Category Archives: CFL

CFL

Fugate, Garrett

Card: Sage 2017
Acquired: 2017, Box Breaker

Garrett Fugate was a deep sleeper going into the 2017 NFL Draft out of tiny Central Missouri. In his final year playing for the Mules, Garrett threw for 3,657 yards, 31 touchdowns, and nine picks.  A dual threat, he also rushed for 457 yards and 8 TDs on the year. He performed well at the school’s pro day, and scouts came away impressed by his ability to spin the ball. Ultimately however he was undone by the small school stigma and a previous ACL injury which he had fully recovered from, and went undrafted in 2017.  At last count, at least 7 NFL teams showed interest in Fugate, but he was not signed. After going the whole 2017 season without football, Garrett found a home, signing a 2 year contract in early 2018 with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL.

Good looking card here of Garrett as Sage attempts to shy away from the sideline sans pads images. Overall it is a pretty decent looking set, but Sage seems to be digging deeper down the list of available player names which is troubling when you look back at your autographs 2 to 3 years later and they are all free agents.

CFL, NFL

Daniels, DaVaris

Card: Sage 2015
Acquired: 2016, Gunderson Trade

DaVaris Daniels had a mixed college career at Notre Dame due to academic issues. While never fully realizing his potential as a receiver for the Fightin’ Irish, he had brief moments of highlight worthy film. His best year came in 2013 when he had 49 receptions for 745 yards and 7 TDs. He declared for the 2015 NFL draft but went unselected.

Daniels signed with the Minnesota Vikings after the draft and then later briefly spent time on the roster of the Patriots. Eventually he found his way North to the CFL Calgary Stampeders in 2016. He earned the league’s honor for the Most Outstanding Rookie catching 51 passes for 885 yards and 9 TDs.

CFL, NFL

Smith, Tony (RB)

 Cards: GameDay 1992, Action Packed Rookies 1992, Classic 1992
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent: 4/10      Received:  4/28  (18 days)

A speedy and dangerous all-purpose man while at Southern Mississippi, Tony Smith got to play alongside the likes of Brett Favre and Michael Jackson on offense. Over his career at the school he set school records, returning 2 kickoffs and 2 punts for touchdowns. In 1991 he ran for over 1,000 yards, (5.1 yards per carry) despite wearing a cast on his hand for half the season. Tony culminated his college career when he was named the Senior Bowl MVP after rushing for 72 yards on 12 carries.

The Falcons were in their 3rd year of the Glanville era. They traded away Brett Favre to the Packers, and cut future CFL career leading rusher Mike Pringle. The Falcons had an age purge at RB and the previous season they had failed to have any runningback reach 500 yards rushing. Steve Broussard and Erric Pegram would be the top backs out in the Red Gun offense. The team felt it still had a lot of needs, so Glanville was pretty unhappy when the team selected Tony Smith with the 1st round pick that they had gotten from the Brett Favre trade. You see Glanville didn’t have power over the draft and really thought the team should select a defensive back. (To put salt in the wound, Dale Carter, Darryl Williams, Ashley Ambrose, Darren Woodson, and Steve Israel all came off the board after this selection and had solid defensive back careers.) Much to Tony’s credit though- he was the highest rated tailback in the draft.

Smith was slow to get into camp- and was considered a holdout. He’d be the last first round pick to sign from the 1992 draft.  He was also the wrong style of back. Glanville liked smashmouth in-your-face backs, but Tony was a studder-step and make them miss back. He got out there his rookie season and started 6 games posting 87 carries for 329 yards and 2 TDs, but oddly enough, he’d never start another game again for the Falcons in the next two seasons.

Fans clamored to see more of Tony, and I am sure Tony was ready to show them what he had, so he put some time in on special teams where he demonstrated his capability as a dangerous return man. He finished 1993 with 38 kick returns for 948 yards and a 97 yard touchdown. Smith also returned punts- putting up a respectable 32 returns for 255 yards and a 51 yard long.  He saw even less activity in 1994- putting up only 408 total yards from scrimmage. Tony just couldn’t get out of Jerry Glanville’s doghouse.

It looked like a new start for Tony in 1995. The Falcons left him exposed in Free Agency and the expansion Carolina Panthers were providing him a new chance. While Tony had an impressive preseason, he suffered a gruesome injury against the Bears breaking both his tibia and fibia bones. He spent the entire ’95 season on IR. After rehabbing and spending a year away from football, Tony attempted a comeback with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 1998. He returned to the NFL in 1999 with the Philadelphia Eagles- but tore his hamstring in camp ending his career.

It is a shame that Tony’s career ended the way it did, but at least he is at peace with it. He had some great cards over that short run, with these 3 representing some of my favorites.

G/GS 33/6   RUSH 87      YDS 329        AVG 3.8      TD 2           LG 32
REC 2      YDS  14              AVG 7.0               TD 0          LG 8
KR 61      YDS 1453         AVG 23.8            TD 1          LG 97T
PR 56      YDS 485            AVG 8.7                TD 0         LG 51