Tag Archives: topps 1990

NFL

Studwell, Scott


Cards: Topps 1990, ProSet 1991 Legends
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o home
Sent: 2/14    Received: 3/8    (22 days)

I had been kicking tires around sending Scott Studwell out a card or two for a while. I was not disappointed as it appears he is a wonderful TTM signer with fans. He signed these two cards in less than 30 days and did so in purple marker. He has a graceful and loopy signature- which seems to be an oddity amongst the signatures I have, and I was quite pleased to get it on the ProSet 1991 Legends card, and (strangely enough) on this Topps 1990 card.

1990 it seemed Topps was slowly getting the message and while many of their cards were portraits, sideline poses and guys standing still, there were these rare occasions where there was an outstanding action shot of a player. I think that this card of Studwell is exceptional framing him exploding out of a 2 point stance towards the play.

Back in the late 70s the common draft lasted 12 rounds and drafting was even further from the ‘science’ than it is today. The 77 draft was a fairly solid class, that included such names as: Tony Dorsett, Raymond Clayborn, Stanley Morgan, Lester Hayes, Steve DeBerg, and Joe Klecko. Almost every round yielded a Pro Bowl player and Scott Studwell- would be the surprise of the 9th round.

Studwell’s career would be an amazing testament to longevity, playing for the Vikings for 14 storied seasons. On the defense he’d  ceremoniously pass the torch between Alan Page and John Randle, seeing the twilight of Page’s and the beginning of Randle’s. He’d also span the ending of the Purple People Eaters through the Walker trade for the organization. Arguably one of the best linebackers to play for the Vikings, Studwell was a two time Pro Bowler and could play a variety of positions along the defensive front,  lining up not only at linebacker but also amazingly from time to time at nose tackle.

Studwell would finish second all-time at linebacker (at the time of his retirement) in games played (behind HoF member Ted Hendricks) with 201 games and unofficially (since tackles weren’t a tracked statistic for the majority of his career) with 1981 tackles. Scott after retirement would immediately jump into the scouting office for the Vikings where he scaled the ranks to be the team’s director of player personnel finding such gems as Jake Reed and Brad Johnson.  In 2009 Studwell was inducted into the Vikings’ Hall of Honor and through 2011 continues to serve as the team’s director of player scouting.

G/Gs  201/161   Tac 1981    Sac 9.0      Fum  16      Int  11   Yds  97     Avg  8.9      Td 0   Lg 20

NFL

Meads, Johnny

Cards: Topps 1990, Fleer Ultra 1991, Pacific 1991, ProSet 1991, Score 1991
Acquired: In Person, Houston Oilers Training Camp 1991, TTM C/o The Tennessee Titans 2010
Sent: 4/3 Received: 4/16  (13 days)

Okay, here’s a guy with a middle name worthy of a linebacker, Johnny “Sand” Meads. Thibodaux, LA is home to tiny Nicholls State, and the Houston Oilers would call Johnny’s name near the top of the 3rd round. This draft was a good defensively at linebacker and yielded names such as Carl Banks, Wilber Marshall, Gary Reasons, and Fredd Young. In fact it was so good 3 of the Oilers starting linebackers came out of this draft. Robert Lyles, John Grimsley and… Johnny Meads. The draft really represented defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville‘s vision for the Houston Oilers- an attacking defense led by quick and aggressive linebackers. In 1986 Johnny would score 111 tackles from his outside linebacker position and record 4 sacks. He also had extra value. At 6’2″ 232 with a wide wingspan, Johnny was a great special teamer, blocking 2 punts in 1989. By 1990, Meads was the senior member of the Oilers defense and made the transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 defense anchoring down his starting position at linebacker. Johnny would be named defensive player of the week for his 1990 performance against the Saints in which he recorded 9 tackles, 1.5 sacks, an interception and 3 forced fumbles and amazingly he’d play most of the season with a broken thumb in a cast, and would still make 95 tackles and 5 forced fumbles.  1991 would see his final season as a starter, as the team was determined to go younger at the position. They’d bring in Eddie Robinson and Joe Bowden the next season and by the 4th week of 1992- he’d be cut and find himself on the roster of the Redskins for two weeks before retiring. Since football Meads has worked in the Tennessee Titans organization and is currently a scout for the organization. I’d get the Fleer 1991 Ultra autographed while at camp that year and he’d kindly sign the others for me in 2010. Great autograph with the way the “M” sweeps under the rest of his last name. The points of the “M” indicate his alertness, drive, and intelligence. A perfect linebacker autograph.

G/Gs  119/97    Tac  528     Sac 23.5    Fum 1    Int 1     Yds 32   Avg 32.0   Td 0    Lg 32

CFL, NFL

Tolliver, Billy Joe

Cards: ProSet 1989,Action Packed Rookies 1990,Action Packed 1991,Upper Deck 1991,Topps 1990,GameDay 1992,Score 1990
Acquired: In Person 1993, CGA Youth Golf Tournament

A real tender moment in my autograph collecting- Billy Joe Tolliver, Browning Nagle and Steve Bartkowski were palling around really early in the morning, -I’d guess around 7:45AM and I was basically the only fan on the course. They actually saw me and started talking to me. Maybe it was because I just walked up onto the green and didn’t know my golf etiquette, but they absolutely loved the drawings I did of each one of them. Billy Joe and I started talking and he offered let me ride along with them to the next hole. How could I say no (especially comparing this in retrospect to my experiences with John Elway)? Tolliver the previous season had a hail mary pass against the 49ers, and we discussed how exciting and amazing the play was. Billy Joe just told me he tried to put it up to his favorite game maker (Michael Haynes) and he just got lucky. He also shared that it was his favorite moment (up to that point of his young career).

In the waning days of the Southwestern Conference, Texas Tech started really establishing itself with a dominating offense. Billy Joe Tolliver was the renaissance man that would be the genesis in the long line of record setting quarterbacks at Lubbock. Gifted with a cannon for an arm Tolliver would be drafted in the 3rd round of the 1989 draft by the San Diego Chargers, who traded a lion’s share to the Giants to get him. Expected to be the quarterback of the team’s future, he was thrust right into a quarterback competition between David Archer and Mark Malone. In the end the team traded the Bears for Jim McMahon and he and Tolliver would battle the rest of the season for the starting gig. San Diego was a tough place to play after the departure of Dan Fouts, with an eternal revolving door at quarterback (13 starting quarterbacks from 1987-1991).  By 1990 Tolliver was firmly entrenched as the number one quarterback in San Diego- but was inexplicably benched in favor of Mark Vlasic. He’d quickly be renamed starter but was benched again at the end of the season for another ‘quarterback of the future’ –John Friesz. Friesz would be named the starter for the 1991 season and Tolliver would find himself traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a 5th round pick. Overall the Tolliver legacy in San Diego would surely be considered a ‘wash’.

It was an interesting situation in Atlanta to say the least for Tolliver playing under the Red Gun offense with injury prone starter Chris Miller and 3rd stringer distraction Brett Favre behind him. It was during the 1991 season Billy Joe would get some playing time in and make the Hail Mary pass against the 49ers and have a respectable finish to the season. In 1992, Farve would be sent packing to Green Bay for as coach Jerry Glanville stated, “To save him (Farve) from himself.” Tolliver would be in the starting role in 1992 after Chris Miller was injured and out for the season but would finish with literally average results (5Tds, 5ints, 55% completions and a 70.5 qb rating). The next season, he’d once again be backup to Chris Miller and Bobby Herbert. With Miller injured again, Tolliver would be the main backup again and would see some playing time in 7 games. After the 1993 season he would not be resigned.  Playing in Atlanta was met with mixed results. Extreme highs (the Hail Mary) punctuated by big lows (arguments on the sidelines with Jerry Glanville and blowout losses).

When the 1994 season began, Tolliver was still looking for a job but was signed to be a 3rd string quarterback on the struggling Houston Oilers. By mid-season Billy would be the starter and would finish with another 7 starts under his belt splitting time with Bucky Richardson. He would be a free agent again and this time pursue a job in the fledgling CFL USA signed by the Shreveport Pirates for their final season in 1995. Returning again to the NFL Tolliver would go back to the Falcons, this time backing up Herbert and Browning Nagle at quarterback. He’d play sparingly through 1996 and be released mid-season in 1997, but would then be signed by the Kansas City Chiefs who needed an injury replacement. Tolliver would be cut in mid 1998. Billy Joe would return to the NFC South, going to the New Orleans Saints under Mike Ditka in 1999. He’d remain on and off the team roster through 2000. In 2001 Tolliver would be signed by Green Bay- remarkably with former friend and quarterback Brett Favre, where Billy Joe would retire shortly after losing the backup quarterback job to Doug Pederson.

Overall looking at Billy Joe Tolliver’s career, one could almost state that he had some of the best agents or was one of the best third string quarterbacks to play the position. The definition of a journeyman, Tolliver would play for no more than 7 teams, starting at some point during his career for at least 6 of them over a 12 season career. Since football, Billy Joe has remained extremely active. He was inducted by the Red Raiders into their Hall of Honor in 2002. An athletic competitor at heart- Billy Joe Tolliver is considered a great golfer frequently winning sports amateur golf competitions on a regular basis and in 2010 he beat Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo for the championship. Billy Joe was treated kindly by the Tecmo gods, who rewarded him with an amazing 81 in passing speed for his cannon of an arm.

G/Gs  74/42  Att  1707    Comp 891    Yds 10760     Pct 52.2%       Td 59   Int 64   Lg 82T  Rat 67.7