d select Eric with the 6th pick of the first round during the 1991 draft. He’d be the first non-college player chosen in the first round since Emil Sitko was selected by the Rams in 1946.

gday92 eswannSwann’s rookie season was slowed by injuries. Shortly after taking the field in minicamp, he blew out his knee and had to have arthroscopic surgery.  He’d see action in 12 games though, starting 3, and record 4 sacks to go along with 22 tackles.  Swann over the next few years solidified his role on the Cardinal defense, recording a career high 70 tackles in 1992, and 7 sacks in 1994.  Eric also recorded a safety in 3 straight seasons from 1992 to 1994.

1995 marked the first time in some 30 years that a defensive lineman from the Cardinals was named to the Pro Bowl, as Eric recorded the first of his two nominations, with 45 tackles, a career high 8.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble. A 1996 followup yielded another 3 fumble recoveries, 5 sacks, and 60 tackles.  Although Swann had an equally dominant 1997 campaign with 7.5 sacks and 52 tackles, he did not see any further Pro Bowls. Eric played for the Cardinals through the 1999 season, joining the Panthers for a final season in 2000.  At the time of his departure from the deserts of Arizona, Swann was the most decorated and feared lineman to play for the Cardinals.

Swann briefly popped up on the football radar again in 2007 playing for the Hudson Valley Saints, and later the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League in 2008.  He was also inducted into the Semi-Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

G/Gs 126/87        Tac 386          Sac 46.5         Fum 6
Int 2          Yds  42         Avg 21.0          Td  1         Lg 42t

NFL

Word, Barry

pset90 bword pset91 bword cpotyCards: ProSet 1990, ProSet 1991 CPotY, Score Supplemental 1990, GameDay 1992, Action Packed 1991.
Acquired: 2016, Philadelphia Exchange Paid Signing

Barry Word was a surprising comeback story. Out of football for over a year and working for a telephone company in Virginia, Word was called up by the Chiefs to attend camp in 1990. He not only made the squad, Word made a potent one two punch with Christian Okoye. Possessing a similar downhill running style to the Nigerian Nightmare, Barry had 204 carries for 1015 yards and 4 TDs- netting himself NFL Comeback Player of the Year Honors.

sco90sup bwordBarry was originally a 3rd round pick by the New Orleans Saints out of Virginia in 1985. Over his 4 year career for the Cavaliers, Word rushed 405 times for 2257 yards, and 17 TDs. The problem is that Barry tested positive for Marijuana at the combine. The Saints didn’t have a problem with that. They had a problem with the conspiracy to distribute cocaine that he got busted for. The Saints let him go, but retained his rights, while Barry bode his time in ap91 bwordprison.

Word returned to the Saints in 1987.  He suited up for 12 games, and started 1 contest rushing 36 times for 133 yards and 2 TDs.  The Saints were knee deep at runningback however, and in 1988, Barry just suited up for only 2 games. He’d spend the entire 1989 season out of football.

With Barry’s comeback complete, he’d play for Kansas City in 1991 gday92 bwordand 1992. He’d be an excellent insurance policy for Okoye in the meantime. In 1993, Barry was traded to the Vikings.  He’d start 8 games for Minnesota, rushing for 458 yards and 2 TDs on 142 carries. Word then signed with the Arizona Cardinals for the ’94 season, but did not see any action.

He’d retire and has been a difficult find through the mail. I decided to do a paid signing for the enigmatic back through the Philadelphia Connection. The price was so reasonable I was able to get 5 cards signed by him. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but Barry Word’s autograph is one of the worst I’ve seen in a while. It’s up there with George Zimmer from Men’s Wearhouse with just the ‘B’ and the ‘W’ being legible. The rest is well- there at least. Some great cards however of Barry graced his short lived career. Of them the ProSet 1990 is quite dynamic, and briefly during the short lived heyday of the card boom, along with its Score counterpart were valuable cards. It’s a shame that speculation and over production killed the market so badly its never completely recovered.

G/GS 72/26     Rush 705      Yds 2897     Avg 4.1      Td 16     Lg 53
Rec 30        Yds 280        Avg 9.3        Td 0       Lg 27