Tag Archives: ttm autograph

CFL, NFL, ufl

Hairston, Carl ‘Big Daddy’

Cards: ProSet 1991 Legends, Score Supplemental 1989
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent: 10/20   Received: 10/27   (7 days)

During the Jurassic Period of football, there were some absolute beasts of defenders that took the league by storm in the 70s. One of them was Carl Hairston, a little known defensive lineman prospect out of UMES or (University of Maryland Eastern Shore). He played on some terrible teams during college, which allowed him to really hone his game. Hairston was named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team 3 times. In his final year with the team, he posted 147 tackles and 15 sacks, good enough to get noticed by the Philadelphia Eagles, who selected Carl in the 7th round of the 1976 draft. 

He’d make the squad and in fact lead the NFL in sacks in 1979 (unofficially) with 15. Then in 1980, he’d help champion the defense that got the Eagles to Super Bowl XV.  Injuries began to slow Hairston down in 1983, and soon thereafter he’d be traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he’d be a mainstay on the line until 1989. He’d finish his career in Phoenix the following season. 

Carl has an extensive coaching resume at the Pro level, and has seen stops in the NFL (Phoenix, KC, St Louis, and Green Bay), UFL (Florida, Omaha), and CFL (British Columbia). He earned a Super Bowl ring as the defensive line coach for the St. Louis Rams (Super Bowl XXXIV). 

Carl is another one of these players who should probably be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A dominant lineman during his time, unofficially he has 1,141 tackles and 94 sacks to his name in 184 starts. 

Both of these are really nice cards of Carl. I almost feel like they are nods to him out of respect- like these card companies knew he was long in the tooth but they still wanted to pay him respects with their brand of card. The ProSet Legends 1991 card is an absolute gem. Merv Corning can make a player standing on the sideline look exciting, and this highly detailed image is no different with its nicks and bumps. It’s a fine card with excellent minimal design- which screams classy. The Score Supplemental 1989 had always been floating around my doubles box, so I had been kicking around the idea of getting it autographed for sometime. It’s unique because it’s obviously a special teams shot, but he’s just sort of popping up in a sea of helmets.

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224/184114194.0N/A14040.0040

College Football HoF, NFL

Hennings, Chad

Cards: GameDay 1992, Upper Deck 1992
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent: 9/25   Received: 10/1       (6 days)

The Outland Trophy Winner in 1987, Chad Hennings was an excellent defensive lineman who had to defer playing in the NFL to serve his time in the military and fought in the Gulf War.  Thanks in part to his service, his stock dipped severely in the 1988 NFL Draft. He’d be selected in the 11th round by the Dallas Cowboys. It wasn’t until 1992 that Chad would become available to the Cowboys to play, thanks in part to military staff reductions.

He’d play with a burgeoning Cowboys defense initially seeing time on special teams. Rotating into the lineup Chad saw a career high 7 sacks in 1994. He started his first game in 1995, and played with the Cowboys through 2000 when injuries began to catch up with him. 

All in all Chad was a pretty sneaky draft pick by the Cowboys. They signed him to a contract and paid him a minimal amount to keep his rights until they could pry him from his commitments and it really paid off. They got 6 solid years out of him and 72 starts. 

I know why Chad looks a bit exasperated in this 1992 Upper Deck card here. It’s because it was probably taken at Cowboys Training Camp at St. Edwards. As a frequent denizen early on in those years- if the heat didn’t get you, the humidity was surely close behind. I do not like the card one bit. His hands are completely off the canvas and there’s no action to this shot whatsoever. I didn’t mind the stone look to the production, but it felt like it cheapened the look and value of their initial foray with their 1991 effort as they look so similar.

His GameDay 1992 card is solid outside of his foot looking mangled since they didn’t want to include the grass or fake it. It’s an exciting action shot of him taking off and overall it is framed quite well. I had wanted to get Chad on these cards way back at training camp over the years, but by the time I got these cards, things were already going big and neon at Cowboys Training Camp at St. Edwards. It was a madhouse to get autographs, and autograph alley had become somewhat of a chest pressing spectacle for both observers and players alike. – So understandably the best route was TTM some 20 years later.

Chad actually haunts me. He was in a Sports Illustrated article where he talked about the dream of coming back to football… How he could smell the grass, his coaches still barking at him to get in the game, making a play. I still have those dreams, and wish I could go back and change things.

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119/7221626.5500-.-0-.-
NFL

Hostetler, Jeff ‘Hoss’

Cards: Action Packed 1991, Topps Finest Chrome Field Generals 1995
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Charity
Sent: 5/21/18 Received: 1/5/19 (229 days)
Failure: TTM 2012, C/o The Hoss Foundation

Jeff Hostetler played football collegiality in 1979 and 1980 for the Penn State Nittany Lions. There he posted 319 yards on 24 of 59 passing throwing 1 TD to 2 interceptions but was beat out by future first round pick Todd Blackledge to the starting quarterback job. He’d transfer to West Viginia in 1982 and work his way into Mountaineer lore. He’d throw for 1798 yards and 10 TDs in 1982, and then 2247 yards and 14 TDs in 1983. Although not a gifted scrambler Jeff was solid out of play action and had a solid arm to boot. He’d be selected by the New York Giants in the 3rd round of the 84 draft.

Thanks in part to Phil Simms durability, Jeff pretty much never saw the field for the first 5 seasons of his career (outside of special teams). – Not to mention the fact that he was 3rd string. He saw his first action in 1988, with some mop up duty and then later starting in a win over the Saints. While his numbers on the season weren’t amazing , Hoss showed enough promise that he took over the primary backup role for Phil in 1989. He saw some starting duty again that season, as the Giants made the playoffs, but were bounced by the LA Rams.

The Giants came back the next season (1990) and were firing on all cylinders towards the playoffs, but in the 14th contest of the season, Phil went down with a season ending foot injury. Hoss came in, and although they lost the game, he guided them to a win in their next two contests to finish 13-3 on the year and into the playoffs. The Giants used a ball control offense to pummel the Bears 31-3, squeak by the 49ers dynasty 15-13, and into Super Bowl XXV.

Considered by myself to be one of the finest Super Bowls ever, the Giants ground out a 20-19 win over the Buffalo Bills. Jeff himself completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards and a TD in New York’s win.

After the win head coach Bill Parcells retired suddenly. His replacement Ray Handley announced a quarterback competition between Hostetler and Simms before the 1991 season. Surprising many, Hoss won the competition, but suffered a season ending injury during the 12th game of the year. The following season- again- Handley announced a quarterback competition. This time Simms won but got injured only after 4 starts. Hostetler came in and played well but also suffered an injury as well. Hoss’ time was up in New York after the season. He’ sign with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1993.

As the unquestioned starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Raiders, Hostetler led the Raiders to 10 wins, and threw for a then career highs in almost all categories (236/419, 3242 yards and 14 TDs). The following year in 1994, he’d again set career highs with attempts (455), completions (263), yards (3334), and TDs (20)- earning his first and only Pro Bowl appearance. Jeff transitioned with the Raiders to Oakland in 1995, and although he did throw for 23 TDs in 1996, injuries kept adding extra wear to the grizzled veteran. He signed with the Redskins in 1997, and returned to the role of clutch backup quarterback, retiring after the 1998 season.

Jeff has his own charity- The Hoss Foundation, and after failing on him during my first attempt in 2012, even though I sent a donation, I sort of was so stung by it time just flew by until I got back around to him again in 2018.

His heroics in Super Bowl XXV still stick out in my mind, and this beautiful Action Packed 1991 card frames it so well. Jeff’s autograph isn’t bad either with the way the ‘J’ crosses the ‘H’ it definitely feels like a real autograph. In 2019, Jeff was named to the preliminary anniversary list of nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Centennial Anniversary.

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152/832338135758.016430947180.5
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