Tag Archives: score 1990

Horton, Ray

Cards: Fleer 1990, Score 1990
Acquired: In Person 1990, 1993, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp.

So it all technically began with Ray Horton on that Fleer 1990 card. He was the first autograph I got in Dallas Cowboys training camp way back in 1990.  It was happy times back then, and I grabbed every card and my black sharpie before I headed out the door that morning with Josh. We’d ride the bus back and forth from North Austin or have our mothers drop us off for what turned into an all day affair. We quickly established where the best place was to get autographs- (the second fence line as the street narrowed to get onto the field) and would camp the spot to grab signatures. I think on the first day I got 7 autographs on cards and I had a hard time sleeping because I was so excited to go back the next to see who I could get. I never thought that almost 20 years later I’d pick up the hobby again and enjoy it just as much.

Ray Horton was drafted out of Washington, where he played alongside Cowboy Vince Albritton. Horton would be taken in the second round by the Cincinatti Bengals, where he’d play in SuperBowl XXIII for the Bengals, before leaving the team in Plan B for the Dallas Cowboys in 1989. Ray’s rookie season was solid in 1983, with 5 interceptions, 121 yards and a touchdown -which would be his career high. He’d record 13 interceptions with the Bengals and in 1989 would sign with Jimmy Johnson‘s woeful Cowboy team, providing solid depth and a bright spot in the secondary pulling down 6 more interceptions and then retiring after the 1992 season and ten seasons winning SuperBowl XXVII.  A nose for the endzone, Horton would have four touchdowns via interceptions and one from a fumble.

Since retiring Horton has moved right into coaching picking up almost right where he left off. He’s made stops with the Lions, Redskins, Bengals, and Steelers where he added two more rings in SuperBowl XL and XLIII. In 2011, he was named the defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals.

G/Gs 147/ 99      Tac N/a      Sac 3      Fum  5     Int  19     Yds 269     Avg 14.16     Td 4      Lg  65T

 

Lyles, Robert

Cards: Proset 1989, Score 1990
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o (Army Black Knights [Westpoint])
Sent:   4/3     Received: 5/7  (34 days)

In 1984 the long suffering Houston Oilers franchise drafted linebacker Robert Lyles out of TCU in the 5th round of the common draft. Over 20 linebackers were taken before undersized Lyles came off the board, including fellow linebackers Johnny Meads and John Grimsley. The Oilers aggressively were trying to address their defensive issues, and spent a whopping 10 choices on defense in the draft on that side of the ball. Lyles would be tutored at OLB by new defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville, and by 1985, the speedy linebacker secured the starting job despite being considered undersized for the job (6″-1′, 226). Over that time Lyles would display soft hands and strong coverage ability recording an interception or fumble in 6 straight seasons and in 1989 he’d record a career high 4 picks. A tough nosed player, the media could always count on Robert to fire the team up or have a quotable line. It was during the Oilers’ rise back to the playoffs, where Robert Lyles playing on special teams laid out an opposing player on the turf in furious fashion. The player laid on the turf motionless and Lyles was quoted as saying, “Welcome to the House of Pain!”  The name stuck and the Oilers kept it as part of their way of intimidating opponents and playing mind games with them.  Jerry Glanville over this period would climb into the head coaching seat of the Houston Oilers franchise, but at the end of the 1989 season resigned under fire after losing early in the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With a new head coach in place, and a new defensive system being used (4-3), Lyles would be released by the team, but would quickly be retained by the Jerry Glanville and the Atlanta Falcons, where Robert would finish his career after the 1991 season.

After Robert’s departure from the NFL, he took up coaching and by 1994 was in the Arena Football League coaching with both the Tampa Bay Storm and the Memphis Pharaohs for a year a piece as a positional coach. In 1996, he became the Portland Forest Dragons’ defensive coordinator- a job Lyles would hold for two seasons until he’d take up the same job with the Los Angeles Avengers in 1999. He’d serve as interim head coach for 11 games in 2001, guiding the team to a 5-6 record. The team would respond by leading the AFL in variety of defensive categories. He’d then be named head coach of the Georgia Force, and then later defensive coordinator of the Grand Rapids Rampage for 2004 and 2005. Lyles would join the Black Knights staff in 2007 and has moved up to linebackers coach, where he has brought an intense and aggressive style to the double eagle flex style defense.

G/Gs 109/100    Tac  N/a    Sac 10      Fum 8     Int 10   Yds 111   Avg 11.1   Td 0    lg  48

Humphery, Bobby


Cards: ProSet 1989, ProSet 1990, Score 1990, Score Supplemental 1990, Fleer 1990
Acquired: In Person, San Antonio Riders v. Birmingham Fire 1992
See Also: Bobby Humphery (2)


Bobby Humphery, drafted in 1984 out of the 9th round, was a speedy athlete from New Mexico State. Initially he played wide receiver for the team, and starred on special teams as the Jets primary kick returner. In 1986 he was converted to a cornerback, where he played the rest of his career. In 1990 he was signed by the Rams for one season, and in 1992 signed on with the San Antonio Riders where he played defensive back for the team. Humphery’s statistics are misleading as he had not only played in a utility status for the teams he was on, he also defensed a lot of passes (which are not tracked), and his statistics only cover his seasons with the Jets and Rams. Bobby is one of a select few of players in the NFL that has scored a TD on offense, defense, and special teams. He made one Pro Bowl appearance over his career which would span 10 seasons with the Jets, Rams, Riders, Gold Miners, and San Antonio Texans.

Of small note, Bobby Humphery should not be confused with Bobby Humphrey who played runningback for the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins. (Humphery’s 1990 Fleer card is an error card with Humphrey’s picture on the back.)

After a humid night game against the Birmingham Fire, I saw Bobby in front of the locker room exhausted from the game. I frequently would pack more than one card of a player, in the hopes that they don’t mind signing multiples for my collection. Bobby would sign all five for me.

NFL
games  49      tac   N/a       sac  6        fum  10          int    5         yds  52     td 1
KR    130               yds  2974              avg   22.9                  td   2               lg  97T