Pacific 1991, #79Pro Set 1990, #347 PBAction Packed 1991, #43Pro Set 1991, #40
CARDS: Pro Set 1991, Action Packed 1991, Pacific 1991, Fleer 1990, Pro Set 1990 Pro Bowl ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home SENT: 5/7 RECEIVED: 5/31 (24 days)
Almost immediately after I got Mike’s autograph a few years ago, I found his Pro Set Pro Bowl card and his Fleer 90. The Fleer card is really awesome. Again, like many of those cards from back when the Browns played in their old stadium (before the original franchise fled to Baltimore,) it’s an old school treat to see dirt on players pants. Otherwise, his Pro Bowl card- ironically the only time he’d appear in a Pro Bowl, is really nice as well. Too bad both his Pro Set ’91 and Action Packed ’91 are near mirror image photos.
Ernie Mills played WR for the Florida Gators from 1987-90.
Posted 81 receptions for 1585 yards, a whopping 19.6 yards per reception, and 15 TDs over 4 years in Gainesville.
Best year for the Gators came in his Senior year, when he had 41 receptions for 770 yards and 10 TDs.
Originally started as a DB but quickly transitioned to WR, hauling in his first career reception of 49 yards from Florida QB legend Kerwin Bell.
Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 3rd round of the 1991 NFL Draft.
Mills spent his time on special teams and started two games at WR his rookie year.
He’d finish first in special teams tackles, and scored his first TD on a punt that hit the opposing team’s blocking back. (See Eugene Lockhart)
But things never really materialized for Ernie in Pittsburgh, who had a nascent passing attack, and he was battling for a roster spot with other fresh WRs, Chris Calloway and Jeff Graham.
He had his best season in Pittsburgh in 1995, catching 39 passes for 679 yards and 8 TDs.
It was a titanic year actually for Ernie as he quietly put up 2,024 all-purpose yards, including 1,304 on kick returns.
He’d be injured during Super Bowl XXX, tearing his ACL and being lost for most of the following 1996 campaign.
In 1997, Ernie signed with the Carolina Panthers and played one season for them.
The final two years of his career were spent in Dallas, as a key roleplayer for the Dallas Cowboys under head coach Chan Gailey, whom he’d played for previously in Pittsbugh.
Mills was oft injured, but still managed to post solid numbers as a reliable #3 option behind Michael Irvin and Rocket Ismail.
After a brief hiatus from the sport, Mills was spotted at Jacksonville University coaching WRs with his former college QB Kerwin Bell, holding the position from 2007-2012.
Then he coached WRs at Florida A&M from 2013-2015.
Star Pics 1991, #66Action Packed Rookies 1991, #58
NOTES:
Well, there’s Ernie Mills, with an incredibly long orbital trajectory. I had given up on Ernie basically on two separate occasions, but after noticing a few successes, I figured the one for 2021 was in the works to return to me. After some patient waiting, it indeed finally came through, and I added the Action Packed Rookies 1991 card finally to my collection.
Ernie frustrated me as he tended to sign in spurts, sometimes responding to people immediately, while on other occasions-such as mine, languished in wait. I was pretty happy to get the entry sent out in 2021 back early in 2022, but lo and behold, some 8 months after that, the original entry I sent from 2017, also arrived, rocketing up the longest wait charts officially to #5, at a cool 1806 days.
I don’t talk about Pacific 1991 enough right? To me the set was a bold design choice, but quite laughable. For some reason, it just stood out as being… simplistic, with the gradient and the 1970s style typeface. The back was again bold, but a bit wild, as the entire canvas of information was set at a 45 degree angle! I thought that the photo on this Pacific card really nailed it, so I thought it’d make a nice card to get autographed.
With these cards, I can firmly close the door on Ernie. I love his autograph. Well worth the wait and very original. A strong ‘E’, ‘M’, and ‘S’ punctuate his unique signature with great stroke, pen pressure, and placement.
Chryst saw a mixture of college and CFL positional stops added to his resume highlighted with stops in Ottawa (1994), Saskatchewan (1996), Chargers (1999-’01) .
Named head coach at Pitt in 2012, after rising up the coaching staff at his Alma Mater Wisconsin.
In 2015, he returned to Wisconsin as head coach, and led the team to 6 bowl wins (7 appearances), and ranked after 4 of those seasons.
Fired during the 2022 campaign after the Badgers got off to a 2-3 start.
Compiled a 67-26 record at Wisconsin.
ACCOLADES:
Big 10 Coach of The Year 2016, ’17
NOTES:
Paul Chryst is a member of the Mike Riley tree. He’s crossed back over into Mike’s sphere of influence a few times with the Riders and then later at Oregon St. He signed this card for me only shortly before he was let go. Paul’s not a sexy name, but I think he’d make a fine coach at another major program, or perhaps in the XFL23 or ‘new’ USFL.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
