Category Archives: Arena

Arena, CFL, NFL

Beavers, Larry Jr.

tntafl14 beaversCard: TNT AFL 2014
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 8/16    Received: 9/13     (27 days)

Larry Beavers is an outstanding talent in the Arena Football League. He attended a small Division III school, Wesley College in Delaware. There Beavers set the NCAA record for career kick return touchdows with a whopping 10.  He also demonstrated a knack for the ball, finishing second in school history with 2,366 yards.

He went undrafted in 2009 but was signed by the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately Beavers was among the final cuts that preseason by the squad. The following year Larry was signed by the New Orleans Saints, but again was cut in the offseason. In 2011, he signed with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League, but quickly decided to take his talents to the CFL, landing on the roster of the Edmonton Eskimos.  Beavers returned to the Arena leagues the following year and was an offseason addition to the Pittsburgh Power.

It was in 2013 that Larry joined the New Orleans Voodoo, and that’s where he’s made an impressive impact. He’d earn second team All-Arena Team Honors in 2014 as a kick returner cracking the 1,000 yard barrier both as a receiver and as a kick returner. Larry was assigned to the expansion Las Vegas Outlaws for 2015, but ended up rubberbanding back to the Voodoo before the season was out, scoring 2 more TDs on kick returns.  The Voodoo (and the Outlaws) were taken over by the league before the conclusion of the season.

I had gotten a few customs I had made autographed by players in the league over Twitter. Impressed with Beaver’s play in the finale against San Antonio I created this custom of him and asked him if he’d like one, to which he gleefully signed this one for me in about 2 weeks.

Arena

Sesay, Brandon

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

A rangy and strong defensive end and linebacker who played for the Texas Tech Red Raiders in college, Brandon Sesay joined the Barnstormers in 2011. As a rookie, he logged 13 tackles, 2 sacks, and a fumble recovery. In 2014, Sesay signed with the San Antonio Talons and recorded 4 sacks, 10 tackles, 4 pass blocks, and 1 forced fumble. A veritable man mountain, Sesay liked his card so much he asked me if he could get one blown up into a poster.

Unfortunately the league suspended the operations of the Talons after being unable to secure a new owner. Brandon was picked up by the Tampa Bay Storm. He’d finish with 11 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 pass blocks, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 blocked kicks.

 

Arena

Tevaga, Shannon

tntafl14 tevagaCard: Top Notch AFL Talons 2014
Acquired: IP 2014, San Antonio Talons vs. New Orleans Voodoo

After the game Shannon was seated next to Shane Boyd. When I came up to Shannon and gave him his card, Shane leaned over and told him that I knew about Boyd’s historical contribution to football. Indeed I did- and quoted that Boyd scored the first TD in UFL history for the California Redwoods, which prompted Tevaga to quip that Boyd, “had his own little piece of Jeopardy history.”  Shannon was happy to have a card to call his own and signed this one just as eagerly and quickly as the rest of the team.

Shannon started 41 games for the Bruins earning All-American honors as a Junior, and as a Senior was named a Lombardi watch list candidate. After starting 7 games in 2011, and 10 games in 2012 for the Spokane Shock, Tevaga started all 18 games for the Utah Blaze in 2013. After the Blaze disbanded, Tevaga was allocated to the San Antonio Talons, where the burly bearded Samoan has made his mark.