Category Archives: Heisman Trophy Winner

College Football HoF, Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL

Rogers, George

Cards: Upper Deck Legends 1997, Panini Contenders 2018
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o The George Rogers Foundation*
Sent: 10/20    Received: 11/9       (20 days)
* Donation Enclosed 

George Rogers played runningback for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 1977 to 1980. He really helped put South Carolina’s football team on the map by winning the Heisman Trophy in 1980, when George rushed 297 times for 1781 yards and 14 TDs. He finished his college career pretty much owning all the Gamecock career rushing marks with 927 carries for 5091 yards and 31 TDs, along with 43 receptions for 389 yards and 2 TDs. 

The moribund New Orleans Saints finally caught a break, and with George selected #1 overall by the team, he’d help transform the team from a perennial cellar dweller and give New Orleans an identity. George came out of the gates running. He’d be named rookie of the year in 1981 after he led the league in carries (378), yards (1674) and average yards per game (104.6). He’d also haul in a career high 16 receptions for 126 yards and score 13 total touchdowns. George played for the Saints over the next 3 seasons before being traded in a blockbuster trade to Washington in exchange for their first round pick. 

The second stanza of Rogers’ career began in Washington, as George replaced an aging John Riggins in the backfield for head coach Joe Gibbs. George posted 2 more 1000+ yard seasons in 1985 and 1986, leading the NFL in TDs with 18 in the latter. He’d win a Super Bowl Title in 1987, but shortly after the season announce his retirement at the age of 29- due in part to nagging injuries.

You see, Rogers was a big back and he absorbed a lot of hits over his career.  Concussions and lingering knee injuries did their part to cut it short. Looking back at how aggressively the Redskins loved to run the ball, one wonders where George would’ve stood in the NFL record books if he hadn’t retired so soon. Hypothetically, if we just go with George’s Redskins average of 71 yards per game and multiply that out over the course of a 16 game schedule- that’s 1136 yards. 3 more years like that and he’d have been a member of the 10k club and a probable member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Regardless Rogers has enjoyed receiving accolades since retirement, being named to the College Football Hall of Fame, having his number retired by his Alma Mater, and various other tributes from South Carolina and the Saints.

I had been thinking about getting him on a few cards since he sort of flies under the radar now and these two really fit the bill nicely. I think the way George played in his career, he is well regarded as a member of both the Saints and the Redskins and this Upper Deck 1997 really does it up right. Although he got some fingerprint stains on my Contenders card, I really like the photo and framing of this set. Panini Contenders seems to do it right for me design wise, since most sets since 2010 really do not intrigue me as much as they used to.

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Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL

Griffin, Robert ‘RGIII’

Cards: Upper Deck College Football Heroes 1991
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o The Baltimore Ravens
Sent:  4/19  Received: 10/19  (183  days)

I remembered two years ago when RGIII took a pitstop in Cleveland. I noted that he signed a few cards TTM for fans via the team facilities. I missed out on getting his autograph earlier in 2018 when he opened a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Waco-  and that one I was kicking myself over.  Spoodog gave me this giant box of cards, and in it was a set of College Football Heroes Robert Griffin cards. Since these beauties really stood out, I said, “Why not?” I decided to shoot out this beautiful card of his to Baltimore and give it a shot.

A few days before I got this back I started seeing some activity/ returns from him and was cautiously optimistic, so when I opened this letter and got this beautiful autograph, I was quite happy. This is a great looking card accented by a perfectly placed autograph.

Robert Griffin is the gem in the crown of the Baylor Bears sports program. He had a storied career playing in Waco, really putting the forgotten about sports program back on the map from 2008-2011. Under the tutelage of Art Briles, he matured as a passer, while displaying incredible speed slashing up defenses -and pulling rabbits out of his hat while in the pocket. Shattering many long held single, season, and career records for the school, it was his 2011 season that earned him the Heisman Trophy for his efforts. RGIII finished with 4293 yards, on 402/291 (72.4%), with 37 TDs to just 6 interceptions. He also rushed the ball 161 times for 699 yards and 10 TDs. 

Pushing himself into the conversation as the #1 overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, Griffin was selected by the Washington Redskins (who traded away a king’s ransom to select him) at the #2 overall spot. Robert had an overall solid rookie season, leading the Redskins to the playoffs. He’d throw for 3200 yards flat with 20 TDs to 5 interceptions, but it’d be on the ground he’d carve up and frustrate opposing offenses. RGIII finished with a rookie QB record 815 yards on 120 carries- going in for 7 TDs including an improbable 76 yard long. His 815 yards, 76 yard long, and 7 TDs would all be rookie QB records. RGIII also led the NFL with a 6.8 yards per carry average. Robert won the Rookie of the Year Honors and was named to the Pro Bowl.

It’d be during the playoffs that he’d push himself a bit too much. Trying to heroically play through a  knee injury against the Seahawks Griffin ended up tearing both his LCL and ACL. He was able to recover in time for the 2013 season but experienced Sophomore jitters. Then he got caught in a QB controversy with Kirk Cousins in 2014 and by 2016, Griffin, was unceremoniously cut.

Snatched up by the Browns, it was expected he’d rejuvenate his career there with Cleveland, but with little tools to work with RGIII struggled in his lone season there. He’d win one game as starter, while posting a line of 87 completions (59.2%) for 886 yards, 2 TDs and 3 interceptions. Robert also rushed 31 times for 190 yards and 2 TDs. Again cut after the season, RGIII was eventually signed by the Baltimore Ravens after a long free agency period. By then RGIII was being treated as an afterthought.

But in the feel good NFL story of the 2018 year, Griffin forced his way into the conversation in Baltimore. After the franchise selected Lamar Thomas- the heir apparent to Joe Flacco, it was thought that the Ravens- a franchise notorious for carrying only 2 QBs would not keep RGIII. Griffin had a spectacular preseason and made the final roster for 2019. 

Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL

Dayne, Ron ‘Great Dayne’

Card: Upper Deck College Legends 2011
Acquired: 2018, C/o 33dayne.com*
* Fee required

Ron Dayne ran into the college record books with 7,125 career yards rushing for Wisconsin over a 4 year period from 1996 to 1999. In both 1996 and 1999 he cracked the 2,000 yard plateau for the Badgers. During his senior season Ron ran 337 times for 2,034 yards and 20 TDs, culminating in him winning the Heisman Trophy and wresting the rushing record from Ricky Williams. Ron was selected in the 1st round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

With Gary Brown on the way out in New York, the Giants were looking to shore up their woeful backfield which had a woeful combined 1408 yards rushing. Ron was a good fit for the team. With the emergence of Tiki Barber at runningback at a hair above 1,000 yards, Ron took on more of a fullback/ short yardage/ bam back role for the Giants. He’d start 4 games and rush for 770 yards on 228 carries and 5 TDs as NY made it to the Super Bowl. Fans dubbed Ron ‘Thunder’ and Barber ‘Lightning’ based on their 1 2 punch in the backfield- however this was the high point in his early career. 

Ron really never found his footing in New York as a starting back. During 2001 he’d start 7 games, and there was always the concern about his yards per carry which hung consistently around 3.4 yards per carry. Injuries were also an issue, as it seemed unfairly that the idea of running players into the ground before they made it to the pros became popularized after Dayne was drafted. His stats dropped every season in New York until he was released after the 2004 season. 

Ron signed with the Denver Broncos in 2005, eager for a fresh start, but after a dubious start, he finished with only 270 yards and a TD in 10 games. On the bright side, he had a career high 5.1 yards per carry- but it’d be his only season playing for the Broncos as he’d be unceremoniously cut in camp.

Ron was snapped up by the Texans looking for veteran help at the runningback position to pair alongside Vernand Morency and rookie Wali Lundy after Domanick Davis was shelved on IR. Ron had previously played under offensive coordinator (now coach of the Texans) Gary Kubiak in Denver so this made a good fit. In 11 games (6 starts) Ron would have a renaissance of sorts with the Texans, rumbling for 612 yards and 5 TDs (4.1 YPC). He’d return in 2007 to Houston, and start a career high 8 games filling in for Ahman Green, rushing 194 times for a career high 773 yards and 6 TDs (4.0 YPC), and helping the young franchise reach an 8-8 record.  

Dayne lives in Wisconsin. I got his autograph through his website via jumping through hoops and paying a fee. I had always wanted to get his autograph for a variety of reasons, (Heisman Winner, College All-Time Cumulative Leading Rusher, he played for the Texans) and this great card. I couldn’t get a scan to do the bottom portion justice but based on the photo area alone, it’s a nice piece. 

On a side note, I was told by a Texans player that Dayne loved to play cards on plane flights (and was an easy mark).

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