Category Archives: College Football HoF

College Football HoF, NFL

Novacek, Jay

Cards: Proset 1989, Proset 1991 Receiving Leader TE.
Acquired: In Person, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1990, 1992.
See Also: Jay Novacek (2)

Jay Novacek was one of Jimmy Johnson‘s first free agent signees of the 1990 season and one of the first autographs I got at Dallas Cowboys training camp at St. Edwards in Austin, Tx. Novacek played in near anonymity for the St. Louis/ Phoenix Cardinals but was left unprotected in free agency. Jay took over the starting tight end position providing an immediate upgrade and held down the starting position for 6 seasons and received 5  Pro Bowl nods from 1991 to 1995. Novacek played in Super Bowl XXX (1996), but never played another down and retired in 1997 due to a lingering back injury.

After football Novacek has dabbled in a variety fields since retirements, investing in a chain of haircut salons (Sportsclips), youth football programs, and is an avid outdoorsman and hunter. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.

G 158         Rec  422        Yds  4630        Avg  11.0        Td  30       Lg  49

College Football HoF, NFL, usfl, wfl

Pardee, Jack (1936-2013)

Cards: Proline Portraits 1992, Pro Set 1990, Pro Set 1991, Topps 1970.
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o home.
Sent: 3/26    Received:  4/1    (6 days)

I went through Fanmail.biz to locate Jack’s address, putting a request up on the message board. One of the admins was kind enough to respond with his address. I wrote to Jack that night to discuss the book “Oiler Blues” and he responded in a record 6 days to my request.

Jack Pardee took over as coach of the Oilers from Jerry Glanville, and the difference in personality was night and day. While Glanville was firey and emotional, Jack, was much on par with the personality of Tom Landry. Subdued was basically an understatement of Pardee’s restraint. Jack would bring with him from the University of Houston (and the USFL,) the Run ‘N Shoot offense that the Oilers would employ full time.  Jack would pull the Oilers over the hump, as he would become the only coach in the history of the Houston franchise to take the AFC Central title, which he would take in 91 and again in 93.  The 1993 team would also grab the best record in the league at 12-4. Despite going forward, the Oilers always seemed to freeze in the playoffs, being victims of the infamous ‘Comeback’ game, and also Montana’s last playoff run. Pardee was infamously ordered by owner Bud Adams to wear a headset on the sidelines, mitigate the circus that was Buddy Ryan and the furor that ensued when the team fined David Williams for ‘Babygate’. These dramatic elements would be the end of the ‘golden age’ for me in football. In 1994 the team collapsed without Warren Moon at the helm, and after going 1-9 Jack Pardee resigned. His young defensive coordinator Jeff Fisher took over from there and within a few months owner Bud Adams was whining about a new stadium.

One of the infamous ‘Junction Boys’, Jack in addition to coaching days also played in the NFL from 1957-1973 as a linebacker conquering melanoma along the way.  He then jumped ship to head coaching for the Blazers and Fire of the WFL, and then onto the NFL as the coach of the Bears and Redskins, and as a defensive coordinator for the Chargers. Coaching continued to be in his blood as he then coached in the USFL for the Gamblers, and then over to the Cougars with a record setting offense, before coming to the Oilers in 1990. In 1995 he coached in the CFL and then entered a period of semi retirement where he runs his ranch in Gause, Tx outside of Houston.

In 2010, a wonderful article was written about him from CNNSI where it was revealed that he would jump at the opportunity to coach again even at the age of 73.

G 196  tac n/a    sac  n/a     Fum 17    Int  22    yards 305  Td  5  Lng 46
Wins   87   Losses 77   Pct .530

UPDATE- On April 1st, 2013, Jack Pardee passed away at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer.

AFL, College Football HoF, NFL

Anderson, Dick

Cards: Topps 1969, Photo memorabilia.
Acquired: CGA Youth Golf Tournament 1993, TTM 1993.

In 1993 I found out that there was a golf tournament that was at Barton Creek Country Club where a good percentage of the proceeds went to charity. It was an amazing who’s who of players from all major sports and a veritable windfall of autographs dropped into my hands over 3 days. I was so excited I did 17x 24″ drawings of each football player I knew of. On the first day I got there before 8 AM so I could get the early birds. I ran into Dick near the first green with a few other retired players. He was a beaming, friendly gentleman and signed my card. I then handed him the drawing I did and he was genuinely touched. Dick and I talked for a bit more and he noticed that I put my address down at the bottom.  He then mentioned something about a few old books he had that he didn’t need that I might want and wished me the best of luck.  A few months later I received in the mail a thank you letter from him and a copy of “But We Were 17-0” with Larry Little and his autograph inside.

Dick Anderson played his entire career for the Miami Dolphins and was one of the major foundations to the Dolphins championship runs of the 1970s.  The AFL defensive rookie of the year in 1968, Anderson was named to the Pro Bowl and All Pro in 1972 and 1973, was named NFL Defensive Player of the year in ’73 and the NFL All 1970’s team.  After football Anderson became a successful Florida State Senator, is an active Dolphin Alumni, and was inducted into the Miami Dolphin’s Honor Roll. To this day he has not been inducted into the Pro Football HOF, which could be attributed to the number of 1970’s Dolphins already enshrined, but regardless with considerations being made now for lesser defensive backs, it makes sense the writers could see fit to induct Anderson through the Senior committee.

G   121       Tac   N/a       Sac   N/a        Int  34       Yds  792           Td  4