Tag Archives: green bay packers

NFL

Hawk, AJ

sco09 ajhawk ad10 ajhawk

Cards: Score 2009, Adrenalyn 2009
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Home
Sent: 10/13        Received: 10/29     (16 days)

AJ Hawk was a member of the 2006 NFL draft which had some storied players in it. Expectations were high for the class and comparisons were drawn between this draft and the 1989 and 1985 classes respectively.  The first surprise of the day was dropped by the Texans who did not draft either Reggie Bush or home town favorite Vince Young, but DE Mario Williams.  After D’Brickshaw Ferguson was taken off the board by the New York Jets, the defensive needy Packers drafted AJ Hawk out of Ohio State with the 5th pick.

AJ played in 51 games at Ohio State collecting 394 tackles (196 solo), 41 stops for a loss, 15½ sacks, seven INTs,  and three forced fumbles.
The colorful Hawk became an instant fan favorite in Green Bay for not only his aggressive style of play but his colorful personality and creative haircuts. His rookie season was outstanding as Hawk finished 3rd in voting for defensive rookie of the year honors after recording 119 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions.  He’d play for the Packers for the next 8 additional seasons- logging 4 additional 100+ tackle seasons.  In 2015 AJ was released from the Packers under amicable terms.  At the time of his departure, Hawk was the franchise’s all-time leading tackler with 1,030 combined tackles. He signed with the Bengals and played in 11 games,  making 16 tackles and a sack.

AJ is a passionate podcaster and web enthusiast. You can visit his website at thehawkcast.com

NFL, XFL

Johnson, Reggie

aprks91 rjohnson
Card: Action Packed Rookies 1991
Acquired: 2014, Albany Acquisition

Reggie Johnson appeared on the NFL scene quietly in 1991.  He finished his college career at Florida State with 52 receptions for 544 yards and a 10.5 yard average.  Johnson was the first tight end taken off the board at number 32 overall. He caught his first touchdown (since High School) in his first professional game against the Bengals in 1991.  It took another 30 games for him to catch another- in the season finale against the Chiefs in 1992. Reggie recorded a career high 20 receptions for 243 yards and a TD in 1993. He was cut by the Broncos due to the salary cap in 1994, and briefly was picked up by the Bengals. Over those next four seasons, Johnson played for the Packers (1994), Eagles (1995), Chiefs (1996), and Packers (1997) again before retiring. Over his career, Reggie was known as a good special teams player and goal line blocker. He returned briefly to play football  for the XFL Birmingham Thunderbolts in 2001.

Rec 66    Yds 791    Avg 12.0      Td  6      LG 48

NFL, ufl

Washington, Lionel

pset91 lwashingtonCards: ProSet 1991, Fleer 1990
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Work
Sent:  8/10    Received: 8/20    (10 days)

A fourth round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1983, during the darker days of the franchise- Lionel Washington went on to have sterling career for the Cards, Raiders, and Broncos over 15 seasons. A solid DB for the Tulane Green Wave, and a four-year letterman for the Wave from 1979-82, Washington helped Tulane to 26 wins and appearances in the Liberty Bowl (1979) and Hall of Fame Bowl (1980) during his career.

flr90 lwashingtonWashington spent the next 4 seasons in St. Louis. His rookie season was impressive, as he recorded 8 interceptions, 67 tackles, and a fumble, in only 8 games, but perhaps playing in the shadow of St. Louis’ mediocrity and lack of national exposure, didn’t win him the defensive rookie of the year award.  After the 1986 season, Washington was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders. There he’d go on to endear himself to fans in one of the most formidable secondaries alongside guys like Eddie Anderson, Stacey Toran, Vann McElroy, Mike Haynes, and Terry McDaniel. He’d be enshrined in Tecmo Super Bowl lore in 1991 with one of the most feared defensive backfields. It was not uncommon to intercept 2-3 passes a game or return one for a long TD with that secondary. In 1989 Washington had 3 picks and a 3 fumble recoveries for 2 TDs. Thanks to the advent of true free agency in 1993, the Raiders ran out and signed Kansas City rival CB Albert Lewis.  Washington lost his starting job to him and signed with the Denver Broncos in 1995. After a two season stint, Washington returned to the Raiders for one final season before retirement.

A venerable coach, Lionel has coached extensively at the professional level with the Packers (1999-2008), Raiders (2009-2010), and Virginia Destroyers (UFL 2011).  As of 2015, he’s returned home to Tulane where he’s not only the defensive backs coach, but the co-defensive coordinator.

Lionel Washington’s 1991 ProSet card (and the 1992 ProSet Platinum) are some of the reasons why I really appreciated ProSet’s choice of photography. The above shot is just perfect, and it illustrates why the landscape card made its reappearance in 1991. To top it off, Washington has an elegant autograph, that perfectly encompasses his number into a swoosh that curves back upon the W.

G/Gs  204/164      Tac  N/a       Sac 1.0       Fum 7
Int  37     Yds 418       Avg  11.3      TD 4     Lg 48t