Tag Archives: ttm autograph

NFL

Goff, Jared

Cards: Leaf Draft 2016, Leaf Draft 2016 All-American, Sage Artistry 2016 (#86/100)
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o The Los Angeles Rams. Box Breaker, 2017
Sent:   5/14     Received:  6/27     (44 days)

As part of their big splash return to Los Angeles, and being on the HBO show Hard Knocks, the Rams traded up for the #1 overall pick to select ‘local’ (as in state) product Jared Goff out of California in 2016. Jared had the most productive career for a QB coming out of Cal since Aaron Rodgers.  He earned All-American honors as a Junior in 2015 throwing for 4714 yards on 341 completions and 43 TDs to only 13 picks. A prototypical pocket passer, Jared finished with 12,195 yards, and 96 TDs with a career passer rating of 144.0.

Head coach Jeff Fisher talked the tough talk during the preseason, emphasizing that the 7-9 and 8-8 records were no longer acceptable for success. He decided to sit Goff behind starter Case Keenum, and after a rough start, the Rams were 3-2 coming out of the gate, but after a crushing defeat to the Bills in October, the bottom basically fell out on the season. The players lost confidence in Fisher and the team unraveled. They’d win one game the rest of the way out. In the midst of the chaos, Goff took over starter duties at quarterback and started the last 7 games of the season.  Jared’s numbers for his rookie season were: 112/205, 1089 yards, 5 TDs to 8 INT.  It really didn’t help that Goff, had a porous offensive line- as Goff took 28 sacks on the chin during that 7 game stretch.  After the Rams loss to the Falcons on December 11th, the Rams relieved Jeff Fisher of his job. After the season, the Rams hired offensive guru Sean McVay to be head coach. It is the hope that under his tutelage and alongside offensive weapons Todd Gurley and Tavon Austin, the Rams can find the fireworks on offense the team is looking for in 2017.

A nice surprise as the #1 overall pick of the 2016 draft signed 2 cards for me in less than two months. Things just seemed to line up perfectly for me on this one as the Rams had just moved from St. Louis back to LA.  I suspected that perhaps the mailboxes in LA would be light, and they’d be eager to answer any fan mail at all that was coming through. Also since Goff was the #1 overall pick, it made sense that I’d strike while the iron was hot. Since that period, Goff has gone almost completely cold, and as of this date he hasn’t signed anything since 2016’s training camp. I got really, really lucky on the Sage Artistry card of him.  I pulled it from a box break in 2017, after previously missing out on sending it to him, and I really like it a lot more than the two Leaf entries I got. Plus I mean look at the autographs from Leaf compared to the Sage Artistry. It’s obvious that the sat down for the Sage ones, as opposed to the Leaf TTM that are rushed.

I feel good about the Rams being back in LA honestly. It’s a shame I don’t live there anymore or I’d attend some games. My admiration of the team goes back to the 80s, during the heyday of Jim Everett and John Robinson. It was a double body blow when the Rams left LA for St. Louis, and then the Oilers followed suit to Tennessee thereafter. I don’t like franchise relocation at all, and one must wonder why the NFL suffers from such an issue when MLB seems completely stable, despite its bevvy of small market franchises.  The Rams coming back to LA completes the circle to me- as hypocritical as that sounds. You have to admire St. Louis for toughing it out for as long as they did with the Rams, but I liken it to a infidelious marriage. St. Louis knew the Rams history and that they longed to be with LA when they got together in the first place. I know this marks the second time that St. Louis has been left at the altar by a football franchise, but to me, the move to St. L smacked of cutting corners to begin with. Regardless I sincerely hope in the future, the NFL in its brain trust will eventually grant an expansion franchise to the city.

NFL

Ervins, Ricky (2) ‘Pinball Wizard’


Cards: Star Pics 1991, Score 1991, Score Supplemental 1991, ProSet 1991
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Work
Sent: 4/7/16  Received: 7/8/16   (92 days)
See Also: Ricky Ervins

I had wondered at some points if I had walked on the same streets where Ricky  grew up in Pasadena, CA and then later went to college at USC.  He has a stack of really nice cards from during the heyday of my collecting years, and Ricky is a really kind and reliable signer through the mail, so I thought I’d dig out the best and revisit him.

I really liked Ricky’s photo from his Score 1991 entry. It showcases him making a quick, low to the ground cut. He had a lot of power in a small package, and was likened to a pinball due to Ricky’s strong sense of balance and ability to bounce off of tacklers and stay upright.  Ervin’s Pro Set entry was sort of a gimme- since the company still had some really exceptional action shots. This one was from a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Score’s Supplemental set photo was equally as good, with him charging forward, in the shadow of his own endzone. Although his football career was punctuated by injury, Ervin’s short time in the league saw some great highlights, including helping the Redskins win SuperBowl XXVI. He runs Xtreme Xplosion, a sports facility in Fairfax, VA that focuses adult and youth players on guided training, and improving  conditioning,  speed, strength and agility.

 

NFL, Pro Football HoF

Faulk, Marshall


Card: SP Game Used Authentics 2002
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Home*
Sent:  1/5/2016     Received: 6/11/2016     (158 days)

Nobody told Marshall Faulk about running too much in college. The 2nd pick of the 1994 draft, averaged over 1500 yards each year he was at San Diego State from 1991 to 1993.  He also demonstrated a nice penchant for catching the ball out of the backfield, with 82 receptions. At runningback, the Colts had a platoon of Roosevelt Potts, Anthony Johnson, and Rodney Culver that just wasn’t working in Ted Marchibroda’s offense in 1993.  Faulk gave the Colts the needed flexibility at the time to do a lot of things with their offense, and he responded by being named offensive rookie of the year in 1994.  His rookie totals included 1282 yards on 314 carries, 11 of which went to paydirt. He also chipped in 52 receptions out of the backfield for 522 yards. Faulk would continue to be the bell cow runningback for the Colts through the 1998 season- fellow teammate Peyton Manning‘s rookie season.

At a bypass in 1999 and wanting a new contract the Colts were unwilling to pay, the St. Louis Rams under Dick Vermeil traded for Faulk the evening before the draft.  Faulk became the catalyst of the Rams Greatest Show on Turf offense. As the Rams felt around in the dark until they found Kurt Warner shortly afterwards, Faulk rushed for 1381 yards and 7 TDs to go along with 103 receptions for 1048 yards and 5 TDs- an NFL RB single season record. The Rams were able to capitalize off of their offensive bonanza and win the next two Superbowls. The wear and tear of the football rigors were catching up with Faulk. In 2004, he’d share the backfield with Steven Jackson, and 2005 was completely injury riddled.  Marshall spent the entire 2006 season on the shelf, and retired in the Spring of 2007.

Marshall left an indelible legacy on the league. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility (2011). A member of the 10,000 yard club, at the time of his retirement Marshall led all runningbacks in career receptions yards and was second in career receptions.  He also is the only runningback to have over 70 TDs rushing and over 30 TDs receiving.

So I remember when the Colts drafted Faulk. I was like, “Oh no,” because I knew he was going to run all over the Oilers in the first game of that season.  And true to form his rookie year, he dominated the Oilers in a lopsided upset, running 23 times for 143 yards and 3 TDs in his rookie debut.

Faulk is a respected commentator on NFL Network. He also has a charitable foundation. I follow him on Twitter where one day he frustratingly Tweeted that all the autographs that people receive from him through his foundation are signed by him personally. He takes a plastic bin with him everywhere and tries to do his best to respond in a timely manner. With this information I scoured the internet and learned of the Marshall Faulk Foundation.  So the trick is, Marshall will sign whatever item you have provided you send a check/money order to the foundation for the total amount of the jersey pictured on the photo or card of him. So the above autograph for example, cost me $28.00.  He does not sign without a donation.

G/GS 176/156    RUSH 2836   YDS 12,280   AVG  4.3  TD 100   LG 71t  REC  767        YDS 6875       AVG 9.0       TD 36       LG 85T