Tag Archives: score 2009

CFL, FXFL, NFL

Freeman, Josh

Score 2009 Hot Rookie, #13

CARDS: Score 2009, Score 2009 Hot Rookies, Panini Rookies & Stars 2010
ACQUIRED: TTM 2021, C/o Home
SENT: 7/26 RECEIVED: 8/12 (17 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Large and mobile QB in the mold of Duante Culpepper.
  • Completed 680 passes for 8,078 yards, 44 touchdowns and 34 interceptions in 35 career games- and a school record 8427 yards.
  • Was the 17th overall pick of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
  • By midseason, was established as Bucs starter at QB.
  • In 2010, led Bucs to 10-6 record, passing for 3451 yards and 25 TDs to just 6 interceptions.
  • Tied for NFL lead with 5 4th quarter comebacks that year.
  • Passed for career high 4065 yards and 27 TDs in 2012.
  • Threw 95 yard pass to Vincent Jackson to lead NFL that season.
  • In 2013, Tampa decided to go in a different direction at QB- and after 5 games was cut.
  • Spent the remainder of the 2013 season on the roster of the Minnesota Vikings.
  • Signed and cut by the Giants in 2014 before camp.
  • Spent 2015 on the preseason roster of the Miami Dolphins.
  • After failing to latch on with Dolphins, played for the FXFL Brooklyn Bolts.
  • Joined Indianapolis Colts late in season, and was released the following year.
  • Caught the attention of the Calgary Stampeders and signed with team in 2018- but retired soon thereafter.
Score 2009, #358
Panini Rookies & Stars 2010, #139

NOTES:

I always thought Josh got a bad wrap. His 2010 was a really solid campaign, and while he did survive the Raheem Morris epoch, he was able to rally the team to a decent 7-9 record while posting some pretty decent numbers.

I had worked with my friend Chris in tracking down Josh’s address. He wasn’t at the top of my list, so I let Chris at him first. After he got a success, I went ahead and put my cards together and sent them out.

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NFL

Weddle, Eric

Cards: Score 2009, Score 2010
Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o Home
Sent: 6/16 Received: 7/30 (44 days)

Eric Weddle played 13 seasons in the NFL and quietly earned All-Pro Honors 5 times over his career playing free safety. A well conditioned ironman and gym rat from his time playing for the Utah Utes, Eric saw time as a defensive back, runningback, and punt returner over his time at the college.

“He should win the Heisman- I sincerely mean that”

– Wyoming coach Joe Glenn

Weddle finished with 143 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 18 interceptions for 148 yards, and 3 TDs. He also posted 52 rushes for 232 yards and 6 TDs, along with 52 punt returns for 408 yards. Eric was selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, (after they traded a couple of picks to Chicago to move up and grab him). Over 9 seasons with the Chargers, Eric posted 851 total tackles, 19 interceptions for 290 yards and 3 TDs, 70 pass deflections, and 5 forced fumbles. His best season as a pro came in 2011, when he posted 7 interceptions for 89 yards, 11 pass deflections and 88 combined tackles. His 7 picks led the NFL.

In 2016, Weddle joined the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent. He regained his Pro Bowl form and earned trips for the next two consecutive seasons after that, while adding another 10 interceptions, 220 tackles and 24 pass deflections to his resume. He retired after the 2019 season in which he spent playing for his hometown Los Angeles Rams, where he recorded 108 tackles. Weddle is a member of the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team- a decade in which he earned Pro Bowl honors for 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016-2018, and first or second team AP for his efforts in 2010-2014.

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NFL

Rice, Ray

Card: Score 2009
Acquired: COMC, 2020
Failure: TTM 2018, C/o Home

Ray Rice is a cautionary tale- as he stands as one of the early examples of cancel culture.

Ray Rice was an ascending star in college football for the Scarlet Knights from 2005-2007. Over his time playing for Rutgers, Ray proved he could handle the workload, rushing 910 times, for 4926 yards and 49 TDs. Ray also caught 37 passes for 334 yards and a TD. He was selected in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens.

After a respectable rookie season, in which he rushed for 454 yards, Ray took over the starting job at RB full-time for the Ravens. Over the next 4 seasons he’d rush for over 5,000 yards, while totaling nearly 2,500 yards receiving. Ray led the NFL in rushing TDs in 2011 with 12, and earned Pro Bowls nods for his efforts in 2009, 2011, and 2012, and well as second team All-Pro honors in 2009 and 2011.

Ray’s 2011 season culminated in 2,068 yards from scrimmage (1,364 yards rushing and 804 yards receving) to lead the NFL. After rushing for another 1,000+ yard season in 2012, Ray was oft-injured in 2013, causing him to miss the 1000 yard plateau for the second time in his career. Shortly thereafter the wheels would fall off his career.

Celebrity news gossip spread about a video of Ray assaulting his then fiancée in Atlantic City. It spread to social media, and it was not a good look for Rice, the NFL or the Ravens. Forget that Ray was extremely giving over his career and that he was voted Baltimore’s Most Charitable Person of 2012, or that he’d been extremely active in homeless assistance, Make-A-Wish foundation, and cyberbullying prevention- he was in the crosshairs of social media justice, and he’d be judged only by what happened.

Sure, it was a bad video. There’s just no excuse for beating a woman. And the price was making a very popular player in Ray Rice- a virtual pariah.
The backlash was severe. He’d be suspended by the NFL, and eventually cut by the Ravens. Because of what happened, to Rice’s then fiancée, the silver lining is the NFL has become more attuned to domestic violence issues, and more consistent in their investigation and punishment that they dole out.

Rice for his part continued training- hoping for another shot, but it never came. Instead, much to his credit, Rice spends much of his time speaking to athletes about domestic violence. He also remains quite active in charitable giving, but eschews the limelight, wanting to be judged by his deeds, not by his airtime.

Even today, Ray’s name is associated negatively with domestic violence. When I decided to get his autograph, many of my friends asked why. – And to that I think it’s important to understand the context, and fabric of football, good and bad that our players embody. I hope eventually people will forgive and forget Ray Rice, because everybody deserves a second chance.

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