Category Archives: Arena

Arena, NFL, WLAF

Walker, Wayne

Card: Topps 1990
Acquired: In Person 1992, San Antonio Riders v Ohio Glory
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Home

Fleet wide receiver Wayne Walker was a free agent pick up from Texas Tech by the San Diego Chargers in 1989. At only 5-8, 162, Walker was nicknamed “bug” by his teammates. He hauled in 24 receptions for 395 yards and a touchdown his rookie season. Wayne’s yards per catch were a strong 16.5 average and he’d put in some time returning punts as well.

In 1992 Wayne would resurface with the San Antonio Riders of the WLAF. He would finish #3 on the team in receptions (26) and yards (294), which was pretty decent considering the team was a ground based offense. In 1997 Wayne would sign with the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena League where he’d play for 3 seasons grabbing 84 receptions for 1307 yards and 19 touchdowns. He’d double as a backup return man as well for them during this period and then retire outside of Waco.

I’d get Wayne’s autograph after the infamous game between the Riders and Glory where a hailstorm came up and we all hid underneath the bleachers for half an hour. I recently came across a Wild Card WLAF card of him for the Riders and sent it to him in Waco hoping to get his autograph in 2010 but have not heard back from him. Following are his stats from his WLAF year with the Riders:

Games 10   Rec 26    Yds  294     Avg 11.4         Td 1      Lg 26

Arena, WLAF

O’Hara, Pat

Cards: Ultimate WLAF 1991, Wild Card WLAF 1992.
Acquired: TTM, 2010. C/o Orlando Predators
Sent:  4/28   Received: 5/28  (31 days)

Pat O’Hara was allocated to the Ohio Glory (from Tampa Bay) to back up starting quarterback Babe Laufenberg for the 1992 season but it turned into a full blown quarterback controversy between Laufenberg, Glen Frey, and Pat O’Hara for the starting job. After the season was over he was picked up by the Chargers and thenRedskins, before moving into a starting capacity in the AFL playing for the Orlando Predators from 1995-2000. From 2001-02 he played for the Toronto Phantoms, and then finally the Tampa Bay Storm from 2003-2006 before retiring. It was during his Arena career he built his playing resume winning 3 Arena Bowls in 5 tries.

The onetime backup to Rodney Peete and Todd Marinovich at USC, spent time at a variety of head coaching and coordinator jobs in the Arena league before being promoted to head coach of the Orlando Predators in 2010. Oddly enough Pat has also spent some time consulting for movies and actors to assist in authenticity of football films. I received his autographs courtesy of the Predators in about a month.

Glory   Games n/a       Att 201       Comp 116     Pct 57.7     Yds 1118
Td 3    Int 11     Rat  57.0

Arena, CFL

Jurasin, Bobby

Cards: All World 1991.
Acquired: TTM 1993, (CFL Blitz) C/o CFL headquarters.

I got a box of All-World CFL cards in 1991 from a local card dealer and decided to send out a bunch of them after the league confirmed it’s North American expansion plans when the WLAF folded in North America. Not finding the team offices, I blitzed the headquarters, who then sent it around to a variety of teams for me and included many of their own. They included many future hall of famers and Doug Flutie.

Bobby Jurasin went undrafted in the 1986 NFL draft after attending Northern Michigan University and joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a free agent that year.  Despite only starting 8 games his rookie year, he was an immediate force on the field for the Roughriders garnering the team’s rookie of the year award nomination at linebacker and defensive end. (He also played spot tight end duty.) Jurasin over the next 12 seasons would wreck havoc on opposing teams, and would be a West All Star in 1989 and 1994, CFL All Star in 1987, 1988, 1992, and 1997, winning a Grey Cup in 1989. He’d play for the Argonauts in 1998, and then the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena league where he retired due to a neck injury. At retirement he was number 3 on the CFL all time list in sacks.

Of note, Jurasin was a trend setter, wearing a rising sun bandana underneath his helmet that fans picked up on and wear to this day. Bobby was inducted into the CFL HoF in 2006 and currently is coaching at the college level.

Games  197       Tac  411        Sac  142         FF   22
Int  2         Yds  38          Avg  19.0         Td  0