Joel Lanning was originally a quarterback at Iowa State from 2015-2017. He was a dual threat for the Cyclones both on the ground and through the air. In 2017, Lanning switched to middle linebacker and worked his way up to the starting lineup! He ended up leading the team in total tackles with 114, picked off a pass, and had a fumble recovery. He also was called upon to run the Wildcat for the Cyclones. With the bulk of his stats on offense coming in 2015 and 2016, Joel finished his college career 209/366 (57.1%) 2584 yards, 20 TDs to 7 interceptions. He also rushed 255 times for 983 yards and 17 TDs.
Joel was a free agent signee of the Dallas Cowboys in 2018 but did not make the final squad. An intriguing prospect nonetheless, Lanning later signed with the AAF that year and was a starter on the San Antonio Commanders defense until the league folded. -He recorded 28 tackles.
I had gotten Joel’s autograph previously at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Signing, but this Topps card missed out on that signing by just a few days. After getting the entire set, I doubled down attempting to flag down any Commanders player through Twitter to stop by the visitors end zone, but the league folded before I could get them to show up. It was fairly easy to track Joel down TTM and he signed this card in no time flat.
Adonis Jennings split time between Pitt (2014) and Temple (2014-2017). In every season, across all receiving categories, his statistics drastically improved. In his Senior season for the Owls, Adonis posted 742 yards on 42 catches, including 7 touchdowns. Overall, Adonis had 89 receptions for 1417 yards and 13 scores. Adonis’ was also second in FBS in deep ball completion percentage. He was not selected in the 2018 NFL Draft, and after signing a free agent contract, did not make the Packers.
Adonis joined the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football. He finished the 2019 season with 17 catches for 210 yards in 8 games (42 long). Jennings’ best game came during week 6 against Memphis- when he logged 4 catches for 51 yards.
Mark from Mark’s Signing Bonus and I have been collaborating for a while, but our partnership has moved to another level working on trying to locate AAF players. I had gotten the certified card of Adonis just a few days before Mark hit me up letting me know he had found Jennings. I very quickly got Adonis’ card out the door to him as he has a great looking card that hearkens back to the days of press photos. His autograph adorning the canvas was executed perfectly by Jennings as it adds to the excitement level that the card already has.
I’ve been working with and helping out a local UT collector named Mark recently. He and I have traded tips and helped each other out on the autograph front. A few weeks ago he sent me a package and this was inside. It was totally unexpected but very appreciated.
Carl Bradford played for Arizona State at outside linebacker/ defensive end from 2011 to 2013, racking up 154 total tackles, 21.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 4 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions. He’d be selected in the 4th round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. He really didn’t see too much action at the pro level and as a tweener the Pack couldn’t decide if they should play him inside or outside. By 2016 was on the roster of the 49ers and was cut in 2017. Over his pro career Bradford had 3 combined tackles, and 1 TFL.
Carl was signed by the Arizona Hotshots of the AAF for 2019. He finished with 11 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass deflection and a forced fumble in what looks like 4 games of action. His best game came against Atlanta when Carl posted 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
