Tag Archives: Hamilton Tiger-Cats

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.

 

Slack, Reggie

Card: Ultimate WLAF 1991
Acquired: In Person 1992, Houston Oilers Training Camp
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Home

Reggie Slack out of Auburn was flat out raw talent who just won games.  Drafted in the 12th round by the Houston Oilers in 1990, I had a really good feeling about this him and when he was able to play during the preseason- I was just glued to the TV. Reggie won the 3rd string quarterback position backing up Cody Carlson and Warren Moon. He did not take a snap during the regular season, but in the 1991 off season Reggie was made available to the WLAF for the 1992 season.

The Run N Shoot counterpart to the Oilers- the New York/ New Jersey Knights picked up Slack to play quarterback for the team.  He’d play great for the Knights both as a passer and as a runner,  finishing second in the WLAF with a 98.2 quarterback rating.  As a rusher he led all quarterbacks with 269 yards and 5 touchdowns. (His 7.7 yard average is unofficially the highest yards per carry for any player in the league, but his 35 carries did not qualify him for the achievement.) Unfortunately the World League folded after the 1992 season. Slack returned to Houston, but lost out to local fan favorite Bucky Richardson for 3rd string.

Reggie left the United States and headed to Canada where he signed with the Toronto Argonauts.  He played respectably for the Argos while he polished his CFL game,  before being traded to Hamilton in 1994.  In 1995, Slack signed with the Birmingham Barracudas, but after 3 games he quickly returned to the Blue Bombers and became a fan favorite. As Winnipeg fell apart in 1996, Reggie saw even more playing time under center,  but was not in the future of the franchise.

Undeterred Slack then signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and lead the team to an improbable Grey Cup appearance igniting the team in the playoffs for two upset victories. He’d continue playing for the Roughriders over the next two seasons but injures would take their toll and by 2000, he’d be out of football. Reggie returned in 2002, playing for Toronto that season and in 2003 for the Tiger-Cats before retiring after 2003.

Slack was a guy that I thought was the quarterback of the future for the Oilers when they drafted him. An electric player to watch who was fearsome on the option, I am glad Reggie found success in the CFL.  

I was super excited to get Reggie’s autograph on his Ultimate WLAF card at training camp that year in 1992. It was the only day I was there. When I called him out he, came trotting over in that red practice jersey, smiled and signed. I had always wanted to get Reggie’s autograph on his Wild Card WLAF issue that I got later, and even created one of him in his Knights and Oilers uniform as well. I sent out for his autograph back in 2011, but that turned out to be a dead end. I hope to give him another shot at a later date as he is one of my favorites.

WLAF
G/Gs  N/a     Att  215       Comp 140            Yds  1898       Pct 65.1%          Td 12          Int 7            Rat 98.2
Rush 35      Yds  269       Avg  7.7         Td  5            Lg   29

CFL
G/Gs  N/a    Att  2188     Comp  1241     Yds  16173  Pct  56.7   Td  84    Int  75 |
Rush  383    Yds   2578    Avg  6.7    Lg  48     Td   27

Reggie Slack throwing to Alexander Wright: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFedz7vsbVw

 

Gerhart, Tom

ult92 gerhartCard: Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: In person 1991, San Antonio Riders v. Sacramento Surge

Tom was initially a finance major at Ohio but found himself pursuing the sport of football. After not making the roster of the Buffalo Bills in 1990, Tom would be signed by the Sacramento Surge in 1991 and paired across from All World Safety Greg Coauette.

In1992, he’d win a ring in World Bowl II, wearing the helmet cam while facing up against the no-huddle spread offense of the Orlando Thunder.  He’d also wear the helmet cam against the San Antonio Riders. (I wonder if there’s extra footage somewhere of him signing a card for me after the game with the cam still on?) After the league folded North American operations in 1992, Gerhart signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, suiting up for 1 game but soon thereafter joined the Sacramento Gold Miners in 1994 in the retooled CFL USA. Tom was a traditional inline safety, and his best work was close to the line of scrimmage. He’d continue to play in the CFL over the next few years with the Texans, where he had a career high 6 sacks,  and also the Hamilton Tiger-Cats where he contributed a career high 84 tackles. He retired after playing one game for the Eskimos in 1998.

WLAF
G/Gs  N/a     Tac N/a    Sac 1    Fum N/a
Int 3      Yds 11     Avg 3.8     Td 0    lg  8