Category Archives: College Football HoF

College Football HoF, NFL

Marinaro, Ed

Card: Topps 1976
Acquired: In person, CGA Youth Golf Tournament 1993

Dick Anderson, Ed Marinaro, and Steve Spurrier (now that’s a group) were making the early rounds on the links at Barton Creek Country Club that morning when I found them. I was not really familiar with Ed as an actor, rather his playing career at Cornell and being a runner up to Pat Sullivan in 1971 as a Heisman Trophy candidate. A workhorse at the college level Ed still holds the NCAA records for most rushes per game in a season at an astonishing 39.6, and for a career at 34.  Drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Vikings as a fullback, he’d play the majority of his career for the Vikings from 1972-1975 and then one season a piece for the Jets (1976) and Seahawks (1977) before retiring. During Ed’s career he’d appear in Superbowl’s VIII and IX for the Vikings, and was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 1991.

Since retiring Marinaro has gone into acting, playing in a variety of television roles including  “Laverne & Shirley” as Sonny St. Jacques, “Hill Street Blues” as Joe Coffey, and Mitch Margolis in “Sisters”. He also has been in quite a few movies as well, but most recently in 2010 was cast in the TV series “Blue Mountain State” as Coach Daniels on Spike TV seen in this clip below.

http://www.spike.com/video/coachs-corner-week-3/3469445

Games 58     Att 383   Yds  1319     Avg 3.4     Td 6     Lg 27
Rec 146    Yds 1176     Avg 8.1     Td 7      Lg 35

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF, usfl

White, Reggie ‘Minister of Defense’ (1961-2004)

Cards: Action Packed 1991, Action Packed 1992.
Acquired: TTM c/o The Green Bay Packers, 1994.

Reggie White is arguably one of the greatest defensive ends, and one of the best players to be imported to the NFL after the failure of the fledgling USFL.

After setting multiple records at Tennessee, White was drafted by the Memphis Showboats of the USFL in 1984. Playing in two seasons for the league he’d rack up almost 25 sacks and 200 tackles, before being signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, who held his draft rights. White grabbed defensive rookie of the year in 1985. As a cornerstone to the Eagles, Reggie sacked quarterbacks a mind-numbing 124 times with the Eagles, averaging more than a sack a game from his left defensive end position. In 1987 alone he’d rack up 21 sacks.  White was nicknamed ‘The Minister of Defense’ by his teammates, because of his ability to disrupt team’s offenses, and the fact that he was an ordained minister since the age of 17.

White was an important high profile name in a landmark lawsuit against the NFL, that would eventually allow for what is now known in the league as free agency. This allowed for a general rise in salaries and also inadvertently contributed to the concept of a salary cap.  In 1993, Reggie would become the first big name to switch teams from the Eagles to the Packers creating an immense amount of buzz. With Reggie also switching to the Pack this also shattered the notion that small market cities would not be able to compete with larger cities for marquee talent. The Packers played in two Super Bowls during his tenure there, and he notched 3 sacks in Super Bowl XXXI which still stands as a record today. Reggie retired briefly in 1998 but came back to play one final season in 2000 for the Carolina Panthers.

White’s career numbers and accolades are astounding: 198 sacks (2nd all time) , 1st team AP 10 times, All Decade Team of the 80’s and 90’s, and the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team.  He’d only have 3 seasons during his 15 year career where he’d have under 10 sacks, and finished with over 1000 tackles. Tragically Reggie White would pass away December 26th, 2004 of a cardiac arrhythmia in his sleep at the age of 43. Posthumously he was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2006 and his jersey was retired by the Packers, Eagles, and Volunteers.

It is said that near the end of his life, Reggie strayed away from Christianity and towards more Judaic religious beliefs, but this is not so. White was extremely interested and respectful of religious ideals, and remained a devout Christian, (and an outspoken, controversial one at that) to the day of his passing. He’d also lend a helping hand to many churches during the spate of Southern Black church burnings during the 1990s.

I seem to remember being surprised to get this autograph back from the Packers -and in under a month or two to boot. I like it when players inscribe the cards with a bible verse. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the most religious person, but it tells me a bit about their personality and who they are. Reggie signed his cards with Matt 3:3-16. Now This isn’t 3:3,16. It’s 3:3 through 16. That’s a hefty amount of scripture so I’ll just leave it at 3:3

“For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”

Games 232         Tac 1048       Sac  198       FF 33
Int  3     Yds 79       Avg  29.3      Td  0

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF, University of Texas

McMichael, Steve ‘Mongo’ (1957-2025)

CARDS: Action Packed 1990, Skybox 1992, Gameday 1991, University of Texas Upper Deck 2011
ACQUIRED: IP 1993, CGA Youth Golf Tournament. TTM 2012, C/o Home
SENT: 6/24/12 RECEIVED: 7/14/12 (20 Days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Steve McMichael played DL at the University of Texas from 1976-’79.
  • He set the college’s career records for most tackles (369) and sacks (30) and was named the Hula Bowl MVP in 1979.
  • Selected in the third round of the 1980 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
  • Had a quiet rookie season, recording only 5 tackles.
  • Released and signed with the Bears in 1981 and quickly became a mainstay at DT/NT.
  • He’d provide solid work in the trenches as a technically sound run stopper and pass rusher over 13 seasons.
  • McMichael also notched over 10 sacks 3 times in his career along the way.
  • Started a team record 191 consecutive games.
  • Key contributor to the Bears solid efforts to win Super Bowl XX in 1985, ironically against his ex team- the Patriots.
  • McMichael played a final season across the lake in Green Bay before retiring in 1994.
  • Had 3 career safeties.
  • After football, pursued a career in Pro Wrestling, adopting the name “Mongo” and coming in under the WCW banner.
  • Mongo would have a much publicized wrestling career and even took on other former pro football players such as Kevin Greene and Reggie White.
  • Wrestled under different banners and groups through 1999.
  • Returned to the sport briefly again in 2008 as a referee in TNA Wrestling.
  • Since that time, Steve spent time doing pre-game commentary for Bears games.
  • Coached the Chicago Slaughter of the CIFL from 2007-’13.
  • Went 14-0 in 2009 as the Slaughter won the CIFL Championship.
  • Finished with a 58-34 record.
  • Steve’s health began to decline, and in 2021, he announced he was fighting ALS- a CTE complication suspected from his physical career playing football.

ACCOLADES:

  • College Football Hall of Fame
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame
  • WCW Heavyweight Champion 1997

NOTES:

I initially got Steve’s autograph when he was riding around with Earnest Byner during the CGA Youth Golf Tournament in 1993. Steve and Ray Childress were my favorite defensive linemen when I was a kid, so to meet both of them during my younger years was quite a treat to me. I had already gotten back around to Ray, and had been looking for a good excuse to write Steve again, so when the University of Texas Upper Deck 2011 set came out, I thought I had the best justification to do so, and put 3 cards in the mail.

Well, I’m guessing Steve didn’t have his UT Upper Deck All American card or his All Time Alumni card as he kept those. Still the fact that he signed his base set card, was what I really wanted most, so to just get only one back from him was fine by me.

Mike Ditka called McMichael the toughest player he ever coached.  Now let me stress that again… Mike Ditka called him that.

My strange connection to Mongo is that while I was working at a used video game store back in ’97, his ex-wife’s best friend was my boss. I eavesdropped on one too many conversations back then.

Steve appears in both Tecmo Bowl and Tecmo Super Bowl on the NES.

EPITAPH:

4/23/25- Shortly after arriving at hospice in Joliet, IL, Steve passed away at the age of 67 from ALS.

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