Card: Topps AAF 2019 Acquired: 2019 Failure: 2019, C/o Home
An intriguing, big bodied wall of a linebacker clocking in at 263, Jeff Luc was a force to be reckoned with in the Atlanta Legends #1 ranked defense in 2019. He recorded 32 tackles (18 assists), 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in 8 contests before the AAF folded.
Jeff went undrafted after playing college at Florida State (2010, 2011) and Cincinnati in (2013, 2014). He really came into his own as a Senior amassing 133 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 4 pass deflections, and 5 forced fumbles.
He’s seen time on off season, preseason rosters, and practice squads of the Miami Dolphins (2015), New Orleans Saints (2015), Bengals (2016), Jets (2017), CFL Stampeders (2017), and CFL Argonauts (2017-2018).
Acquired: IP 2020, Houston Roughnecks Season Ticket Holders Kickoff Party See Also: Charles James
Charles James has continued to stay busy as a defensive back playing football and keeping the dream alive since his last stop in Houston going back to 2016. He joined the Colts for a game in 2016 and then spent the 2017 off-season with the Bills and the Jaguars.
After a year out of football, Charles found a home in the Spring league of the Alliance of American Football (2019). Charles was the old vet in a very young secondary, for the Memphis Express, posting 18 tackles and 5 pass deflections. In the final contest against the Orlando Apollos, Charles had his best game with 6 tackles and 4 pass deflections- as the Express almost upset Orlando, but lost in the closing seconds.
Charles next joined the XFL for the 2020 season originally with the St. Louis Battlehawks. He’d be traded to the Houston Roughnecks before the season, and added to an already capable secondary. In 4 contests Socks had 7 combined tackles and a pass deflection, before the league was ended by COVID.
James as a defensive back by nature is skilled in the art of smack talk, and with the XFL being very upfront and personal with sideline interviews you know they were bound to catch some quality audio from James, and indeed they did.
During the league’s week 4 contest against the Dallas Renegades- Renegades QB Landry Jones had a particularly poor game, throwing 3 interceptions in the first half. As the camera rolled on the sidelines, Socks blurted out to the camera crew, “Get that quarterback the f*** outta here!”
I met James at the Roughneck’s Season Ticket Holder Party. He was very grateful to sign autographs and meet fans, and he very much enjoyed his short time in the AAF.
I lobbied hard to get Charles an official football card from Topps, but surprisingly he was neither included in the AAF or the XFL card sets. About a year after the AAF folded I went ahead and designed Charles his card out based on the above shot he signed. Looking back I wish I had thought of doing this sooner, as I am sure he would have appreciated this card.
Jordan Thomas was a highly touted recruit, and signed with Oklahoma in 2014. He was roughly a 4 year starter at the school, posting some eye popping numbers in his Sophomore year, with 46 total tackles, 4 pass deflections, and 5 interceptions for 153 yards and a TD. Jordan struggled to meet those numbers in his final two years at Norman- although he did manage to produce 17 pass breakups in his 2016 campaign.
JT was not selected in the 2018 NFL draft, but did manage to land with the Philadelphia Eagles. After being cut, Jordan signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and then later that year with the San Antonio Commanders of the fledgling AAF. JT made the Commanders, recording 2 tackles and a pass deflection during the preseason, but with a surfeit of talent at the CB position, he rarely saw action. JT saw playing time primarily in two contests, Week 2 against Orlando and Week 6 against Atlanta. He’d record 5 tackles in 8 games for San Antonio.
After the league disbanded, Jordan signed with the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League. He’d put together 17 total tackles and 3 pass breakups in 2019.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
