Category Archives: NFL

NFL

Jennings, Greg

Card: Absolute Memorabilia 2011
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o The Green Bay Packers
Sent: 12/22/11   Received: 1/17/12    (26 days)

Very quietly since being taken in 2006, Greg Jennings has established himself as the best receiver and arguably the best offensive player in that draft. Greg’s college career was solid and his statistics showed it, with 3 seasons tallying over 1,000 yards receiving playing for the Western Michigan University Broncos squad. The Packers would nab him with the 52nd pick of the second round, of a draft that included names such as: Mario Williams, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Santonio Holmes, Jay Cutler, and Vernon Davis.
With his rookie season out of the way, starting in 11 games, Jennings caught 45 balls for 632 yards and 3 TDs, from gunslinger Brett Favre. In 2007, Jennings tallied an even stronger Sophomore campaign, lodging 920 yards on 53 receptions. Even more impressive was his redzone number of 12 touchdown catches.
As Favre left Green Bay for greener pastures with the Jets in 2008, Greg would establish immediate rapport with quarterback Aaron Rodgers and not miss a beat, hauling in a career high 80 catches, for 1292 yards and 9 touchdowns that season. In 2009, Greg had another 1000+ yard season, before his  2010 watershed season  with 76 receptions, 1265 yards and another 12 tds. While 2011 proved to be a slightly off season with the emergence of Jordy Nelson, Jennings still managed to help take his team to the playoffs with a 15-1 record.

Among his accomplishments are being named to the rookie AP team in 2006, the ProBowl for 2010 and 2011, and winning SuperBowl XLV in 2010 making 2 td grabs in the contest. At 5′ 11″, 198, Jennings has velcro like hands and has developed into one of the most dangerous and complete receivers to emerge over the last 5 seasons. He’d also be a member my fantasy football team, the Pasadena Riders, (that had a good component of receivers from the NFC North) as my team qualified for the playoffs in 2010.

I typically do not send for very many current players, but make some exceptions- Jennings among them. “Do not wait until the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking,”* is the strategy I use for some players, as I’d rather get their autograph while they are signing now, than wait until they are no longer doing so, or are receiving too much fan mail to consider doing so. At this time Jennings is assaulting the Packers’ record books and will easily pass by Sterling Sharpe in the near future on the team career receiving carts.

I must say though, I really liked Absolute’s approach in 2011. Wonderful tint job, and nice gold lining to the simple design, however I am not keen on the fade, which seems all the rage with the card designers at the moment. The back of the card is standard enough, but there’s the boring strategy of repeating the photo again from the front, however I do like the more personal bio lines. Overall Panini’s 2011 Absolute Memorabilia is a strong card that absorbs autographs well.

*-W.B. Yeats

NFL, WLAF

Cadore, Mike “Jet”

Cards: Proset WLAF 1991, ProSet WLAF 1991 HC
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o home
Sent: 1/10    Received: 2/5  (27 days)

Mike Cadore was a fleet footed wide receiver/ returner from the University of Eastern Kentucky, who’d be drafted in the 12th round of the super deep 1989 draft by the New Orleans Saints. At Eastern Kentucky Cadore would set university marks surpassing the 1,000 yard mark in kick off returns, and his average was a gaudy 30 yards per pop, earning Mike Division I-AA honors. Playing behind Eric Martin, Lonzell Hill, Brett Perriman, and Floyd Turner, didn’t provide Cadore many reps, in the NO receiving corps, and at 5-8, 169, Mike was one of the smallest receivers in the league. He would not make the squad due to injury.

In 1991 the Montreal Machine of the WLAF drafted Cadore in the 2nd round of the WLAF draft. Breathtakingly fast, he’d claim the team’s primary return duties, returning 14 kickoffs for 327 yards and make 7 receptions for 89 yards. During the team’s premiere against the Birmingham Fire on USA Network in 1991, Jet returned a kickoff 56 yards to help key the Machine’s 23-10 victory. His 23.7 YPR on kickoffs ranked second in the WLAF. He would not return to the Machine for the 1992 season.

After football Michael was blessed to land on his feet. Utlizing his degree in Criminal Sciences from Eastern Kentucky, he completed his Masters in Management and Leadership from Webster University. He’s been a pillar of the Brevard County community, working in Law Enforcement, in a variety of areas from corrections, probation, patrol and media relations, to youth mentoring and crime prevention.  Mike has raised a wonderful family with 3 children and a great wife. He also enjoys coaching little league football and mentoring young children. He and his wife are the founders of Magnus Solutions- A company that provides quality solutions to needs such as: Keynote speaking, policy management review, security services, and leadership/mentoring assistance.

Mike lives his life by the motto: “If you don’t serve your community now don’t expect to serve your community later”.  Many of the young adults who have participated in his”GOT SKILLZ” football clinic have ironically gone on to play for Jacksonville University, where former WLAF alum Kerwin Bell is now head coach at.

With such a unique name, Mike proved to be an easy player to locate for me utilizing Google. Digging only a page or two down in searching, I was able to email him where he graciously offered to sign a few cards for me. A member of the Montreal Machine- (one of the 3 international clubs I’ve had difficulty contacting members of,) I was glad to add Mike’s autograph to the hall, especially on this really nice player card of his. Recently he sent me a kind and touching note thanking me for the site and the good job I am doing. – It is the little things like Mike’s note that make my week. You may visit his company at: www.magnussolutions.com.

WLAF  KR  14   Yds 327   Avg 23.7 Td 0  Lg 56
Rec 7    Yds  89   Avg 12.7   Td 0   Lg 24

Update: In 2014, Mike was inducted into the Florida Space Coast Hall of Fame.

NFL

Anderson, Alfred


Cards: Topps 1992, ProSet 1989, ProSet 1990, Score 1991, Fleer 1991
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent: 1/25   Received: 1/30 (5 days)

I have over the past few years seen a few hits for fullback Alfred Anderson. As a Texan and a Baylor grad, he certainly earns my respect. Baylor up until the time of RGIII, had been a long suffering football program since the days of the SWC- but there was a  golden era, when guys like Mike Singeltary, Cody Carlson, Gerald McNeil, Walter Abercrombie, Ray Crockett, and big bam fullback Alfred Anderson roamed the land causing mass destruction for the Baylor Bears. A Waco, Texas resident, and the #1 ranked high school RB prospect in Texas, it seemed a no brainer for the local product to go to Baylor, where he helped the Bears make a Bluebonnet Bowl appearance in 1983. In his senior season Anderson rushed for 1046 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The Minnesota Vikings made him their 3rd round pick in the 1984 draft. Alfred after the season would be named to multiple All-Rookie teams, leading the NFL among rookies with 773 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns. He also notably completed 3 of 7 passes that season for 2 touchdowns. Alfred was utilized at fullback over the majority of his career, and blocked for players like Darrin Nelson and Herschel Walker, helping pave the way for 1,000 yard seasons. As a short yardage back, Anderson also had an ideal nose for the end zone, scoring 27 touchdowns over his 7 season NFL career on only 740 touches. He’d play for the Vikings through 1991 and retire.

Anderson was inducted into the Baylor athletic Hall of Fame in 1998 and remains a fan favorite of Baylor fans everywhere. His son, Tony, also played for Baylor as well. I met Alfred through Sotl.com, as I love talking to members of the NFL from ‘that era’ of football from my childhood. He and I began chatting back and forth about Baylor, and as I tend to lean Longhorns on everything, (and on the advice of Josh,) I took the Horns over Baylor in 2011 in football. Thankfully there was no money on the line, as Texas came out flat and got destroyed by RGIII. Anderson was a good sport however, and I was glad that in the end RGIII won the Heisman. As of late also the Bears from those glory days of Anderson, have finally gotten some press, and had a reunion this last season during one of the Bears home games.

I had a lot of Alfred’s cards when I was a kid. It used to be every other pack I’d find a common of his ProSet 1989 card. It’s a great card really, and that and his Score 1991 are probably his most solid. On the other hand, we have the Fleer 1991 entry, which stands in my mind as some of the most poorly designed cards in history. I was a fan of Fleer after their 1990 rebirth, but their 1991 entry certainly was an: “Are you kidding me?”, type effort. It’s a shame because this is a really good action shot. I never bought a pack of Fleer again after that.

I sent off for Alfred near the end of January and was really surprised to get  5 cards signed in a break neck 5 days.  I also gave him a stack of extras to keep as well.


Below are Anderson’s NFL statistics and a video of him rumbling through BYU in 1983:

G/Gs   108/70    Rush 626   Yds 2374    Avg 3.8    Td  22   Lg 29   |    Rec 114    Yds 1042    Avg 9.5   Td  5   Lg  54

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3CGKHB0O1Y