Tag Archives: ttm autograph

NFL, Pro Football HoF

Barney, Lem


Cards: Topps 1970, Upper Deck Legends 1997, ProLine 1992
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent:  6/11    Received:  6/25        (14 days)*
* Donation included

When you talk about a player- a throwback- somebody who played for ‘the love of the game first’, one of the first names that should come to mind, is Hall of Fame inductee Lem Barney.  One of the greats of his position it just so happened he played in a studded secondary with Dick LeBeau and Dick ‘Night Train’ Lane while with the Detroit Lions.  Lem did it all for the Lions from 1967 to 1977, playing corner, return man, and even moonlighting as a punter. A man about town, Lem was good friends with singer Marvin Gaye, and had a great set of pipes, singing backup on one of Gaye’s tunes, and tried his hand in acting as well.

His first season in the NFL was- well- easy.  He led the NFL in interceptions with 10, returned 3 of them for TDs and earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Honors. Over the next 3 following seasons, Lem added 22 more interceptions to his resume.  During his storied career he posted 11 career touchdowns on 7 interceptions, a kick off return, a blocked FG, and 2 punt returns, earning all-NFL Honors in 1968, 1969, 1972, and 1975.

It’s surprising that Barney did not attract more attention before he was selected by the Lions in the second round. Playing for Jackson State, Lem racked up 26 interceptions, and earned All-Southwestern Athletic Conference Honors.

His career came to a ignominious halt in 1978 after he was heard on tape during a wiretap investigation. While Barney was not part of the investigation, the press focused squarely on him which may have made both the Lions and other NFL teams skittish to sign him. Lem retired in 1979.

That didn’t stop Barney from accomplishing all the things he wanted to do in life however. He has spent a lot of his time in PR, marketing, and broadcasting. Lem is good to the TTM community, however he requires a $15.00 fee. It was very kind of him to inscribe these cards with his HOF information, although- unlike most collectors it’s appreciated but not necessary.

As far as these cards go, Barney had very few actual action shots because well Topps didn’t go out of their way back then, so in steps my favorite classic set Topps 1970 with that great press pass looking image of Lem. I can’t really complain. The Upper Deck Legends card was a really clean action shot of Lem- and it is a set I like to get as well. The design of the card (on the front) is almost second to none and has been emulated over the years. The ProLine NFL Throwback was a curious choice for the third autograph. I always maligned the set, because it was the NFL- but it typically was NFL players doing things other than NFL, so it was sort of an oddity at the time of collecting in the early 90s. This card of Lem however, with the trench coat and bowler hat is absolutely classy, and it seems to really capture the style and the subliminal statement that the set was trying to project on the canvas in encapsulating the players’ voices.

G/Gs 140/136     TAC  N/a     SAC N/a     FUM 25
INT 56        YDS 1077       AVG 19.2      TD   7     LG 71T

KR  50     YDS  1274     AVG 25.5     TD 1    LG 98T
PR   143    YDS 1312   AVG 9.2        TD  2    LG 74T

P 113     YDS   4006     AVG 35.5    LG 55   BLK 1

NFL, University of Texas, usfl

Millard, Bryan

Cards: ProSet 1989, Score Supplemental 1989, ProSet 1990, Topps Stadium Club 1992
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Work
Sent: 5/4   Received: 6/4  (30 days)
Failure: TTM 2017, C/o Home

Bryan Millard is regarded as one of the greatest Seahawks linemen ever, but it took him a while to get there, and still to this day he does not receive the respect and accolades he deserves.  He flies under the radar when it comes to great linemen, and even when retrospect sets come out, like the two University of Texas sets from both Upper Deck and Panini, Millard is conspicuously left out.

Bryan played college ball at the University of Texas from 1979-1982. While playing for the Longhorns, Millard honed his skills at both Guard and Tackle- winning All-SWC recognition for the latter in 1982. Surprisingly, he went undrafted in 1983 by the NFL, but the upstart USFL took a flyer on Bryan in the 12th round with the New Jersey Generals. He’d block upfront for the next two seasons for both Herschel Walker and Maurice Carthon helping pave the way for the Generals vaunted rushing attack.

With the league beginning to implode by 1984, Millard headed to the West Coast and joined the Seattle Seahawks, but did not join the starting lineup until midway through the 1985 season. Bryan saw action at both tackle positions before settling on the right guard spot- a position he’d anchor down for roughly the next 6 seasons. Durable, dependable, and strong (a weightlifting advocate who could bench press some 550 pounds), Millard somehow flew underthe radar while opening up holes for Curt Warner and John L Williams. Most notable about Bryan was that despite his size (6’5″, 282), he was nimble enough to trap on the off-side while also being able to take on the larger bull rushers of the era.  He earned one ProBowl nomination in 1988. Thanks in part to injuries, Bryan was forced to retire after the 1991 season.

Bryan lives in the Austin, Texas area. After dabbling in commercial real estate and pharmaceutical sales, he is now a full time real estate broker. I tried sending a few cards out last year, but they were RTS, so I attempted a new address and struck paydirt. Among Bryan’s other hobbies is actually collecting football cards, however I am not sure if he still partakes in the hobby since it has changed so much over the years from the 5 and dime, stick of gum.

NFL

Dotson, Santana ‘Sack-Tana’

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1992, Classic 1992
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent: 8/24/2012      Received: 5/24/2018   (2094 days)

Santana Dotson marks the new longest TTM wait ever for me, at 5 years, 8 months, and 24 days. To say that I had given up on these a long time ago is an understatement, but when I saw that he was responding to a few fans recently through some boards, it gave me a glimmer of hope. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like waiting years for autographs but this one tasted all the sweeter to get- and the older ones always bring back memories of what I was doing then and there at that time. I’d like to believe that Santana understands the TTM game in this respect, and with that I am glad to finally get his autograph on these two beautiful cards.

I loved the creamsickle orange Bucs uniform. I will always say that every time I get one signed. The Action Packed 1992 Rookies card is pretty nice. Santana is blowing by an offensive lineman, and off the canvas. The card does a pretty good job of showcasing his impressive wingspan. I wasn’t too huge a fan of the Classic brand. They went from absolutely garish cards, to the very plain, no frills 1992 edition shrouded in black. Still, it’s a pretty good looking card. Rarely anymore do you see cards that have a player setting up in stance and this card looks great adorned with his autograph. The unique Baylor paws on the shoulders remind me of the dying days of the SWC.

Santana was one of the last great dinosaurs coming out of Baylor during the final years of the SWC. Back in those days, Baylor almost always had a tenacious defense led by a powerful defensive line. Dotson clocked in at 6’5″, 265, and just wrecked havoc. A consensus All-American in 1991, Dotson had 6 tackles and 5 sacks in one game against Houston that year. Over 41 games at Baylor, he had 193 combined tackles, 30 TFL, 14 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and was a 3 time All-SWC selection. His quickness off the snap and versatility allowed Santana to play outside or kick inside on rushing downs.

1992 was not a particularly good draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While they did find some depth and some occasional starters, Dotson stands far and away as their best pick that year- selected in the 5th round.  The Bucs plugged him away at right defensive tackle immediately where he started all 16 games his rookie season. He’d finish the year with 71 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 10 sacks- a club rookie record. In addition, Santana returned a 42 yard fumble for a TD against the Lions.  While he did not see the same measurement of success over the next 3 seasons in Tampa, Dotson was a nice free agent poach by the Green Bay Packers in 1996. Thus started the second phase of Sack-Tana’s career.

Dotson helped anchor a Green Bay defense that was retooled under the new free agency rules. Playing alongside Reggie White, Sean Jones, and Gilbert Brown, Dotson solidified an already formidable defensive front. He had 26 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 158 tackles playing RDT over the next 6 seasons. A fan favorite in Green Bay, he helped the team win Super Bowl XXXI and appear again in Super Bowl XXXII.

Retiring after 2001, Dotson has recently been working diligently to hone his skills as a broadcaster and appears from time to time on sports radio around Milwaukee.  In addition, he sits on the Board of Directors for the Texas Orthopedic Hospital, is a celebrity spokesperson, and has his own foundation to help challenged students succeed. (santanadotson.org)

G/GS  152/129         TAC 334        SAC 49.0        FUM 11
INT 0        YDS 0       AVG -.-     TD 0        LG -.-