Tag Archives: philadelphia eagles

NFL

Chung, Eugene

Card: Classic 1992
Acquired: TTM 1993, Patriots Blitz

Eugene Chung is considered one of the by products of the Herschel Walker trade that Dallas consummated with the Minnesota Vikings. The Cowboys would turn around and trade the pick to the Patriots to help Dallas acquire Russell Maryland. The Patriots selected Chung 13th overall out of Virginia Tech, making him the first Korean American to be drafted in the first round of an NFL draft. He’d quietly play for the Patsies through 1994 on a line that included 1991 first round draft choice Pat Harlow and perennial All-Pro Bruce Armstrong.

Chung then was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars during their expansion draft going 26th overall. He’d play one season for the expansion Jags and then sit out a season, before playing one final season with the Indianapolis Colts in 1997.  He attempted to play for both the Chiefs in 1998 and 1999, and then later the Eagles in 2000 and soon thereafter retired.

Chung over his brief NFL career would play in 55 games, starting 30.

NFL

Mitchell, Brian

Cards: ProSet 1990, ProSet 1991, GameDay 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o home
Sent:  4/25    Received: 5/5  (10 days)

Brian Mitchell was a quarterback originally at Southwest Louisiana. An amazing athlete, he owned virtually all the quarterback records when he left the college and was the first NCAA player to throw for over 5,000 yards and rush for over 3,000 in their career. After graduating from college, he was drafted in the 5th round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. The Redskins were deep at quarterback so the team decided they’d throw him back there as a return specialist, runningback, and as emergency quarterback. Brian would rack up the return yardage playing for the Redskins through 1999. An electric returner, Mitchell led the league in punt return yards with 600 in 1991,  and was a ProBowl selection in 1995 for the team. In 10 seasons with the Redskins Brian left holding virtually all the Redskins special teams records, racking up over 16,000 yards from scrimmage and 7 punt returns for touchdowns.  After leaving the team, he’d play for the Eagles from 2000-2002 and continued his assault on the record books, setting a league record at the time with 206 kick return yards in a single game.  Brian would play one final season for the New York Giants in 2003, before retiring as a member of the Redskins.

When I initially started this project, Brian was one of the players that I really wanted to honor. Incredibly upon retirement, Mitchell was ranked 2nd all time in yards from scrimmage, had 4 seasons of over 2000 yards, and holds the NFL records for kick returns (607), combined return yards (19013), punt return yards (4999), career kickoff return yards (14014), career fair catches (231), fair catches in a season (33), and punt returns (463). Still most people are unaware of the legacy Mitchell left upon the game and he probably won’t see the Hall of Fame, because of the lack of respect for special teamers. In the meantime, he was inducted into the Redskins Hall of Honor in 2009, works on his foundation (Brian Mitchell Foundation), and has been involved in broadcasting. I was pleased to get Brian’s autograph in 10 days flat from his home in Louisiana.

Great cards of Brian here. ProSet really did their homework and had a card of him before the end of his rookie season in their 1990 update set which was far and ahead of anything anybody produced by at least a year.  Oddly he’d appear in both of Pro Set’s 1990 and 1991 update as the last card in each set. (Sure there were additional inserts after him, but he was the last actual player card.) Mitchell was pretty decent in the first Tecmo Super Bowl, but by Final Edition, he was a dangerous threat in the game. Much like Mel Gray, Brian was a threat to return the kickoff every time he touched the ball and the secret to utilizing him correctly was basically to put him in the starting lineup.

G/Gs 223/16      Rush 388     Yds  1967      Avg  5.1     Td  12     Lg 85t   |
Rec  255      Yds  2336       Avg 9.2      Td  4       Lg 69  |
Kr  607   Yds   14014    Avg  23.1     Td   4       Lg   101t  |
Pr  463     Yds   4999     Avg  10.8     Td   9       Lg  84t

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Bouyer, Willie

Card: ProSet WLAF 1991
Acquired: In Person 1992, San Antonio Riders v. Birmingham Fire
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Home

Willie Bouyer played along such notables as Andre Rison, Bobby McAllister and Lorenzo White, while being a part of the last great Michigan State Spartan football teams. Originally a free agent signee by the Seattle Seahawks after going undrafted in 1989, Bouyer played in one game, making one reception for 9 yards that season, and then spent the whole 1990 season on the practice squad.

In 1991, Head Coach Chan Gailey and the Birmingham Fire made him their first round choice of the positional draft and he’d become established as the team’s #1 receiver and speedster, making 28 receptions for 456 yards and a strong 16.3 yard average. Willie scored 2 touchdowns that season, both against Orlando  where he caught an 87 yard bomb and a 21 yarder to key the team’s 31-6 victory.  Against the Dragons in the playoffs Bouyer made 9 catches for 115 yards in a losing effort.

Willie continued to play for the WLAF in 1992. He’d have an impressive sophomore campaign making 57 receptions for 706 yards, leading the team once again in receptions and yards but would go without a touchdown. Willie made some spectacular plays over the 2 seasons with the Fire and was an important target for quarterbacks Mike Norseth, Brent Pease, and Eric Jones.

Bouyer signed with the Eagles in 1992 after the dismantling of the WLAF, but did not make the team. Later Willie re-emerged with the Sacramento Gold Miners of the CFL USA in 1993 and 1994. He’d make 15 receptions for 175 yards and 2 touchdowns in 1994 and retired from professional football after the season.

I’ve attempted on an occasion or two  to get Bouyer’s autograph on his remaining cards, but the mercurial receiver has yet to respond.

G/Gp  N/a     Rec  85      Yds 1162        Avg  13.7        Td  2           Lg   87t