Category Archives: CFL

CFL, NFL

Smith, Kevin (RB)

Donruss Rookies & Stars 2009, #34

CARDS: Donruss Rookies & Stars 2009, Score 2009, Panini Prestige 2009, Score 2010
ACQUIRED: TTM 2020, C/o Work
SENT: 10/17 RECEIVED: 11/2 (16 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Played RB for the UCF Knights from 2004-07.
  • After redshirt season, ran for 4,679 yards over next 3 years.
  • Senior year ran for a school record 2,567 yards and 29 TDs, along with 242 yards on 24 catches.
  • His 450 carries in his Senior year shattered the previous single season college mark held by Marcus Allen, and his 2,567 yards rushing were third all-time.
  • Selected at the top of the 3rd round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.
  • Had solid debut rookie season with Detroit rushing for 976 yards and 8 rushing TDs in 12 starts- 1,200 yards from scrimmage.
  • Ran for 747 yards on 217 carries in 2009, logging a career high 41 receptions for 415 yards in 2009.
  • Tore ACL near end of season, after 13 starts.
  • Injury sidelined Smith through early 2010, but the Lions had already moved on to Jahvid Best.
  • Lions allowed Smith to test free agency in 2011, but when Best was sidelined with second concussion of season, they resigned Kevin.
  • Smith returned to form with a 140 yard, 2 TD effort, in comeback victory over the Carolina Panthers.
  • Suffered ankle injury the following week and was not retained at end of season.
  • Joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL in 2014, but was released after a few days.
  • Has climbed the college coaching ranks ever since, starting at his Alma Mater UCF in 2015.
  • Then it was Florida Atlantic in 2018, and Ole Miss, where I got his autograph in 2020.
  • As of 2023 Kevin is the RB coach at the University of Miami, FL.
Score 2009, #98
Panini Prestige 2010, #68

NOTES:

Kevin has a lot of great cards, and hit all my favorite sets from this period. His Score and Donruss cards really hit the mark for me. Kevin’s one of those players where if he didn’t see all that wear and tear on his body I think he would’ve gone on to have a fabulous NFL career- but such is the pro life.

Score 2010, #98
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CFL, NFL, XFL

Mueller, Ryan

Topps XFL 2020, #4

CARD: XFL 2020
ACQUIRED: IP 2023, XFL Championship Game

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Ryan Mueller played college ball at LB for the Kansas State Wildcats.
  • He played in 39 games, posting 116 total tackles, 16.5 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.
  • Undrafted in 2015, Mueller spent the offseason with the Chargers (’15) and Eagles (’16).
  • 2017 saw Ryan on and off the roster of the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
  • After missing out on the AAF, Ryan was selected by the New York Guardians of the XFL in late 2019 as a Phase 5 selection.
  • Recorded a pick 6 in a home victory over the Dallas Renegades.
  • Returned to the XFL in 2022, selected by the Arlington Renegades.
  • He be cut, but later resigned by the Renegades, who then traded Mueller to the Vegas Vipers for QB Luis Perez.
  • The Vipers then soon thereafter cut Mueller, who ended up resigning with the Renegades.

NOTES:

I was waiting outside near the team busses. They didn’t have them set up the same way they had previously and had them scattered about the parking lot after the Championship. I got really lucky and overheard someone refer to a player who came over as Ryan. I keyed in on him immediately and he had no problem signing my card.

He loved the XFL 2020 card, and told me that he lamented the XFL 2020s collapse due to COVID. He said that the Guardians had unfinished business and had just started to surge.

I then said that he had the best character arc of all though. He was traded to the Vipers for Perez. The Vipers cut him soon afterwards and he resigned with the Renegades. And now he’s an XFL Champion!

He then joked at me that he’s like 1/2 the XFL Championship MVP for it.

Arena, CFL, NFL, WLAF

Walker, Wayne ‘Bug’ (2)

Wild Card World League 1992, #28

CARD: Wild Card World League 1992
ACQUIRED: TTM 2021, C/o Home
SENT: 2/1 RECEIVED: 4/13 (71 days)
FAILURE: TTM C/o Home, 2010, 2017, 2018

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

Well as you see here, 4th time’s the charm with Wayne. I knew I had a pretty decent lead on him. Meiselman pegged him down in Waco, but he moved and then I tracked him down on Facebook with no response. There I discovered he was doing work for the city. I then hit up two more addresses, and one of them it just sat in his mailbox until it was returned. The third time it took 2 months to be returned as a bad address. Staying persistent is the key, and finally I was able to get Bug on this last card of his after using a white pages crawler.

So many years have passed. As I drive back on the highway from San Antonio, it is without fail I pass through San Marcos, where the Riders played in 1992. Despite all the growth, all the construction, all the change, the memories still remain.

My dad would take me to and from those games. And after each game, we’d stop at a little convenience store (Ballard’s) just a bit out of the way going north back to town.

We’d stop in late in the evening after the game, walk in and I’d grab an ice cream sandwich and a drink to tide me over. When I’d get back to the car, I’d get in- and regardless of how dark it was- I’d take the time to thumb through my booty one more time, thinking about those autographs, the game, and the players I met.