Tag Archives: upper deck 1991

Craig, Roger (2)

pset89 craigudldg97 craigflr90 craigpset90 craigflrsi99 craigsco90 craigud91 craig
Cards: Fleer 1990, Upper Deck 1991, Pro Set 1989, Pro Set 1990, Upper Deck Legends 1997, Score 1990, Fleer Sports Illustrated Legends 1999.
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent: 1/2    Received:  1/7    (5 days)*
*signing fee $5 per card
See also: Roger Craig

Finally. Well the first line is cast and I already hooked a big one in the form of undervalued fullback/ runningback Roger Craig! Sending a check in excess of the fee request, netted me 2 extra autographs plus he was willing to answer the questions that I enclosed.

I’ve been trying to be a bit more wacky about what I ask players when I insert a question into a letter. First it makes me stick out, and second it might give them a good laugh. Roger disclosed to me that if he could’ve played for any other team besides the 49ers, Raiders, and Vikings he played for, he would have played for the Dallas Cowboys. Wow. Now that would’ve blown my mind to have seen him play in the silver and blue at the end of his career.  Back in his college days and his early playing days, Roger liked to sport a mean looking mustache. I asked him if he’d ever grow it back. To my surprise he answered that, “Yes, one day,” it will return and put a little smiley face next to it.  For my final question, I asked him what tree he would be, and he responded that, “He would’ve been an oak tree, because it is a very big and strong tree”.  – A great success in my books, and I was extremely surprised to have gotten it back so quickly. I knew that Roger had a very high response rate and that he was good to TTM fans, but this was a near legendary response from a player who should be in the Hall of Fame. Total class act. I was so jazzed about this one, I really am considering sending out 2nd shots to my favorite TTM successes at some point.

Some great cards here of Roger. It was very difficult to select which ones to send. I might have missed one or two cards, but overall these action shots really represent him well. Really have quickly grown fond of the 1997 Upper Deck Legends issue. The photos are great and they cover some really good players.  I vaguely remember that Roger’s Pro Set 1989 card/shot was so dynamic that it made the box. It’s too bad that Pro Set went up in smoke so quickly. It was the up close action shots like this that put Topps on the ropes early.

Miller, Chris

Cards: Pinnacle 1992, Upper Deck 1991, Skybox 1992, ProSet 1991,ProSet 1990,ProLine 1992, Proline Profiles 1992, Upper Deck 1992.
Acquired: In Person 1993, CGA Youth Golf Tournament
See Also: Chris Miller 2

Out of the University of Oregon, the Atlanta Falcons drafted Chris Miller with their first round pick of the 1987 draft under head coach Marion Campbell. A solid, traditional drop back passer with great mechanics, Chris was also a talented pitcher who threw for the Bellingham Mariners and Salinas Spurs in 1986.

He’d be slowly brought along by the team, but by his second year, Chris established himself as the starting quarterback of the Falcons. In 1989, despite the team’s bad record, Chris led the NFL with the lowest interception ratio at 1.9%. Oddly Miller is one of those strange quarterbacks who had a good touchdown to interception ratio, but had a losing record.

It wouldn’t be till 1991 when head coach Jerry Glanville took charge and installed the Red Gun offense that Miller would take fire, leading the team to the playoffs, posting his best record and statistics as a professional. He’d also go to the Pro Bowl after the season- one of the major highlights of his career.  He’d leave the Falcons and sign with the Rams, staying there for two seasons in 1994 and 1995, before retiring due to a concussion.

He would heroically return in 1999 to play for the Broncos- but once again he’d suffer another concussion and retire for good.

Since pro ball, Chris has coached at the High School level back in Oregon before he was hired to be the Cardinals quarterbacks coach in 2008. I met him at the CGA youth golf tournament where he signed every card I had on me in exchange for the 17×24″ drawing I did of him. He was really impressed by the likeness that I did of him.

G/Gs 98/92    Att 2892     Comp 1580    Yds 19320   Pct 54.6
Td 123   Int 102   Rat 74.9

Wright, Felix

Cards: ProSet 1989, ProSet 1990 LL, Upper Deck 1991
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o home  (7 days)
Sent: 10/15  Received: 10/22

My first memory of Felix Wright? -A dominant defensive back in Tecmo Bowl and compliment to fellow safety Frank Minnefield. Beyond that, it should be noted that Felix is a tireless and patient TTM signer who has a quick response rate. I had dug through the boxes and found the ProSet cards of him with that  gold league leader card I had always admired. ProSet was the dominant name back then in football cards, but they quickly wore out their welcome and were out of business by 1995. It’s a shame because their sets were always quite thorough and at least through 1991 designed nicely. Upper Deck on the other hand had been a force in the baseball arena for sometime and was a new player to the burgening market in 1991, but I don’t think they really understood that fans want action shots of football players, and instead UD took the ‘Topps’ route on occasion. Take for example this hideous card of Felix getting his hamstring stretched.

Felix Wright went undrafted coming out of Drake college in 1982. He’d try out for the Oilers, but not make the team, instead opting out and heading North to the CFL playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, being named an All Star in 1984. Wright would then sign as a free agent with the Cleveland Browns- cementing his name as one of the team’s best free agent pickups. A solid DB with a great hands and good speed, Felix was one of the most feared players in the secondary during the late 1980s racking up over 100 interception yards in two straight seasons. His solid defensive play allowed him to lead the league in interceptions in 1990. In 1991, he’d sign Plan B with the Minnesota Vikings where Felix would play for two seasons, before retiring in 1993 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

G/Gs  121/84   Tac  N/a   Sac N/a    Fum 6      Int 29      Yds 492        Avg 16.9     Td 2     Lg 68