Tag Archives: New Jersey Generals

AAF, NFL, usfl, WLAF, XFL

Riley, Mike (2)

CARD: Topps AAF 2019 Certified
ACQUIRED: Private Acquisition, 2022
FAILURE: TTM C/o Home 2019, 2020

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

Picking up where we left off, Mike ended up back at Oregon State, where he became the school’s most winning coach. In 2014, he’d be pried off the Beavers by Nebraska. After a difficult tenure at Nebraska, Mike was welcomed back to Corvallis with open arms as an assistant coach.

When the Alliance of American Football was announced, I knew he’d be at the top of their list. I was excited to see Mike return to SA (from his days with the Riders of the WLAF) to coach the team. He was excited to take a walk down memory lane with me when I showed up with my Riders hat on at the Commanders unveiling. The team very much resembled the Riders, and finished 5-3 during the AAF’s season.

I had narrowly missed getting Mike’s autograph on his Topps AAF card during pregame warmups against the Salt Lake City Stallions. I had sideline passes and thought that he’d be a shoe-in to get later TTM. Oddly though, he’s dodged my TTM requests since then.

After the AAF folded, much to everyone’s dismay, Mike was hired on to be the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Dragons of the XFL in 2020- just because it wasn’t more local to Texas.

Recently it was brought to my attention that Mike and head coach Jim Zorn had a disagreement about who should be starting quarterback. The row was so bad between the two that Mike left the team for the first 3 games of the season.

He joined the new USFL as head coach of the New Jersey Generals, and led the team to a 9-1 record in 2022. The team zoomed out to a 2-1 record in 2023, before dropping their next 5, en route to a 3-7 record.

When the XFL and the USFL combined to form the new UFL, the Generals were not retained for 2024.

AAF, NFL, usfl

Bowman, Braedon

Topps AAF 2019, #BRB
Topps AAF 2019, #60

CARDS: Topps AAF 2019 Certified, Topps AAF 2019
ACQUIRED: Box Breaker, 2019. C/o Home, 2022
SENT: 6/29 RECEIVED: 7/13 (14 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Braedon Bowman played TE at South Alabama from 2014-15.
  • Big, strong, solid blocker caught 29 passes for 381 yards over his college career.
  • Undrafted (2016), and later signed by Jags but didn’t make roster.
  • Signed by the Jets and suited up for a few games, becoming only second player from South Alabama to play in an NFL game.
  • Spent the next two seasons on the off-season rosters of the Saints (’17) and Chargers (’18-’19).
  • Played for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF in 2019.
  • After spending early part of season on IR, caught 4 passes for 43 yards and first TD since high school.
  • After AAF collapsed, got onboard with the New Jersey Generals of the USFL in 2022.
  • Caught 12 passes for 122 yards and a TD.

NOTES:

Braedon wrote me a nice note thanking me for being a fan of the AAF and that he hopes I’m able to get as many autographs as I could.

AAF, Arena, CFL, IFL, NFL, The Spring League, usfl, XFL

Truesdell, Nick

CARD: Topps XFL 2020
ACQUIRED: Ebay, 2021

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Played TE for the University of Cincinnati and Grand Rapids Community College.
  • Went undrafted in 2013.
  • Played Arena ball with the Colorado Ice and Bemidji Axemen of the IFL in 2014.
  • Spent the next 3 seasons playing with the Shock (2014-15) and Steel (2016).
  • After not catching on with the Colts in 2016, Rattlers (2017), Stampeders and Gladiators (2018), made the practice squad of the Vikings in 2018.
  • Signed with the AAF Salt Lake City Stallions in late 2018 and had a solid season for the team, hauling in 24 passes for 269 yards and 3 TDs.
  • Joined Jets, and later the Vipers during 2019 playing in the XFL’s 2020 campaign.
  • Spent time in The Spring League with the Aviators in late 2020.
  • Selected by the New Jersey Generals of the New USFL in 2022, but was released before the season due to a groin injury.

ARENA

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127152712.038N/a

AAF

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2426911.2339

XFL

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99110.1027