Category Archives: Arena

Arena, CFL, NFL, ufl

Mathis, Jerome

Card: Playoff Contenders 2005
Acquired: 2017, C/o EBay

Jerome Mathis was a phenomenal track man while he was at Hampton.  He took it to the gridiron too, setting the NCAA record with a gaudy 26.6 career kick return average and 6 TDs. During the combine, Mathis created quite a buzz posting the second best 40 time in history at 4.26. Still he waited to hear his named called until the 4th round of the 2005 draft, because he was considered just a return man from a small school.

The Texans are a very patient team and felt they could wait for Mathis to mature as a receiver. His speed was proven and he could be used on kick and punt returns at least. Mathis took the league by storm his rookie year. He posted 54 kick returns for 1542 yards (28.6 yard average) and 2 touchdowns, including a 99 yarder.  His strong rookie campaign earned him Pro Bowl and special teams player of the year honors. During the Pro Bowl he fractured his foot, but it went undetected, forcing him to miss nearly the entire next season on IR.  He came back to the squad for 2007 but after 3 games lost his entire year to injured reserve. He still managed to post 11 returns for 320 yards and a 84 yard TD.

Mathis was in a contract year with the Texans in 2007, and as a restricted free agent in 2008 the Texans had first right of refusal or tender.  Late in 2007 he had a run in with the law- but whether or not that had anything to do with it, Houston cut him outright 9 days after being charged with a misdemeanor.  He signed with the Redskins but was cut a few months later.

In 2009 he joined the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL and was on and off their roster for the season.  He spent 2010 briefly with the UFL Hartford Colonials, before playing one final glorious year in the Arena Football League for the Pittsburgh Power. There he set a variety of Power records, retiring after the 2011 season.

NFL  17    Rec 6     Yds 80    Avg 13.3   Td 1  Lg 34t
KR   72    Yds 2154   Avg  28.5    Td 3    Lg 99t
PR  12    Yds 68    Avg 5.7   Td 0   Lg 19

Arena   Rec  30    Yds  418    Avg    Td 7   Lg 46t
Ret  31   Yds 688    Avg    Td 1   Lg 49t

Arena, NFL

Wilson, De’Runnya (1994-2020)

sage16 dwilsonCard: Sage 2016
Acquired: 2016, Hobby Box Breaker

At 6’5″, 215, De’Runnya Wilson is a big and tall receiver with soft hands and deceptive speed. He finished 5th in school history with 133 receptions, and led the team in catches, yards, and touchdowns in 2014.  A basketball star who moonlighted as a football player, Wilson is going to need to improve his consistency when he hits the pro level, but shows some flashes of NFL potential.  A popular player around campus- Wilson declared for the 2016 NFL draft as a Junior. Going unselected he was picked up in October of that year, by the Chicago Bears and added to their practice squad.

UPDATE 1/22/2020- De’Runnya Wilson was found slain in his Birmingham Apartment on 1/20/2020. He had most recently played for the Albany Empire in 2018. His death is being treated as a homicide.

Arena, NFL

Dixon, James (2)


Cards: Score 1990, ProSet 1990, Topps 1990
Acquired: TTM 2017, C/o Home
Sent: 8/21    Received: 9/12    (21 days)
See Also: James Dixon

James is notable as he helped rookie Troy Aikman break the NFL rookie passing record (at the time) with 203 yards receiving, including that 75 yard bomb.  He also set the club mark with his 1,181 kick off return yards, breaking the mark previously set by Mel Renfro back in 1964- all in his rookie season.  Still he’s fallen into relative obscurity over the years and lives comfortably in Texas.

James Dixon was quite lucky. He played on a terrible Cowboys squad, but stuck out enough to get noticed before he faded off into obscurity. It was enough that 4 major brands (Topps, ProSet, Score, and Action Packed) all put out cards of him. After returning to the hobby, I was surprised that he didn’t appear in any lists on websites or any fans were clamoring for his address, so after many years, I decided to go ahead and do some sleuthing and figure out where he was at. He did not disappoint, signing these 3 cards in under a month.