Tag Archives: Gridiron Football

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Jones, Eric (2)

Ultimate WLAF 1992, #20

Card: Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2019, C/o Home
Sent: 7/3 Received: 7/11 (8 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

I had been after Eric Jones forever and a day on this card, but due to the commonality of his name, I was unable to locate him. I had done some research that led me down a rabbit hole that he was working for a medical device manufacturer, but the trail went cold- so I gave up. Thankfully Mark, of Mark’s Signing Bonus came to the rescue. He shot me a line and I was able to get Eric on this card. He also included a nice note thanking me for being a fan. Unfortunately, I do not believe that Mark ever got his autograph back from Eric… And since that point the address has grown cold.

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Wilson, Walter ‘Bug’ (2)

ultwlaf92 wwilsonCard: Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Home
Sent: 8/22   Received: 8/31  (9 days)
See Also: Walter Wilson ‘Bug’

Walter Wilson at the time set an ECU record of 91 receptions for 1,670 yards and 16 touchdowns. He led the team in receiving for 3 consecutive years, and was very durable- only missing one game in 4 seasons.

The Ohio Glory selected Wilson in the 4th round of the 1992 WLAF draft. He went on to lead the league in receptions and ranked 3rd in receiving yards, as the Glory frequently played from behind.  I had  Walter sign two previous cards after the infamous ‘Hail Storm Game’ that the Riders and Glory played back in 1992, however at that time, I did not have a card of him in his Ohio threads.

I have been looking for Wilson aggressively since- 2010 when I started this, and was genuinely surprised to receive this back in 9 days flat.

WLAF       Rec 65       Yds  776       Avg 11.9       Td 2       Lg 52

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Archer, David (2)

ultwlaf92 surgeCards: Ultimate WLAF 1992, Ultimate WLAF 1992 team card
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 5/23    Received: 8/8  (78 days)
See also: David Archer

I was kicking myself after getting David Archer’s autograph on some cards a few years ago. I realized that I didn’t get his Ultimate WLAF Sacramento Surge card signed. My general rule of thumb is to wait a few years before and if I contact a player again. I just feel like it is appropriate not to spam players with requests, so I put myself in my self-imposed penalty box and waited on this one. I sweated it out for a while but after a 3+ month wait he signed these two cards for me.

ultwlaf92 archerUltimate and ProSet went head to head during year two of the WLAF, with Wild Card showing up near the end. None of them found traction in the market, and today they are easily found in the secondary market. While ProSet focused on year one players, Ultimate was peppered with rookies and new names giving a nice blend to go along with ProSet. Wild Card showed up at the tail end of the 1992 season or had a weaker distribution network, so for autograph purposes it was completely out of the mix.

Archer was the quintessential journeyman quarterback, or one of the greatest third string QBs you’d ever seen. He played for no less than 7 teams during a 14 season football career spanning the NFL, WLAF, and CFL. He won World Bowl II with the Sacramento Surge in 1992, and later lost in the playoffs to the Jeff Garcia led Calgary Stampeders in his final game with the Edmonton Eskimos in 1998.

He still does radio today for the ACC in Atlanta and hosts an afternoon radio show.