Tag Archives: phoenix cardinals

NFL, WLAF

Knight, Shawn

Cards: ProSet 1991, ProSet WLAF 1991
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o Home
Sent:  9/21   Received: 10/27   (36 days)

A member of BYUs 1984 national championship team, Shawn Knight was drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft by the New Orleans Saints. Originally chosen by the Saints to be a gap filling nose tackle,  Shawn’s size was ideal at 6-6 and 290. Unfortunately Knight was unlucky as he spent the majority of his tenure there on injured reserve. (In retrospect, this draft was an overall weak draft along the defensive line. Only Jerome Brown, Jerry Ball, and Henry Thomas from this draft received Pro Bowl nominations at that position.) In 1988 the Saints would turn around and trade him to the Broncos, where he spent one season, before heading over to Phoenix and Minnesota for 1989.

In 1991, he’d be drafted by the Sacramento Surge to play defensive line, and Shawn would contribute in the trenches notching 27 tackles and 2 sacks.  He would be named to the All World team after the season, but chose to retire from professional football. Shawn has since gotten his Masters and has bec0me involved in medical sales after working in physical therapy for a few years. In 2008 Knight would be inducted into the BYU sports Hall of Fame. Below are his WLAF statistics.

G/Gs 10    Tac 27    Sac 2.0    Fum 3

NFL

Chandler, Chris

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1990, Score 1989
Acquired: In Person, CGA Youth Golf Tournament 1993, Houston Oilers Training Camp 1995

To label Chris Chandler a jouneyman quarterback would be both an accurate assessment but bring the wrong connotation about a player who enjoyed a renassaince over  his career once he had shrugged off the entrapments of cellar dweller football. Probably the greatest problem Chandler experienced over his career was a severe issue with durability and up and down play. Despite these issues, Chris was able to hang around for 17 seasons and posted a 67-85 record as a starter.

Originally the quarterback of the future for the Colts when they drafted him in the 3rd round of the 1988 draft, Chris was buried under the depth chart and by 1990 (with the arrival of Jeff George) sent packing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were looking for a new direction after the Vinny Testaverde experiment ended. The Bucs would get taken by the Colts for a 1st round choice for him and name Chris starter immediately- but his tenure in Tampa was largely forgettable, lasting 1 and 1/2 seasons before he was cut. Chandler would then bounce around the league as a backup, for both the Cardinals and the then Los Angeles Rams.

In 1995 Chris would get the starting nod with the vagabond Houston Oilers under Jeff Fisher. He was brought in as insurance by the team and to tutor the young quarterback of the future Steve McNair. Chandler played well enough to keep the starting job that year under wraps, (even posting a perfect passing rating in one game against the Bengals,) but by 1996 surrendered the job to 1st round draft choice Steve McNair. It was the right move by the team, and ended up being the right move for Chandler- who would be traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a reasonable 4th round pick.

Chris’ rebirth would continue with the Atlanta Falcons in the most improbable way under head coach Dan Reeves. Amazingly in 1997 and the following year Chandler would post his best seasons, go to the Pro Bowl and lead the Atlanta Falcons to their only Super Bowl appearance in 1998, but after failing to reach the big dance- again frustration mounted, and the Falcons drafted Michael Vick. Chandler would again find himself in the same situation he was with on the Oilers- as a lame duck. This would essentially end Chris’ time with the Falcons by 2002 and he would be left exposed for the Houston Texans Expansion draft however not be selected. He’d sign with the Bears that season and be back up for 2 more years, before playing briefly for the St. Louis Rams and then retire in 2004.

An avid golfer I got Chris’ autograph at the CGA Youth Golf Tournament back in 1993, and then again at training camp when he played for the Oilers in 1995.  Another one of these football players- turned golfers Chandler is apparently quite good on the links. He has also recently taken up coaching as well to pass the time. Among Chandler’s NFL legacies is the only player to throw for a perfect passer rating in a game and a 0 in another, started for a record 8 NFL teams and threw a touchdown for a record 7 NFL franchises. Certainly Chris defined and deserves the NFL journeyman label- but with it he gave a level of respect and dignity to it.

G/Gs  180/152   Att 4005   Comp 2328    Yds 28484    Pct 58.1     Td 170   Int 146    Rat 79.1

College Football HoF, NFL

Lomax, Neil

Cards: Topps CL 1985, Score GC 1989, Topps 1987, Score 1989, ProSet 1989
Acquired: In Person 1993, CGA Youth Golf Tournament

Incredibly underrated and forgotten quarterback Neil Lomax lit up the scoreboards during the 1980s for the St. Louis Cardinals. Discovered by then offensive guru Darrell ‘Mouse’ Davis up at Portland State, Neil helped put the school on the map setting offensive passing records in the NCAA.  Lomax would be drafted in the 2nd round of the 1981 draft (,and finish as one of only 2 quarterbacks[ Wade Wilson], to make the Pro Bowl from that draft).

In 8 seasons, he only posted 2 losing records- but finished with a 47-52-2 record. His career highlights would include a 1984 in which he threw for 4614 yards, (which still stands as a team record), and he’d lead the NFL in attempts, completions, and yards averaging 282 yards a game in 1987. An injury in 1989 would curtail his season, and while he’d sit on IR all year, doctors would discover Lomax had an arthritic hip, effectively ending his career. It’s a shame really because if Lomax just had a few more years under his belt, he’d probably be remembered by Cardinals fans as affectionately as Kurt Warner is. (He was at the time of retirement and still over 20 years later, ranked in the top 100 of quarterbacks since 1950.) With the untimely loss of Lomax, the Cardinals would quickly collapse into the doldrums of the NFC East where they’d remain until the emergence of Jake Plummer in 1998.

I met Neil at the CGA Youth Golf Tournament in 1993. He was really flattered by the drawing I did of him and his kids clamored around to look at it to, “Oooh and ahhh”. Neil asked if I had a problem letting his kids hang it up in their room (to which I obviously didn’t) and then signed all of the cards I had brought. An accomplished golfer, Neil is president of the ProMax corporation and has dabbled in coaching. Lomax was inducted into the Oregon Sports HoF in 1993, and the College Football HoF in 1996. He and his family currently reside in Oregon.

G/Gs 108/101    Att 3143   Comp 1817    Yds  22771   Pct 57.6
Td 136     Int 90    Rat 82.7   Lg 93