Yes! At long last another retry reply in Jessie Hester. Jessie was one of my very first failures from way back in 2010. I thought that I had sent to him multiple times in between 2010 and 2022, but apparently I had not. He had some great cards that I appealed to, especially the classic shot of him from Pro Set’s 1990 Update. (An Action Packed 1992 and Pro Set 1991 were sacrificed to the mail gods in the previous attempt.) The Gameday and the Skybox cards over the year became particular set needs and all of them are welcome additions to the collection.
Breathtaking track man and WR played in ’70 and ’71 for the Buffs.
Caught 36 passes for 665 yards and 3 TDs, while rushing for 354 yards on 31 carries (5 TDs).
Selected in the 3rd round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
Played during the prime years of the ‘Dead Ball Era’.
Had 60 catches, a league leading 1092 yards and 13 TDs in 1974.
Added another 893 yards and 9 TDs in ’75.
Had 1,111 yards, an 88 yard long, and a league leading 12 TDs in ’76.
Curiously his 24.2 yards per catch did not lead the NFL that year- despite catching 46 passes.
In ’77 posted 33 receptions for 540 yards and 6 TDs.
Continued to be a long bomb threat throughout the remainder of his career, posting an 86 yard catch in ’80 and a 99 yard TD in ’83.
Retired after the 1985 season.
Was the bridge between two eras of the Silver and Black winning Super Bowls XI, XV, and XVIII.
Played one season in the Arena Football League in 1988 for the Los Angeles Cobras.
ACCOLADES:
NFL Record – 99 Yard TD reception (tied)
All-Pro 1974-’76
Pro Bowl 1974-’77
Pro Football Hall of Fame 2022
NOTES:
It is a testament to the Silver and Black that Branch finally is in the HoF. Long overdue, he was being held back by his ‘Dead Ball Era’ stats, a logger jam of WR with sexier stats, and a stigma against inducting too many Raiders from that era into the HoF. Frequently the most dangerous offensive player on the field, Branch’s honor was long deserved.
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
501
8,685
17.3
67
99t
EPITAPH:
Cliff Branch passed away August 3rd, 2019 of natural causes. He was 71. He was posthumously was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Finished second on the team in receptions with 34 receptions for 461 yards and 3 TDs.
Had monster game, catching 8 passes for 120 yards and 2 TDs, to help beat previously unbeaten London in final week of season.
Caught 34 passes for 374 yards in 1992.
Returned to World League, and the Dragons in 1995 after league hiatus.
Caught 40 passes for 544 yards and 2 TDs that season.
Played final season in 1996 with the Dragons, catching a career high 43 passes (376 yards and 2 TDs).
At time of retirement, was World League’s all time receptions leader.
ACCOLADES:
Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame
1990 Mr. Irrelevant
WLAF 1991 Week 10 Player of the Week
Barcelona Dragons’ All-Time Career Leading Receiver
NOTES:
A lot of people are looking out for me, and again a special shout out to my friend CFLfaninPhilly for pointing out this auction on EBay to me. I was able to drop in and snipe it out at the last second at a very cheap price. I searched for a very long time for Demetrius, before learning of his passing only a few days after finding a working address. (It was eye opening to discover how many Demetrius Davis’ exist in this world.) As he is covered in all 3 sets, just finding one autographed was a major coup. The seller of the card indicated that he was old and done with collecting and loved going to training camps, through the mail, and spring training, so I figured this one was a low risk/ high reward situation.
EPITAPH:
Demetrius passed away of a heart attack (enlarged heart) in December of 2012 at the age of 45, following a pickup basketball game. Truck touched a lot of people’s lives with his positivity, humor, and inspiration. CC Sabathia, (Davis’ cousin) a pitcher for the Yankees, renovated a North Vallejo basketball court at 1601 Fairgrounds Drive and named it after Demetrius.
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
151
1755
11.6
7
46
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
