Category Archives: College Football HoF

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Taylor, Lawrence

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1992, SkyBox 1992
Acquired: TTM 2010, c/o home
Sent: 4/27   Received: 6/1   (34 days)

Lawrence Taylor is without a doubt the greatest football player to come from North Carolina and one of the most dominant linebackers of all time redefining the position during the 1980s and 1990s. He was drafted as the second overall pick of the 1981 draft (after George Rogers was taken by the New Orleans Saints) by the New York Giants after an All American career with the University of North Carolina. He’d would go on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors that year en route to his first multi-sack season. Lawrence was a character on and off the field, and this has led to a great deal of controversy with multiple run ins with the law. Regardless, Taylor has left a sizable footprint on the NFL landscape. He was named a 10 time Pro Bowler, and an 8 time all pro notching 7 straight 10+ sack seasons including a high 20.5 in 1986 and in 1991 he crossed the 1000 tackle mark. Taylor has hoisted awards for 1982 Defensive Player of the Year, 1986 NFL MVP and Defensive player of the year award, and multiple yearly awards from 1981-1990. He played for the Giants during their victories in Super Bowl XXI and XXV as part of the “Big Blue Wrecking Crew”. At retirement he was second on the NFL all time sack list and was named to the league’s 75th anniversary team.

Since retirement, Lawrence has continued to struggle with his inner demons, writing two books about his life and drugs, pursued a variety of interests including, acting, commercials for Weight Watchers, and most passionately golf. Nicknamed ‘LT’ he also worked as a commentator on games and also appeared as a wrestler in the WWE.  Despite his hard partying lifestyle Taylor was named to the NFL Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1999. Recently he appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” and has invested in a variety of different capital ventures.

I met LT in 1993 at the CGA Youth Golf Tournament. He was taking his golf game very seriously, and broodingly instructed myself and the other fans to: “WAIT FOR ME AT THE CLUBHOUSE AND I WILL SIGN ALL YOUR AUTOGRAPHS.” Scared out of my gourd, I complied, but never got it since he was only on hole 3 at the time. It was one of the few autographs I kicked myself for never getting. I sent for his autograph in 2010, ironically the day before his most recent run in with the law, through the NFL HoF. I was surprised that he gave me his autograph in a bit under a month.  Since this post he plead guilty to the charges and has received probation.

Games 184    Sac 142     Tac  n/a     FF 11
Int 9     Yds 134      Td 2

CFL, College Football HoF, Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL, ufl, usfl

Flutie, Doug

Cards: All World CFL 1991, Score 1989
Acquired: TTM 1992, C/o CFL

Doug Flutie is a player who has seemed to have an amazing amount of luck and heart follow him to every stop along the way in football. A heartwarming story, Flutie was considered well undersized to be a quarterback in the NFL after a storied career at Boston College where he threw a hail mary against the University of Miami in 1984 and won the Heisman Trophy that year.

Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round of the NFL draft, Flutie opted to sign on with the USFL’s New Jersey Generals. In 1986 he signed with the Chicago Bears and then was on board with the Patriots, where got the starting duty in 1988. Unable to keep the starting job he was cut in 1990 where he signed with the British Columbia Lions of the CFL in 1990. The wide open fields of the CFL allowed Flutie to flourish and polish his game. Doug was a quarterback who kept teams honest with his feet and was an avid scrambler. Flutie became the ‘Michael Jordan’ of the CFL, setting the record for yards in a season with 6619 yards, touchdowns with 48, and was named the most outstanding player of the CFL a record 6 times.  Doug won the Grey Cup MVP with the Calgary Stampeders and Toronto Argonauts (twice and back to back). Returning with a vengeance to the NFL in 1998 to the Buffalo Bills, he was named comeback player of the year and took the team to the playoffs and named to the Pro Bowl, but Doug didn’t ever win the respect of management, as he was replaced by de facto starter Rob Johnson, who had returned from a season long injury. The quarterback controversy continued well into 1999, where Doug went 4-1 and Johnson went 4-7. In 2000, Doug was unceremoniously cut by the Bills and signed with the Chargers in 2001, who were reeling from the Ryan Leaf days. He would stay on board to tutor a young Drew Brees when he was drafted in 2002 and played sparingly for the team through 2005. With gas still in the tank, Flutie signed with the New England Patriots in 2005 to back up Tom Brady and retired at the beginning of the 2006 preseason.

Flutie has a variety of age related records to his accomplishment, and was the first player to drop kick an extra point since 1941. Although Doug did not find lasting success in the NFL, he has been enshrined into the CFL HoF, the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, and the College Football Hall of Fame. He stays active playing basketball, and sponsors his own brand of breakfast cereal “Flutie Flakes” with the proceeds going to charities dealing in autism. Doug also plays drums for his family’s band, the “Flutie Brothers Band”.  Doug is an excellent commentator and also handled  color commentary for the United Football League games.

Games 136    Att 4854       Comp 2975        Pct 61.3         Yds 41355              Td  270         Int 155    Lg 106t

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Lott, Ronnie

ronnie lott

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1991
Acquired:  In Person, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1992

Ronnie Lot scared the hell out of me. A large and intimidating force, I guess he’s what we’d almost call, -a method actor for football. Ronnie Lott was an amazing defensive player for the University of Southern California under head coach John Robinson. Drafted in the first round of the 1981 draft by the 49ers, Lott started his career as a cornerback and returned 3 thefts for touchdowns in that season alone. (He would finish #2 to Lawrence Taylor for the RotY honors that year.) His flexibility and speed in the secondary allowed Lott would move to Free Safety in 1985, – a position he’d remain at for the majority of his career. A ferocious hitter, Ronnie had a nose for the ball and went over 100 tackles 3 times in his career. He was equally adept at intercepting the pass. As a rare ‘total package’ he led the league in interceptions twice in his career. With the advent of free agency in 1991 he bolted for the Silver and Black where he played an additional two seasons playing for the Jets and signing with the Chiefs before signing a 1 day contract with the 49ers to retire.

Lott was a 10 time Probowler at the time of his retirement, 8 time first team AP, 4 time Superbowl champion, part of the 80s and 90s NFL teams, and the NFL 75th anniversary team. After retirement he has been involved in NFL telecasting both in the booth and as a commentator and a private equity management. He was inducted into the Pro Football HoF in 2000.

I got Ronnie’s autograph when the Raiders visited the Cowboys training camp in 1992. Josh and me found out where the Raiders hotel was so we went and staked it out. The players once they got off the bus would go and change in their minuscule dressing room that resembled a storage barn and then go inside. It was in transition between the hotel and the dressing room that Josh and I would haul in a virtual smörgåsbord of Raider players and talent. Ronnie came out and walked towards us undeterred. I approached Ronnie and said, “Mr. Lott, can I trouble you for an autograph.”  He responded to me with his trademark furrowed angry brow football growl, “Didn’t I sign one for you already?” In response I stuttered, “N-n-no sir.” He then sort of growled at me and signed the card and kept going. Josh then revealed he had gotten one from him earlier in the week and I had taken the heat for him because apparently we looked alike.

Games 192     Tac  1113       Sac 8.5       FF 17
Int 63        Yds 730        Avg  11.6          Td  5         lg 83t