Category Archives: CFL

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

CFL, WLAF

McAllister, Bobby

Card: Pro Set WLAF 1991
Acquired: In Person, 1992.  San Antonio Riders v Orlando Thunder.

Bobby McAllister is considered a hero at Michigan State from their glory days of the 1980’s, leading the team from 1987-1989. It was a team stocked with talent in Lorenzo White, Andre Rison, Willie Bouyer and the ‘Gang Green’ defense.    Bobby was not drafted after his senior season, and ended up on the Roughriders roster in 1989, playing briefly for the Argonauts later that year, finally landing on the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks roster in 1991. A scrambler by nature, he was extremely effective on the bootleg. Bobby would come off the bench that year and give the team a much needed boost playing admirably in two games, but the Skyhawks were folded after the 1991 season finishing a woeful 0-11.  McAllister would be picked up by ‘Team Dallas’, where he’d play on the league’s ‘taxi squad’. (Team Dallas functioned as a training ground for players so that they could quickly assimilate league and playbook terminology, keep players in peak shape, and quickly get out standardized game film of practices. They played no games that were tracked by the league.)   McAllister would eventually be signed by the San Antonio Riders late in the 1992 season, where he served as the number 3 quarterback behind Mike Johnson and Brad Goebel.
bobby and me

After the game against the Thunder, I caught Bobby coming out of the locker room and asked for his autograph. He was very excited because he had never seen his card before. He studied it intensely and autographed it with a big smile and offered to take a photo with me. We talked for a few minutes, and I told him if I ever got another card I’d give it to him. Unfortunately the league would fold before I could, as the Riders only played one more home game that season. After football Bobby has become a folk hero to Michigan State fans for his Rose Bowl heroics, and ardently supports the team to this day appearing in 2008 at the 20 year reunion to celebrate that fabled game. -By the way Bobby, I have that extra card for you now.

 

Games n/a      Att 195       Comp 91      Pct 46.7     Yds 1152        Td 7          Int 11           Rat 54

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Humphery, Bobby


Cards: ProSet 1989, ProSet 1990, Score 1990, Score Supplemental 1990, Fleer 1990
Acquired: In Person, San Antonio Riders v. Birmingham Fire 1992
See Also: Bobby Humphery (2)

Bobby Humphery, drafted in 1984 out of the 9th round, was a speedy athlete from New Mexico State. Initially he played wide receiver for the team, and starred on special teams as the Jets primary kick returner. In 1986 he was converted to a cornerback, where he played the rest of his career. In 1990 he was signed by the Rams for one season, and in 1992 signed on with the San Antonio Riders where he played defensive back for the team. Humphery’s statistics are misleading as he had not only played in a utility status for the teams he was on, he also defensed a lot of passes (which are not tracked), and his statistics only cover his seasons with the Jets and Rams. Bobby is one of a select few of players in the NFL that has scored a TD on offense, defense, and special teams. He made one Pro Bowl appearance over his career which would span 10 seasons with the Jets, Rams, Riders, Gold Miners, and San Antonio Texans.

Of small note, Bobby Humphery should not be confused with Bobby Humphrey who played runningback for the Denver Broncos and Miami Dolphins. (Humphery’s 1990 Fleer card is an error card with Humphrey’s picture on the back.)

After a humid night game against the Birmingham Fire, I saw Bobby in front of the locker room exhausted from the game. I frequently would pack more than one card of a player, in the hopes that they don’t mind signing multiples for my collection. Bobby would sign all five for me.

NFL
games  49      tac   N/a       sac  6        fum  10          int    5         yds  52     td 1
KR    130               yds  2974              avg   22.9                  td   2               lg  97T