Tag Archives: Houston Texans

NFL

Sharpton, Darryl

bo10 dsharptonCard:  Bowman Sterling 2010
Acquired: 2016, EBay

I never did get Darryl Sharpton at an event for the Texans after he cancelled on the Battle Stampede Tour back in 2012. Such a shame. He had some really nice base cards. In the meantime I went ahead and picked up this Bowman Sterling. It’s not bad looking, but the framing device takes up half the card. For all intents and purposes Sharpton could be an offensive lineman in that shot. His hands are also noticeably not present, which makes less of an impact statement.

At 5’11” 235, Sharpton was a bit undersized to be playing linebacker but had made up for it with a solid Senior season playing for the Miami Hurricanes. He racked up 106 tackles, and had an interception and fumble return for touchdowns in 2009, earning second team All-ACC Honors. Darryl was also praised for his ability to play all three positions in the 4-3, solid tackling, and for his great motor against the run.  The Texans felt that he fit something that they were looking for, and selected him in the 4th round of the 2010 draft. He started 6 games and recorded 13 tackles and a sack his rookie season.  The team looking to go in a different direction from Frank Bush, brought in Wade Philips to coach the defense in 2011. He converted the defense to a 3-4 alignment, drafted Brooks Reed, and moved Mario Williams to outside linebacker.  Sharpton had a hard time finding the field, but in 2013 had his best season for the team starting 8 games and recording 55 tackles and 2 forced fumbles.

The Texans opted not to resign Darryl, and he signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins in 2014.  Sharpton was placed on injured reserve before the end of training camp and was released.  He later started 2 games for the Bears and made 10 tackles.  Darryl signed with the Cardinals in 2015, but confident in their young LB corps, he was cut before they even hit training camp. As of 2016, Darryl is currently a free agent.

NFL

James II, Charles ‘Socks’

mem15 cjames IIAcquired: IP 12/15/2015, Go Texans Store

Charles James’ star shot to fame in 2015 with the Houston Texans appearance on the HBO show Hard Knocks. Socks was originally a free agent signing of the New York Giants back in 2013, but didn’t make the roster in 2014.  Charles signed as a free agent with the Texans in the offseason. With his colorful and frankly ugly socks, memorable soundbites, rags to riches story, childlike enthusiasm for the game, and play during the preseason, it was easy to cheer for Charles James to make the roster of the Texans. He even got to contribute at runningback, blazing his way for a long TD against the Saints that was called back! The problem is – he didn’t make the team. The Texans were confident with their current lineup of defensive backs, so the turk saw James on the last day of camp. The Texans hoped to float him through waivers so he could join the practice squad, but the Ravens signed him instead to theirs. The Texans reshuffled their defense due to injuries and signed James to the active roster taking him back from Baltimore in October.  James was excited about returning to Houston where he immediately joined the special teams and as a nickel back on the defense.

A really nice guy, Charles James was happy to sign anything and everything fans put in front of him. He engaged each one of us and is grateful that he is back in H-Town.

The second stop on Lance and my marathon tour of Houston was at the stadium Go Texans store. Honestly I didn’t think we were going to be able to squeeze everything in, but it worked out well. It also helped that we were the first people in line for the Whataburger event earlier that day, but Lance got worried about his car and really wanted to get James so we took a shot. The line moved quickly and we were in and out the door in 15 minutes putting us on the way to the third leg of the trip.

NFL

Shorts III, Cecil

bo11 cshortsCards: Topps Inception 2014 (#97/199), Bowman 2013
Acquired: In Person 12/15/2015, Whataburger Community Player of the Year

Cecil Shorts went to Mount Union- located in Alliance, Ohio. The Purple Raiders are a Division III team and a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference. Among the other notable alumni to graduate from Mount Union, are Dom Capers and Pierre Garçon.  After  Garçon graduated in 2008, Shorts shifted from quarterback to wide receiver. He finished his career at Mount Union with 63 touchdowns and 4,705 yards receiving.

Cecil was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 114th pick of the 2011 NFL Draft. Scouts got the impression that Shorts’ early on experience at quarterback helped him adjust quickly to receiver, reading opposing defenses, and running crisp routes.  They were equally impressed by his intangibles, level of competition, and his
leadership. The knock on Cecil was he played at DIII, and while he is a complete receiver -he lacked the size and burst that first round prospects possessed. It wasn’t until 2012 that Cecil got a shot at the starting lineup as Blaine Gabbert’s #1 target.  Barely missing the to13 shorts inc1,000 yard mark (979 yards), Shorts established himself as a long bomb threat. He scored 7 TDs that year and averaged 17.8 yards per catch. Over the next two years Cecil’s production slipped and after the 2014 season he was allowed to seek free agency.

After the departure of longtime receiver Andre Johnson, the Texans were looking to rebuild their wide receiver stable and signed Cecil to a two year contract.  Shorts makes a natural fit for what the Texans want to do, and threw him in at the slot. He made an impact during the preseason catching a 58 yard TD against the 49ers, and was one of the team’s impact players.  In 2015 Shorts played in 11 games, recording  42 catches for 484 yards and 2 TDs.  Entering 2016 Cecil is the ‘grizzled’ veteran now in the WR corps entering only his 6th season. Liking what he has experienced in H-town, Shorts actually negotiated his contract to be more cap friendly but with so much speed on the Texans roster he didn’t make the 2016 squad. Although his veteran presence and leadership will be missed, Shorts will surely find a home with a squad in need of an experienced slot man.

I faced a dilemma at this event trying to decide which card of Shorts I should get signed at this event. The situation resolved itself quickly since I was the first person in line and Shorts was the first player I met. He signed both cards for me, and his son gushed over his Topps Inception card, that I was equally enthralled by.