Category Archives: Arena

Arena, NFL, WLAF

LaSane, Bruce ‘Toon’

ultwlaf92 lasaneCard: Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 7/20/11     Received: 12/10/15    (1604 days)

Bruce LaSane hauled in 46 receptions for 731 yards and 6 touchdowns in 3 years for the Seminoles.  After graduating from Florida State, the fleet footed LaSane signed with his homestate Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent in 1990.

The Orlando Thunder of the WLAF selected LaSane with the 3rd pick of the 7th round during the wide receiver pool of the league draft in 1991.  He fit in well with the Thunder’s Run ‘N Shoot offense, pulling in 23 receptions for 333 yards and 3 TDs in 1991. In one of the more amazing plays in league history Lasane caught a Statue of Liberty touchdown pass from Eric Mitchel -after the runningback had fumbled the ball.

Bruce joined the Arena Football League in 1992. He played for the Cincinnati Rockers posting 38 receptions for 369 yards and 3 TDs over two seasons. As players went both ways back then in Arena ball, LaSane was slotted in at linebacker and posted 23 tackles.  In 1994 he moved on to the Miami Hooters, where he’d post a career high with 58 receptions for 653 yards and 10 TDs to go along with 33 tackles and an interception. -This would earn him All Arena Honors. After the 1995 season, LaSane played for the Minnesota Fighting Pike and Milwaukee Mustangs before landing on the Orlando Predators in 1997. He’d help the team win Arena Bowl XIX alongside fellow WLAF veterans Corris Ervin and Pat O’Hara. In 2000, LaSane signed with the New Jersey Red Dogs, but was traded to the Los Angeles Avengers finally retiring after the season.

I never thought I’d get this one back. A Spokeo find, I sent to Bruce way, way back in 2011, but the current resident of my old address found me and forwarded this one my way.

ARENA  REC 190      YDS  2014          AVG  10.6         TD 33
TAC  125       SAC 1.0       FUM  6       INT 1      YDS 6      AVG 6.0      TD 0

Arena

Schonbrunner, Jeremy

tntafl14 schonbrunnerCard: TNT AFL Talons 2014
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent:  8/16    Received: 9/6   (20 days)

With time running out on the Talons franchise to find an owner and the last few weeks of the season on the horizon, I was still cranking out cards for the team even through their final hours. I kept going to the games and cheering on the team, but they finished winless at home with some games ending in heartbreak, while others the team just got completely blown out of. The Talons had been completely decimated by injury, and by being only given the green light to play only a month or two before the season, the talent pool had been drained.

When promising prospect Colton Jones went down during the early part of the season, the Talons made a trade with the Iowa Barnstormers to grab Jeremy Schonbrunner. Since joining the AFL in 2012, Jeremy had spent time on the rosters of the Soul (2012), Talons (2013), and Barnstormers (2014). He’d also prove himself in the IFL with the Lehigh Valley Teelhawks gaining valuable experience and playing time. In college at Temple, Jeremy played in 38 contests along the line, and on special teams, with 9 starts coming at Center.

As I was getting the autograph of Shane Boyd for the umpteenth time after the game, Jeremy commented on my cards and said, “If you make one of me, I’ll pay you for it!”, so I set out to make it happen.  In person, with both legs in protective knee braces, Jeremy looks like a stout machine, but there were very few photos of him in action, so I really had to work hard to find something. Unfortunately I was not able to make the final game due to illness, so I contacted him directly and sent the cards to Jeremy via the mail. He signed this card and had it back to me in no time flat. After the Talons ‘suspended’ operations following the 2014 season, Jeremy was signed by the Tampa Bay Storm.

Arena

Jackson, Marcus

tntafl14 mjacksonCard: TNT AFL 2014
Acquired: In Person, 5/3/2014 Talons vs. Barnstormers.

Marcus Jackson played collegiality for the TCU Horned Frogs, where he battled with Andy Dalton for the starting job. He signed with the San Antonio Talons as an emergency afterthought when starting quarterback Rohan Davey sustained a season ending injury. At first it appeared he’d back up Jeff Kent at quarterback, but Jackson came in during the final game of the 2013 season and sparked the team to victory over the Philadelphia Soul.

A dangerous scrambler, Jackson is deft with his legs. In 2014 he came on in occasional relief of Shane Boyd and Mitch Mustain, but unable to supplant them at quarterback or spark the team to victory he was released during the season when the team signed Matt Bassuener.  Jackson has also seen stops with the Wichita Wild, Texas Revolution, and the Wichita Falls Nighthawks of the IFL.