Tag Archives: tampa bay buccaneers

NFL, WLAF

Greene, Anthony ‘AJ’ (DB)

wcwlaf92 greeneultwlaf92 greeneCards: ProSet 1991, Wild Card WLAF 1992, Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent:  8/12  Received: 11/3   (88 days)
Failure: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Donation: $20.00

pset91 greeneClocking in at 5’8″, 166, Anthony Greene set a school record in his Senior year while at Wake Forest with 7 interceptions for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He also set a school record his when he intercepted 4 passes in one game during the final game of his Junior year. This net him recognition from Sports Illustrated for his efforts. By the time he left the Demon Deacons, A.J. recorded 17 interceptions and 245 tackles  in his 4 years at Wake Forest.  In 1989, he was selected by the New York Giants in the 9th round of the 1989 draft. He then spent the season on the developmental squad of the New York Giants and much of the preseason during 1990 on the Buccaneers.
The WLAF Barcelona Dragons selected Greene with the 7th overall pick of the defensive back portion of the league’s inaugural draft. He’d make 40 tackles and 3 picks for 22 yards. With the additional seasoning A.J. was picked back up by the Giants and played in two games during the 1991 NFL season.  He returned to the Dragons for the 1992 season, and pull down another 3 interceptions for 16 yards. With the WLAF on hiatus after the ’92 season, Greene returned stateside and now lives in the Carolinas.

I had previously attempted to get A.J. a few years ago, but didn’t have any luck. Buoyed by the recent successes I had with retry replies TTM, I was optimistic that I could track him down. With Greene knocked off the list, I am now down to my final 6 of the ProSet 1991 WLAF inserts.

WLAF 20/20    Tac N/a    Sac N/a   Fum N/a   Int 6    Yds 38    Avg 6.3      Td 0

NFL

Crowder, Tim

poff07 crowderCard: Playoff Prestige 2007
Acquired: IP 12/6/2014, Total Athlete ATX Grand Opening

Tim Crowder hails from Tyler, Texas – home of Texas and Oiler great Earl Campbell. Following  in the footsteps of the Texas legend, Crowder also went to the University of Texas, helping the Longhorns defeat the USC Trojans for the 2005 National Championship. In his finest season at UT, Tim had 50 tackles, 3 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, an interception, and a forced fumble.

Crowder was a second round choice of the Denver Broncos in 2007, and finished 4th among rookies at defensive end, with 4 sacks that year. A concussion wrecked his 2008 season, so his grade with the Broncos was incomplete. He’d sign with the Buccaneers in 2009 and make 3.5 sacks and 37 tackles. In 2010, Crowder started a career-high nine games and tied for third on the team with three sacks to go with 42 tackles. He resigned with the team in 2011, but was buried on the depth chart behind Michael Bennett, Da’Quan Bowers, and Adrian Clayborn. Still he contributed 14 tackles and 2 tackles for losses. With a new coach in town in Tony Schiano, Tim was cut by the squad in 2012. Currently he’s considered a free agent.

With the sacred box of Texas cards in my car, I got Crowder knocked out on the only card I had of him. The surprisingly lanky Crowder, was happy to sign and knock this card out for me at the Total Athlete event.

CFL, NFL

Manley, Dexter “Secretary of Defense”

pset89 manley pset90 manleyCards: ProSet 1989, ProSet 1990, Score 1991
Acquired: 2014, Paid Signing
Failure: 2012, C/o Home

Dexter Manley has proven himself to be a very popular and colorful figure during and after his time in the NFL. A dominant pass rusher during his time with the Washington Redskins, Manley spent as much time in his career injured as he was suspended for drug abuse. Dexter Manley was a fast lane living defensive lineman at Oklahoma State University. He was selected by the Washington Redskins in the 5th round of the 1981 NFL draft. During his rookie season, he posted 6 sacks (before the NFL recognized them officially as a statistic). In 1983, Dexter began to establish himself as a top flight defensive terror, with his first of 4 consecutive 10+ sack seasons with 11.  Over the next 3 seasons, Manley’s sack numbers continued to climb, from 13.5 in 1984, to a league leading 18.5 in 1986. It’d all culminate in a Super Bowl victory in 1987 and an appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He’d post 8.5 sacks in 87, and back to back 9 sack seasons in 1988 and 1989. By this time though the nasty spectre of cocaine began to assert itself in Dexter’s life- and by the 10th game of the 1989 season, Manley had received his 3rd strike and was suspended by the league for 1 year. Later Manley was cut by the Redskins, unceremoniously ending his tenure in Washington.

sco91 manleyA year after the suspension, Manley signed with the Phoenix Cardinals and played 4 games for the team in 1990. In 1991 he’d sign with the Buccaneers and experience a return to form, drawing in another 6.5 sacks. Unfortunately Manley relapsed and received a lifetime ban from the NFL, forcing his tearful retirement. Still desiring to play football, Dexter played for the Ottawa Rough Riders of the CFL from 1992 to 1993.

After officially retiring, Dexter has continued to make waves, testifying before a league senate committee that he was a functioning illiterate even after college.  He’s also had to battle multiple relapses, was briefly incarcerated, and at one point facing homelessness, even pawned one of his Super Bowl rings. Still Manley has his friends and family to thank who strongly stuck by him through thick and thin, – and he did get that Super Bowl ring back. In 2002, he was named one of the 70 Greatest Redskins of all time, and in 2005 underwent surgery to treat a life threatening brain cyst. Still a popular figure in Redskins lore, he’s done talk radio and is a motivational speaker.

Dexter used to be a decent signer through the mail, and I attempted to get him a few years ago, but it was RTS. After seeing multiple failures on him, I went ahead and just did a paid signing for him through Sportscollectors.net. I always liked Dexter as a kid, unaware of drugs or what it was doing to him. I even had Manley’s Starting Lineup figure and had always hoped that he would return to the defensive dominance that he exuded during the mid-80s.

G/Gs 143/120    Tac  N/a    Sac 103.5      Fum  6      Int 2     Yds -1   Avg -.5     Td 0    Lg -.-