Tag Archives: winnipeg blue bombers

CFL, NFL, WLAF, XFL

Moore, Shawn

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1991, Score 1991
Acquired: In Person 1992, San Antonio Riders v. Birmingham Fire
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o The University of Virginia

After the Birmingham Fire lost to the San Antonio Riders that humid night I tromped onto the field and got Shawn’s autograph on his Action Packed Rookies and Score 1991 card. You could see on his face the frustration of being buried on the depth chart and the relative annoyance he felt about being there, but he still managed to sign these two cards for me.

In the early 90’s, Dan Reeves decided that he was going to pull rank and find the heir apparent to John Elway after tensions boiled to the surface between the two seasoned professionals. Dan drafted not one, but two quarterbacks in the 1991 draft. Highly regarded Tommy Maddox from UCLA and Shawn Moore from Virginia. Shawn had finished 1st in passing efficiency in the nation and broke most passing records for the Cavaliers in 1990. Moore would be drafted in the 11th round of the draft and back up both Maddox and Elway.

The Broncos would loan Moore to the Birmingham Fire for the 1992 season where he was expected to compete for the starting job, however he never saw any time off the bench sitting behind Mike Norseth. Shawn returned to the NFL for the 1992 season throwing for 232 yards and 3 picks in injury relief for John Elway. Afterwards he’d return to the bench of the Broncos, where he’d stay through 1993. In 1994, Shawn signed with the Arizona Cardinals, but saw no playing time. He’d then head North to Canada for the 1995 season, splitting time with the Blue Bombers and Stampeders before retiring from professional football.

Since then Moore has spent time in administration working as a national scout for the XFL and an enforcement representative for the NCAA. Currently he’s the wide receivers coach for his alma mater, The University of Virginia.  I sent two cards out to Moore last year, hoping to get his autograph on two final cards but at this point am still waiting hopefully for a response.

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Bell, Kerwin

Cards: ProSet 1991, ProSet WLAF 1991, Ultimate 1992 Promo
Acquired: In Person 1992, San Antonio Riders v Orlando Thunder
Failure: C/o Jacksonville State, April 2010
See also: Kerwin Bell (2)

Kerwin Bell started the first game I watched in WLAF history- a shoot out on NFL network between the San Antonio Riders and the Orlando Thunder. Kerwin Bell would lead the Thunder to victory in that game wearing the helmet camera 35-34 over the Riders that day in 1991.

After an acclaimed career playing for the University of Florida, Bell would be drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the 7th round of the 1988 draft, but he’d end up on Atlanta where he’d finish the season behind incumbent quarterback Chris Miller. In 1989 Bell would travel back to Florida where he’d play for the Buccaneers and would be out of football in 1990.

The Orlando Thunder would come calling in 1991 for the WLAF and he’d respond with a solid season throwing for 2214 yards and 17 touchdowns under coach Don Matthews. Wearing the helmet camera on opening night of 1991, he’d lead the Orlando Thunder to an exciting 35-34 victory over the San Antonio Riders, throwing 3 touchdowns to Byron Williams. With 1992 however the NFL allocated players to the WLAF from their player pool of ‘future stars’. With new head coach Galen Hall taking over for Matthews, the team snatched up Dan Marino‘s heir, Scott Mitchell, and Kerwin spent the season strangely on the bench. The team would win World Bowl II, and Bell would see only cleanup time throwing a touchdown in relief. The WLAF would disband after the season and Kerwin would join CFLUSA playing for the Sacramento Gold Miners in 1993 and 1994. He’d hop over to Edmonton in 1995 for a year before being signed by the Indianapolis Colts in 1996. Bell would stay there through the 1997 season where he’d post a perfect quarterback rating completing all 5 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. In 1998 he’d return to the CFL to play for the Argos where with a vengeance he’d throw for almost 5000 yards and almost 70% of his passes and be a CFL East All Star. He’d hop over to Winnipeg in 1999 for a season and a half before returning to Toronto to close out his playing career after 2001.

He’d jump into coaching being offensive coordinator for the Argos for a season and then into the high school ranks for a bit. After a successful stint at that level he’d be hired by Jacksonville University where he’s been since 2007. When I had gone onto the field to get Scott’s autograph, I was able to do virtually the same with Kerwin. I felt that Bell was the face of the WLAF and was annoyed when he was relegated to the bench in 1992. He graciously signed all 3 cards for me, including this Ultimate WLAF card which was a promo only handed out at games. I sent him two cards in April of 2010, (Kerwin’s Wild Card 1992 and his regular Ultimate 1992 card,) but did not heard back from him. After seeing a few successes in 2012, I took another shot at him and had a success in February of 2012. Below are his WLAF statistics and a few videos.

G/Gs 11/10       Att 331      Comp 185        Yds  2276        Pct  55.9%         Td  17        Int  14         Rat  77.8

Kerwin at Florida v Auburn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvE5ob0VQ-o
Comical moment involving Kerwin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPYvI4xOOxQ&feature=related
Kerwin discusses wide receivers at Jacksonville University http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTMpaA0i7YI&feature=related

Arena, CFL, NFL

Marinovich, Todd

Cards: Action Packed 1992, Score Supplemental 1992
Acquired: In Person, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1991, 1992

Todd Marinovich is a tragic story of a person who could not live up to the expectations and accolades that were heaped upon him. I remember the first time I had heard about Todd. It was the cover of a Sports Illustrated magazine with him in his USC uniform proclaiming him as “Robovich”, that I became perplexed by this young athlete. I read the article and how he was born and bred to become a superstar at the next level, and even I myself after reading this magazine thought that Marinovich was destined to be the next Dan Marino. What I didn’t understand like many others was the complexity of problems that were being created for Todd because of his lifestyle. It is no fault of his parents. They wanted the best for him and went of their way to provide the best for him. A divorce however didn’t help things, and Marinovich had begun to experiment in drugs such as marijuana, alcohol and cocaine. Regardless after a relatively impressive college career at USC, the Los Angeles Raiders would elect to select Todd with their first round choice in 1991. Despite a few games in which Marinovich would flash talent, his drug use escalated as he began using other drugs such as LSD. His 1992 season, while again improving statistically resulted in him striking out of the NFL’s drug rehabilitation program before the 1993 season.  Marinovich would shift over to the CFL in 1995 to revive his career playing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers but this time injury would end his career there before he ever begun. He’d take more time off and receive serious intrest from the NFL in 1999, but would end up with the British Columbia Lions. In 2000, Todd would join the Los Angeles Avengers in the Arena league, where he’d have the best moments of his football career leading the Avengers and being named to various rookie teams, but with his drug use never being curtailed, Marinovich spiraled back out of control and out of football for good by the end of 2001. (He’d finish his career in the Arena leagues with 472 attempts, 249 completions, 3214 yards, 62 touchdowns, 21 interceptions, and an 88.5 qb rating.) Truly a tragic sports name, Marinovich has been named as one of the NFL’s greatest draft busts of all time.  Marinovich has continued to be in and out of drug treatment and in trouble with the law. He sometimes could be found at some points down on the beaches near LA skateboarding or clearing barnacles from boats. I’d get Todd’s autograph on his Action Packed Rookies card in training camp in 1991 but by his second year his autograph had radically changed to just ‘Todd’.

G/Gs  8/8    Att 205    Comp 104     Yds 1345  Pct 50.7%    Td 8   Int 9   Rat 66.4