CARD: Upper Deck Game Day Moments 2024
ACQUIRED: IP, 2025

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

• Justin Smith played WR at Norfolk State from 2017-2021.
• He tallied 102 receptions for 1741 yards and 15 TDs.
• Undrafted he’d end up joining the XFL in 2023 playing for the Houston Roughnecks.
• Starting 5 contests he pulled in 16 receptions for 238 yards and a 47 yard TD.
• When the Roughnecks joined the USFL conference, the players were all released back into the draft pool.
• The Brahmas with a good portion of former Roughneck coaches, cannibalized the former XFL Roughnecks roster and grafted them onto the Brahmas.
• Justin was a nine game starter for SA in 2024, posting 25 receptions for 264 yards and 1 TD.
• As the Brahmas collapsed in 2025, Justin only saw action in 6 games starting 3.
• He’d catch 9 passes for 159 yards including a 56 yard long.
• About a week and a half after I got his autograph, the team inexplicably cut him.

NOTES:

I had been wanting this card since I discovered it on the Upper Deck website. Unfortunately it’s a Game Day Moments card so it was out of print. I made some trades to get other ones but I couldn’t pry this one off of even a guy who had 15 extras- which was quite frustrating. My friend Jake (who I met through the website doing trades) was my guest at the game and had this extra one. Well not really an extra. He had this base card and a gold version of it. He sympathized with my case and we worked out a deal for it, so I could have it on the spot.

I had been pointing out Smith at every home game. He was missing in action the first 4-5 weeks and then exploded when Hogan was in at QB. I yelled that out to him and we pointed back and forth. When I told him I had his card, Justin said that he’d be more than happy to sign it after the game.

He then proceeded to get his bell rung on his only catch of the day he made. Still he was of his word and when he came over I asked how he was doing and he said that he was doing fine now.