Tag Archives: Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL

Westbrook, Dede


Card: Sage 2017 (#185/250)
Acquired: 2017, Box Breaker

DeDe Westbrook was one of the NCAA’s most explosive playmakers in 2016.  His last year at Oklahoma was nothing short of breathtaking. The receiver put up 80 receptions for 1,524 yards and 17 TDs. He is also a dangerous punt returner taking one to the house as well.  In fact, he finished 4th in Heisman voting last season.
So it’s a wonder up to this point why he was selected in the 4th round of the 2017 draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Let Westbrook’s situation be a lesson to any aspiring football player. I think he’d also say that too.  In 2012 and 2013 he was arrested on charges of domestic violence towards the mother of his child.  Both charges were dropped. Then later ‘anonymous’ scouts burned him over Twitter.  Later again, it was rumored that Westbrook was kicked out of a 15 minute combine interview.  His draft stock obviously took a large hit, and to think of it, if this was 2015 he might not have even been drafted with the way the NFL was taking a hard look at players of questionable character- ‘but it is the way it is’.

Westbrook is well aware that he will be on a short leash in Jacksonville and he’s humbled by their selection.

Arena, NFL

Boselli, Tony

udmvp02 tboselliCards: Upper Deck 2002 MVP, Upper Deck Inaugural Houston Texans 2002
Acquired: 2012, C/o Home
Sent:   3/25/2012      Received: 7/28/16  (1586 days)

Wow. Tony Boselli really made me wait on this one, signing 2 cards in almost 1600 days.  You have to hand it to the mailman. Just as you think they are stealing your mail, you get a long shot wait like this one.

Tony Boselli was the anchor of the Jacksonville Jaguar franchise at left tackle. He was their first draft choice in 1995, and quickly established a reputation as one of the finest linemen in the NFL. A very popular player during his tenure in Jacksonville, he provided a much needed face and leader to the young franchise as it matured under Tom Coughlin’s watch. A 5 time Pro Bowler from 1996-2000, and 3 time All Pro from 1997-1999, Boselli was named to the 1990’s All Decade NFL Team. He’d sign a massive, new contract with the Jaguars, but by 2001 the injuries and weightlifting had caught up with him.  It was possible that Tony’s bad shoulder might end his career.

Facing salary cap hell, the Jaguars made Tony available for the Houston Texans Expansion Draft in 2002. The deal was, if the Texans took Boselli’s massive contract hit, they’d leave NT Seth Payne and DE Gary Walker on the table for the Texans to draft as well.  For the Texans, the risk was Boselli might never be able to return form and Houston  would have to absorb his salary cap hit.  It seemed that the benefits outweighed the risk, so the Texans selected Boselli first overall during the expansion draft. He’d be the first and only player in the history of the league selected first by two expansion franchises.  The Texans immediately trotted Tony out as an ambassador of the franchise. He’d appear in numerous photoshoots and in pads touting the young Texans franchise, but as time and seasons passed, it became more and more obvious that Boselli was not going to see the field again.

He’d retire from football in 2004 or 2005,  and sign a one day contract to retire as a Jaguar in 2006, and joined the Pride of the Jaguars Hall of Fame. While Tony has been nominated numerous times as a preliminary candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he never made it past the first round until 2016 where he made it to the final round.  Perhaps due to his injury history, short career, playing for a smaller market, and at a relatively unglamorous position, has kept Boselli out of the Hall at this point, but in the meantime that has not slowed him down any.

A humanitarian at heart, Tony has his own charitable organization, and gives back to the community primarily in the Jacksonville area. He coaches football and does color commentary as well and was a minority owner at one point of the Austin Wranglers of the Arena Football League.  A savvy businessman, he owns some local Whataburger franchises, and a marketing company.

G/GS   91/90

NFL

Lageman, Jeff

to90 jlageman pset89 jlageman

Cards: Topps 1990, ProSet 1989, Action Packed 1990, Action Packed 1992
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Home
Sent: 6/20    Received:  7/1   (11 days)

Jeff Lageman was a force for Virginia playing both defensive end and linebacker for the Cavaliers.  He was selected by the New York Jets during the loaded 1989 draft in the first round as a defensive end, but at 6’6″, 266 Jeff was considered undersized at the pro level for the position.  Considered one of the early tweeners, Lageman played both defensive end and linebacker for New York.  He played for the Jets through the 1995 season posting a respectable 330 tackles and 34.5 sacks.

He’d sign as a free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars for their inaugural year. The Jags played him exclusively at defensive end, where Lageman played the final 4 years of his career, retiring after the 1998 season due to injury.

A popular figure around Jacksonville, Jeff was able to leverage his football persona and combine that for his love for the outdoors on the radio. He’s done color commentary for football games and weekly features for the Jaguars.

Jeff signed these 4 cards for me in no time flat. He’s got some spectacular early cards. Even his Topps 1990 card was one of those rare action shots.

G/GS  122/118         TAC  411         SAC  47.0          FUM11
INT 1     YDS 15       AVG  15.0         TD  0          LG  15