CARDS: Skybox 1992, Pro Set 1990, Fleer 1992, Gameday 1992, Pacific 1992 ACQUIRED: TTM 2023, C/o Home SENT: 5/30/23 RECEIVED: 8/23/23 (85 days) FAILURE: TTM 2018, C/o Home
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Michael Young played WR for UCLA from 1983-’84.
He caught 48 passes for 737 yards and 7 TDs with the Bruins.
A 6th round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1985.
Got caught in a numbers game as his playing time waned with the unretirement of Ron Brown.
Played for the Rams through ’88 catching 35 passes for 421 yards and 4 TDs.
Joined the Broncos in ’89 via Plan B and immediately paid dividends, spotting the Three Amigos.
From 1989-’91 he set career single season highs in receptions.
Caught a career high 4 TDs in 1990.
In the playoffs that year caught a 53 yard pass and a 70 yard TD against the Browns to help Denver reach Super Bowl XXIV.
Started 13 games in 1991 and caught a career high 44 passes for 629 yards (2 TDs).
Played for the Eagles in 1993 catching 14 passes for 186 yards and 2 TDs.
In 1994 dressed for two contests for the Chiefs.
After retirement, made the transition to the front office, serving for the Denver Broncos, and then the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League and then with the Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB).
Skybox 1992, #132Pacific 1992, #86
NOTES:
When I first became a Rams fan, I saw Michael streaking down the field on a few plays. I thought he was going to really be something for them in their already strong WR corps. Then he went off and signed with Denver. I was a bit butt hurt. I knew he’d be clutch when it counted for somebody.
I was miffed that I failed on him back in 2018 considering I lived pretty much right around the corner from him at one point, however I reloaded and gave him another shot a few years later. After pointing out that I was confused because sometimes color men and Wikipedia called him ‘Mike’- he let me know that he indeed goes by Michael. He sent me an NFL Alumni sticker, 2 extra autographs, a nice note, and also his Dodgers business card in his return correspondence. Worth the wait.
Malachi Jones played for 2012-’15 at WR for Appalachian State.
An UDFA of the Atlanta Falcons in 2016, he’d be cut after mini camp.
Malachi took his game to the NAL to the High Country Grizzlies in 2017.
In 10 contests, he caught 66 passes for 685 yards and 16 TDs.
After a short stint in the American Arena League’s Atlanta Havoc, he signed with the Albany Empire in 2018.
He had a solid debut, catching 77 passes for 1156 yards and 29 TDs.
After being signed and cut by the Bears, Malachi signed with the Atlanta Legends of the AAF in late 2018.
Despite the team’s QB woes, he caught 22 passes for 312 yards and 2 TDs over 8 contests.
After the league folded abruptly, Malachi resigned with the Albany Empire in 2019.
He had a spectacular return to the Arena Football League with 96 catches for 1,440 yards and 25 touchdown catches.
Malachi helped the team win the Arena Bowl XXXII after the season.
Although he was selected by the Seattle Dragons of the relaunched XFL, Jones opted to sign with the Montreal Alouettes.
In 2021, he returned to the Albany Empire, but the league quickly fell apart.
This led Malachi to play for the Carolina Cobras in 2022.
ACCOLADES:
NAL Offensive Rookie of the Year 2017
Arena Football Offensive Rookie of the Year 2018
Arena Football Wide Receiver of the Year 2018
NOTES:
I hadn’t had any luck with Malachi, when a friend of mine on Facebook who knew him, reached out and said he could get him for me.
He also collected World League stuff like I did. I helped him out on a few addresses, and he helped me. Then like that, overnight, he disabled his Facebook and I never saw him again.
Later Malachi had a good laugh when I sent him a Tweet of me in my Atlanta Legends Malachi Jones jersey sneaking in to represent the AAF during an XFL 2020 broadcast in H-Town.
He picked off 2 passes- returning one for 17 yards.
Following the World League’s reorganization, Richard decided to play for the Arena Football League.
With the Rockers, he played two seasons, with 1993 being his best season as a pro totaling 60.5 total tackles, 19 pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and a pick.
He’d also catch 8 passes for 77 yards and a TD- as back then Arena players went both ways.
It’s unknown what Carey was doing from 1994-’95, but he appeared again one last time on the radar of the Tampa Bay Storm in 1996.
He’d drop 33 tackles, and 7 pass breakups to close out his career.
NOTES:
Another deep cut here that got lost in the shuffle of the 2020 COVID push, Richard signed this card in the midst of the pandemic for me. It’s really true what they say- As you get older time tends to move faster- fly by, and unfortunately, I’ve forgotten the background behind how I got this autograph.
TAC
SAC
FUM
INT
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
N/a
0
1
1
5
5
0
5
NFL
TAC
SAC
FUM
INT
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
N/a
0
0
2
17
8.5
0
17
WL
TAC
SAC
FUM
INT
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
93
0
1
2
0
0
0
0
Arena
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
