Category Archives: NFL

NFL, University of Texas

Metcalf, Eric

pset90 metcalf pset91 metcalf stclub93 metcalf sco90 metcalf
Cards: ProSet 1990, UD UT 2011 Icons, UD UT 2011, SkyBox 1992, GameDay 1992, ProSet 1991,Fleer 1990, Stadium Club 1993, Score 1990, Score 1991 90+ Club

Acquired: In Person 1/30/2012, 1300 The Zone 3rd Base Appearance
Failure: TTM 1992, C/o The Cleveland Browns, TTM 2010 C/o Home

gday92 metcalfThird time is a charm right? Well Eric Metcalf has been an idol of mine since I was a kid, and I had tried twice before -and failed to acquire the elusive runningback/return man/wide receiver out of the University of Texas. Meeting Metcalf in person was a treat for me as he had been on my list obviously for a long time.

I believe that the first college football game that I attended at Darrell K. Memorial Stadium, was a game with the Longhorns against the Arkansas Razorbacks. While the Longhorns lost, amidst their late 1980’s slump, Metcalf dominated doing everything for the Longhorns and by the time he graduated, Eric was the school’s all time leading receiver. Metcalf finished his career as a local Longhorn athletic legend playing even baseball and running track.

The Cleveland Browns became enamored with his athleticism, and Eric was drafted in the first round, during one of the greatest modern era drafts of all time -1989. Metcalf provided a speedy spark for the Browns on offense. The do it all back lined up at runningback or receiver and provided incredible mismatches for linebackers in the flat. He also returned kicks too, and then flr90 metcalfafter the departure of Gerald McNeil to Houston, as a punt returner as well. Spending his first 6 seasons in Cleveland, there were some spectacular highlight reels of Metcalf in action during a Monday Night Game against the Bengals where he made 3 players miss before  galloping into the endzone untouched, or his famous one man army against the Raiders in 1992 when he scored all 4 of the Browns touchdowns to beat LA. Eric finished his career in Cleveland with 9108 combined yards, 5 punt returns and  2 kick returns for touchdowns, 11 tds rushing and 15 receiving.

In 1995, Eric played for the Atlanta Falcons, under the Red Gun of head coach June Jones and gunslinger Jeff George. He’d fit right in under the Run ‘N Shoot variant, recording 104 receptions for 1189 yards and 8 touchdowns. After a down year in 1996, Eric would be traded to the San Diego Chargers where he spent one year with Kevin Gilbride. He’d lead the NFL with 3 punt returns for touchdowns that season and earn his second All Pro honor. He’d go one and done with the Chargers and head out to Arizona after San Diego traded him and 2 first round choices in 1998 to grabsky92 metcalf Ryan Leaf during the draft. Eric finished the season with 1837 yards from scrimmage. 1999, Eric spent with the Carolina Panthers, recording 456 YFS, and 2001 with the Washington Redskins setting the NFL record after returning his 10th career punt for a touchdown. After a short stint with the Packers in 2002, Eric decided to hang up the cleats. At the time of his retirement Eric Metcalf, the do-it-all back from the University of Texas had 17230 all purpose yards in his NFL career which was good for 5th all time.

I had recently been complaining to Josh about there not being enough player appearances for autographs around town. The newspapers used to run aggressive advertising about player appearances but I was fretting that times had changed and this was no longer the case. While reading the sports page that day I had seen that Eric was making an appearance at a local bar with 1300 -The Zone ( AKA The Longhorn Station). I went out of my way to get out to the event so that I could meet Eric. I walked in at 5 where the radio team and Rod Babers were set up, only to find Eric Metcalf and Charlie Ward sitting off by themselves away from the hooplah. utud2011 metcalfAfter confirming that- those were indeed both of those players and that they were not being mobbed for autographs, I proceeded to meet Eric, and acquire his autograph on as many of his cards that I could. Disappointingly, I didn’t have another ProSet 1989 card of him, and even stopped on the way into town to cull one from the local card dealer. When I spoke to Eric, I told him that I had tried multiple times in the past to write him but had not had any success. He shrugged his shoulders and said that he was normally pretty good about that, and he offered to sign as many cards as I’d like. (- I had 11.)  I sat there for a while and shot the breeze with Metcalf. When I told him that I felt that the 1989 draft was probably one of the best modern day drafts of all time- his eyes lighted up in agreement. We talked about the numerous HoFers from that draft, and I told him that his numbers were deserving to be among the hall. I told him how I remembered his shellacking of the Bengals on Monday Night Football, and we talked about his career in glorious retrospective. Among the laughs he got out of it was how he returned a kickoff for a TD against the Oilers, even though I had told him that I had hoped they would kick it nowhere near him. He sco91 metcalfchewed the Oilers up for some 200 yards returning that day, but the Browns lost 41-17 or something horrendous like that.

Eric was the honorary captain of the USA v. The World Football game held annually in Austin. As the girls who were trying to inform fans of the event approached the table to talk to us, I acted as though I had no clue what was going on and that Eric was not the ‘MC of the event’. I let her do her spiel and then asked her if she knew who I was. I then told her that, “I, was Eric Metcalf.” I then told her all about Eric’s illustrious career, and even got up to try to imitate one of his moves. All the time Eric was laughing at me, and told the poor girl not to listen to me.  She still had no clue who Eric was, but said that we didn’t look old at all. Eric and I sat there for a few minutes more and talked until more fans started arriving. He quipped to me that he didn’t need to say anything and that I should just be his publicist, since I knew everything about him already. I even recounted the teams he had been on in his career. (We both casually forgot his Green Bay and Carolina stints.) After about 20 minutes of bantering around and then meeting the subdued Charlie udut2011icons metcalfWard, I got a photo with Eric and hit the road, a very happy camper. It was indeed a very successful experience.

Eric enjoys coaching track now in the Seattle area. I asked him if he ever thought about coaching football, and he told me that, “Coaching track is much easier than football ever was,” And then laughed. Frequently Metcalf comes to the area, 3-4 times a year for alumni and other events around town. He is extremely approachable and very kind to fans.

In entertainment and media, Eric was a dominating running back in Tecmo Super Bowl for the Browns. I IMAG0473enjoyed playing as the Browns because I built the offense to work around him. I’d start him at both return man jobs, and at runningback. If I was unable to rush for very many yards, I’d stick him out at receiver. Among the plethora of players that they got wrong on that game, Metcalf sticks out as one they completely nailed.

Here is Eric’s exhaustive statistical line:
G/Gs 179/77     Pr  351   Yds  3453  Avg  9.8    Td 10   Lg 92t
Kr 280   Yds 5813   Avg 20.8   Td 2  Lg 101t
Rush 630  Yds 2392   Avg 3.8    Td 12   Lg 55
Rec  541   Yds  5572   Avg 10.3  Td 31   Lg 69

Part 1 of 4 from Eric Metcalf’s highlight reel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wafxQ63iwMg&feature=related


NFL, NFLE

Perry, William “The Fridge”

Cards: ProSet 1990 SB, Skybox 1992, Score Supplemental 1989
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home*
Sent: 1/3    Received: 1/14  (11 days)
*Signing Fee $5.00 per card

The Fridge. Of all the nicknames in football, William Perry’s moniker was among the greatest. The gentle giant, with trademark gapped teeth, William Perry, was a space eating destructive force at DT and in the middle for the Clemson Tigers. Mike Ditka and the Bears would snatch him up in the first round of the 1985 draft. A fan favorite, Perry earned the nickname, “The Refrigerator” because of his frame and weight, – the latter which has continuously been an embarrassing issue in his life. He’d anchor the center of the Bears vaunted 46 defense in Super Bowl XX. The team set numerous defensive records en route to a 15-1 record and the title. During the Super Bowl against the Patriots, Perry also got to try his hand carrying the ball at fullback and also scored a touchdown. The team also was a media darling, loaded with personalities, going so far as to record a SuperBowl video before the game was even played in which the lovable Perry with his gap tooth smile would perform. I even had his GI Joe “The Fridge” mail in action figure at one point, that had a chained mace styled to look like a football. (- Yes Hasbro was struggling with ideas by then.) He even capitalized off of his fame to become a wrestler briefly, appearing in WrestleMania II.

In 1989 his ProSet card became the most valuable card in the collection after it was accidentally printed. Very few were released, and he’d be replaced in the ’89 edition by Ron Morris. Although he’d appear in later card sets and editions of ProSet, his 1989 card was rumored to have been pulled because it showed his correct weight. I liked the Score and Skybox in particular because they really compliment him well. The Score shows him roving the field like a giant Great White, while the Skybox gives him the appearance that he is about to explode off the line.

The Fridge would continue to play for the Bears through 1993, before his weight and injuries became a distraction. Perry signed with the Eagles midway through the 1993 season after being cut from the Bears, -retiring after the 1994 season. It was very odd seeing him in an Eagles uniform. While his numbers in the NFL were not eye popping, with 29.5 sacks, “The Fridge” was a ‘hat guy’ that you needed to put two bodies on to stop from moving up field or occupying space. The first problem is when you assigned 2 guys to him, it freed up somebody else on the D line to come through, like Steve McMichael or Richard Dent. The other problem was Perry would plug up the middle so badly that it made it hard to run inside on the Bears.

After playing in the NFL,  Perry was not done yet. With the re-emergence of the WLAF, retooled as the NFLE, Perry attempted a comeback playing for the London Monarchs 1996. Although a lovable poster boy for the team, Perry and the Monarchs did not fare well enough to make the playoffs and he’d re-retire after the season.  He’s kept himself busy though, despite being debilitated by both his weight and Guillain Barre Syndrome. “The Fridge” has remained an endearing 80’s icon as well appearing regularly at functions around the US and his hometown of Aiken,SC dabbling in things ranging from equity investments to hot dog eating contests. He’s participated in football events for the Lingerie League and the Continental Indoor Football League (Chicago Slaughter) and was inducted into the Pro Wrestling HoF in 2006.

I had no problem paying a small signing fee for the gentle giant. With his struggles with Guillain Barre and his weight leaving him bed ridden at some points and haven been taken care of his brother Michael Dean,  it was the least I could do. The autographs were a bit light on these cards, as he autographed them in a fading silver sharpie, but I was very happy to lodge him as my first success for 2012.

G/Gs 138/111       Tac 506       Sac 29.5        Fum  5        Int 0   Yds 0   Avg  -.-    Td 0     Lg -.-

NFL, WLAF

Mandley, Pete

Card: ProSet 1989
Acquired: In Person 1992, San Antonio Riders v. Montreal Machine
See Also: Pete Mandley (2)

Northern Arizona’s very own Pete Mandley stood at 5’10”, 190, setting all sorts of receiving and returning records for the school, parlaying it into an NFL career. Pete heard his name called in the second round of the 1984 draft, and initially was utilized by the Lions as a kick returner. In 1985 he’d switch primarily to punt returns where he found his niche.

One of the more formidable returners in the league, Pete had 403 yards on 38 returns and a touchdown. Mandley nearly duplicated those numbers again in 1986, with 43 returns for 420 yards and a touchdown. He then became the team’s primary receiver in 1987 pulling in 58 receptions for 720 yards and 7 touchdowns (- the most for a Lions receiver since 1968,) and again had similar numbers leading the team in catches with 44 for 617 yards and 4 TDs. For Pete’s efforts in 1987 he was named a Pro Bowl alternate.  With Plan B in full swing, Mandley signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1989. In 12 games he had 35 catches for 476 yards and a TD, before a largely forgettable 1990.

Sitting out a season, Pete attempted to reinvigorate his career by signing with the WLAF. Picked up by the Montreal Machine in 1992, Pete would put on a clinic for the young franchise setting marks across the board in receiving, punt returning, and yards from scrimmage. His presence certainly helped stabilize young quarterback Michael Proctor, as Pete had 45 receptions for 605 yards and 4 touchdowns. Mandley would almost spoil the Riders 1992 season opener with a devastating punt return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter, but the Riders managed to pull the game out. He’d finish the season with 16 returns for 150 yards, a 9.4 average and a TD. Despite accounting for the majority of the Machine’s offensive firepower, Pete did not find himself on the All World squad.

I only had Mandley’s ProSet 1989 card, but Ultimate and Wild Card aggressively made cards of his that were not released until after the season opener. Still Pete recognized me as a fan, smiled, and signed my Lions card. After retiring from pro football, Mandley struggled with leaving it behind and even resented the sport, but over the years has rekindled the fire and interest he’s had in it.

In 1993, Pete was inducted into the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Hall of Fame. He is also an entrepreneur, and owns numerous businesses in the Phoenix area.  Mandley’s family is notable as they avoided tragedy when one of their young children took ill and prevented them from boarding Northwest plane flight 255, which crashed and killed all but one, in 1987.

NFL
Rec 172    Yds 2370       Avg 13.8        Td 12       Lg 56
Kr 35   Yds  630   Avg 18.0   Td 0   Lg 37  |      
Pr 162   Yds 1511  Avg 9.3    Td 2    Lg 81t

WL
Rec 45     Yds  605     Avg 13.4    Td 4    Lg 61
Kr 7    Yds 103    Avg 14.7   Td 0    Lg  22  |    
Pr 16     Yds  150    Avg 9.4   Td  1   Lg 73t