Category Archives: Pro Football HoF

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Eller, Carl ‘Moose’

Upper Deck Legends 1997, #102

Card: Upper Deck Legends 1997
Acquired: TTM 2021, C/o Home
Sent: 1/22 Received: 2/13 (22 days)
*Signing Fee Enclosed

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Defensive Tackle who played both ways while at college for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 1961-1963.

  • Selected in the first round of the 1964 Draft by the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL and the Buffalo Bills of the AFL- but opted to sign with the Vikings where he was used at Defensive End.

  • Famed member of the Minnesota Vikings front four, “The Purple People Eaters”.

  • Had a career high 15 sacks in 1969 and 1977.

  • Had a run of 7 seasons with 10 or more sacks.

  • Finished his career in Minnesota as the franchises’ all-time leader in sacks with 130.5.

  • Played one final year in 1979 for the Seattle Seahawks, adding 3 more sacks to his career total.

  • Carl played in a total of 225 games (starting 209).

ACCOLADES:

  • NFL Pro Bowl 1968-1971, 1973, 1974

  • 1st Team All-Pro 1968-1971, 1973

  • 2nd Team All-Pro 1967, 1972

  • College Football Hall of Fame 2006
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame 2004

  • Vikings 40th Anniversary Team

  • Vikings 50th Anniversary Team

  • Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor

  • NFL Defensive Player of the Year 1971

  • North Carolina Sports HoF

NOTES:

Carl after football spent time as a substance abuse counselor and has worked championing human rights for people of color.

A simply beautiful card here of Carl proving there was no shortage of short supply of great sports action photography during the 70s. Instead of dropping $20-30 dollars on a certified autographed card, I opted to send directly through him instead for a fraction of the cost.

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NFL, Pro Football HoF

Sanders, Charlie (1946-2015)

Upper Deck Legends 1997, #164

Card: Upper Deck Legends 1997
Acquired: EBay 2021

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Charlie played his college ball for Minnesota (66/67) recording 21 receptions for 276 yards and 2 TDs in his Senior Season.
  • 3rd round draft selection of the Detroit Lions who quickly established himself as the premier TE in the NFL.
  • Sanders recorded a career high 42 receptions for 656 yards and 2 TDs in 1969.
  • During dead ball era, he managed to put up between 400 and 600 yards in 9 of 10 seasons played, and 30 or more receptions in 7 of 10 seasons.
  • Sanders led team in receptions in 6 of his 10 seasons with franchise.

ACCOLADES:

  • Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame 2007
  • Lions All-Time Team 2008
  • M Club Hall of Fame 2013
  • Michigan Sports Hall of Fame 1990
  • North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame 1997
  • Guilford County Sports HoF (NC) 2005
  • NFL All-Decade Team 1970’s
  • NFL Pro Bowl 1968-1971, 1974-1976
  • NFL All-Pro 1969-1971
  • NFL All-Time Team 100th Anniversary Finalist
  • ‘Pride of the Lions’ Ring of Honor

NOTES:

After his playing days concluded, Sanders continued to be involved with the Lions organization as a color man for local broadcasts and later as a WR coach and scout. Charlie was heavily involved in charitable activities, providing college scholarships to people in need, and started his own celebrity golf tournament.

While getting his knee replaced, a malignant tumor was discovered. Sanders passed away in 2015 after battling cancer.

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NFL, Pro Football HoF

Jones, Deacon ‘Secretary of Defense’ (1938-2013)

Card: Upper Deck Legends 1997
Acquired: EBay, 2020

Deacon Jones was the player who coined the term ‘sacks’ and brought more glamour to the defensive end position than ever before. With limited college experience playing for South Carolina State in 58 and then Mississippi Vocational College in 60, Jones was an afterthought in most team’s minds during the 1961 draft. Purely found by accident, Deacon was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the 14th round.

He joined Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy to form the ‘Fearsome Foursome’ which terrorized opposing offenses. He’d go on to play the next 11 seasons for the Rams, earning 7 Pro Bowl appearances, 7 1st or 2nd team All-Pro nominations, and 2 NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors while with the Rams. Sacks at that time were not an officially recorded statistic however using archival film, Jones was credited with 22 sacks both in 1964 and 1968, and 21.5 in 1967. Over his time with the Rams- in 8 of 12 seasons he had at least 12 sacks.

In 1972, Deacon was traded to the San Diego Chargers where he played two more seasons, and a final year with the Redskins in 1973 before retiring.

Jones went into acting and philanthropy after retirement. He was also an outspoken advocate for bringing the NFL back to LA, and referred to the LA Rams and St. Louis Rams as two separate franchises. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, and was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team in 1994. His number was retired by the Rams in 2009- ironically while it was still in St. Louis.

He passed away in 2013, and the NFL in tribute to him created the Deacon Jones award, given away annually to the league leader in sacks.

Deacon Jones was a player I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d ever get, but with the way the card market currently is with the inflated prices of boxes, I’d rather just buy a certified HOFer from one of my favorite sets than buy a 2020 hobby box of scrubs. I had some extra EBay bucks left over so it made this purchase way more palatable, but I did get this at a bargain price to begin with so I was pretty happy.