Tag Archives: ultimate wlaf 1992

Goldberg, Bill

Pro Set 1991 World League Helmet Insert Card, #8

CARDS: Pro Set 1991 World League Insert, Ultimate WL 1992
ACQUIRED: In Person, 2023

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Defensive tackle Bill Goldberg played college football at Georgia from 1987-89.
  • An 11th round draft choice of the Los Angeles Rams in the 1990 Draft.
  • He made the franchise and was with the team through the offseason of 1991.
  • Bill signed with the Sacramento Surge of the World League in 1992.
  • He helped anchor down an impressive defense notching 3 sacks on the season, as the team won World Bowl II.
  • After the World League collapsed, Bill signed with the Sacramento Goldminers of the CFL that year.
  • This led him to the Atlanta Falcons during that same year in 1992.
  • Bill played with the Falcons through 1994.
  • In a preseason game against the Eagles, Bill tore his abductor muscle from his pelvis.
  • This caused him incredible pain while he searched for a proper diagnosis.
  • Ultimately he’d be cut by the Falcons, and then later picked up by the new expansion franchise, the Carolina Panthers.
  • And… he’d be the first player cut by the Panthers.
  • In the meantime, during his rehab, he’d met many wrestlers and was eventually convinced to try his hand at the sport.
  • He quickly ascended the ranks of WCW and made his debut as ‘Goldberg’ in 1997.
  • Won 173 straight wrestling matches.
  • When WCW was bought out by the WWE, Goldberg wrestled in Japan for two years before returning stateside to the WWE.
  • Took a break from wrestling, returning to the sport in 2015 during Legends of Wrestling.
  • Officially returned to WWE in 2016, retiring from the sport unofficially in 2022.
  • Rumors continue to swirl about his return to the sport.
  • Has appeared and been in numerous movies and TV shows.
Ultimate WL 1992 Team Checklist, #147

ACCOLADES:

  • WWE Hall of Fame
  • WWE Championship
  • WWE Universal Championship x2
  • WCW World Heavyweight Champion x2
  • WCW World Tag Team Champion
  • WcW United States World Heavyweight Champion x2

NOTES:

Bill is passionate about his charitable causes, notably Purple Heart services for wounded veterans. He also is Jewish- And while he’s extremely respectful of his religious upbringing, it’s something that’s just not talked about a lot.

So a few months ago when the XFL Brahmas opened up shop, some of my friends were invited to a special gathering for the team at the stadium. There they met many of the players and there was a special appearance by Bill Goldberg! (I had not realized he was still so passionate about the sport of Spring Football.)

When this event popped up in Boerne, I got that feeling that, maybe Bill would show up. Y’know a gut feeling. I told my friend who was going with me (Jeff) to not be surprised and to plan as if he might be attending. When we got to this really good taco joint, everything just seemed to line up. Jeff noted the autograph on the wall from Goldberg. Then I texted my friend Brandon, and he said, “Oh yeah, Goldberg will be there.” Just as we were about to step out, the man himself walked in.

Jeff nudged me and we played it cool. When we did speak to Goldberg, I talked to him about the World League and told him about how I probably walked by him at that last game when he was with the Surge, and they beat the Riders in the ‘Do or Die’ game. And while we lost, I left satisfied that next year might be the Riders’ year… <insert audible trail off>

He gave a chuckle and told me that it was a great time. That back then he was pretty close to the stadium since he was living in San Marcos… but that it was from SO LONG AGO. He then took this awesome photo with me.

Later right before he left I approached him one more time and thanked him for his time in the World League. And I’ll say this to any World League player I run into or get the autograph of: It meant so much to me that you guys were chasing your dreams. My father was not the greatest father, but he tried, and the way he got started was by taking me to those World League games. It really helped us bond. And I am forever grateful for every player who played in that league.

He told me that it meant to him more than I’d know- and that honestly meant to me, so, so much.

NFL

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110.0000-.-0-.-

WL

TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
N/a3.0000-.-0-.-

Smith, Roland ‘Paddy’

Ultimate World League 1992, #71

CARD: Ultimate World League 1992
ACQUIRED: TTM 2023, C/o Work
SENT: 1/17 RECEIVED: 2/6 (20 days)
FAILURE: TTM 2015, C/o Work

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Roland Smith played DB for the Miami Hurricanes during their heyday as a National power (1987-90)- winning two championships.
  • During his senior campaign in Miami, he had 52 total tackles, 2 picks and 2 forced fumbles.
  • He was selected in the 8th round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.
  • In 1992, he’d be a first round choice of the London Monarchs of the World League.
  • He went into HS coaching where he built an incredible resume, winning 7 HS State Championships between Northwestern and Miami Central.
  • In 2022, returned home to the Hurricanes, where he now serves as the school’s Director of High School Relations.

NOTES:

Roland Smith was a name I’d been after for a while, but after he started receiving hate mail, he stopped signing shortly before I sent out to him in 2015. I thought I’d take a shot in the dark to him once he moved to the Hurricanes and it worked out nicely.

This card is confusing, because the image subject feels like its more the Thunder player as opposed to Roland who’s barely on the card. In fact for the longest time I thought that Roland was a member of the Thunder. It also doesn’t help that fellow DB Irvin Smith has an almost identical card photo, same last name, and appears just two cards previously in the set.

WL

TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
N/a0.00100.000

Koonce, George (2)

Topps Finest 1995, #178

CARDS: Ultimate WL 1992, Fleer 1995
ACQUIRED: TTM 2019, C/o Home
SENT: 10/28 RECEIVED: 11/6 (9 days)
FAILURE: TTM 2010, C/o Work

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

I had picked up George previously, but didn’t realize he was on this Ultimate World League TV Schedule card, so after a few years, I grabbed a few extra cards and sent it back out. The Fleer 95 is such a Frankenstein set of design, which was different- by team. This one is obviously on the terrible side of things. The Topps Finest is a great example of the over the top style that trading cards were starting to embrace as far as refractors were concerned.