Category Archives: NFL

NFL, XFL

Williams, James “J-Roc”

Cards: Fleer 1995, Topps XFL 2001
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 11/11  Received: 12/5  (24 days)

Small bit of trivia here, as James Williams is one of a handful of players (if not the only player) to play for 3 expansion franchises, being the: Jacksonville Jaguars, (the reborn) Cleveland Browns, and the (XFL) San Fransisco Demons.

Drafted back in 1990 by the New Orleans Saints in the 6th round of the draft out of Mississippi State, Williams would be a nice find for the franchise and would spend his first 5 years with NO. He’d come in and sub nicely when one of the Dome Patrol needed a break during their twilight years together even starting 4 games in 1991, recording his first career sack against Chicago, along with 29 tackles and a fumble recovery. In 1993 J-Roc would start 9 games at left inside linebacker for injured Sam Mills and respond with a solid performance (89 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF).  With free agency in full effect by 1994, Williams again started for the Saints but this time at RILB, garnering 54 tackles, 2 picks and his first career touchdown.

Left exposed after the season for the 1995 Panthers/ Jaguars expansion draft, – James was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 49th pick. Williams started 6 games again, recording 2 more interceptions, 2 FF and 47 tackles but injuries cost him half of 1995 and all of 1996. He’d sign with the 49ers and be on the roster of the team through 1998.  He’d close out his NFL career in 1999 with the Browns with 2 FR and 11 tackles.

Williams’ career did not end there. He’d be drafted by the San Fransisco Demons of the XFL in 2001. Making the jump to play for the Demons he’d help the team earn a berth in the XFL’s Million Dollar Game leading the team with 43 tackles and 2 sacks. The XFL though, -a joint venture between the WWE and NBC died on the operating table that season due to bad ratings. Williams would retire after that season.

These were some really nice cards of J-Roc, and despite how people really tore them up the XFL had some really nice underpinnings to its design, hearkening back to classic college cards of the 50s and 60s. Just really inspiring! Sure the barbed wire effect is hilarious and dated even by those years standards, bloating the production value, but I couldn’t help but have a soft spot for them. The Fleer 1995 cards were also really nice, and this served as part of their 1st season of Jacksonville Jaguars cards.  Below are J-Roc’s NFL statistics.

G/Gs   137/26     Tac  254       Sac  3.0       Fum 4        Int  4     Yds  61      Avg       TD  1    lg 33

Arena, NFL, WLAF

Bell, Grantis

Card: Wild Card WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o Home
Sent: 6/11/10  Received: 12/3/11  (540 days)

Grantis Bell finished his career at WV with 46 receptions for 819 yards and 6 TDs and after a great Fiesta Bowl appearance, (where Grantis would make 4 catches for 44 yards,) he’d be signed as a free agent  by the Washington Redskins in 1989.  The next two seasons would be with the New York Jets, before he made his appearance in the WLAF for the Orlando Thunder in 1992. A smallish receiver at 5’10”, 160, Grantis could stop on a dime and run routes in traffic, -perfect for the Thunder’s spread offense. Bell in the end had a really nice season playing receiver on the Thunder, hauling in 36 receptions for 435 yards and 4 touchdowns. He’d also serve as backup kick returner with 11 returns for 200 yards and an 18.2 yard average, helping the team appear in World Bowl II, where they’d fall to the Sacramento Surge.

Grantis signed with the Arena Football League and made his debut with the Detroit Drive catching 39 passes for 681 yards and eight touchdowns as the team’s number three receiver in 1993. In ArenaBowl VII against the Tampa Bay Storm, he caught five passes for 77 yards and scored on a 34-yard touchdown catch. Bell transitioned with the team to Massachusetts in 1994, but had an injury shortened season after breaking his elbow, and then the Marauders folded. Grantis made the move to the Storm in Tampa Bay, and play there in 1995 and again in 1997 before retiring. He finished his Arena career with 62 receptions for 1017 yards, a 16.4 average and 13 touchdowns in 4 seasons of play.

I did not have a card of Grantis when the Thunder throttled the Riders in San Marcos back in 1992, however after acquiring the Wild Card WLAF 1992 set, I sent off for him last year. I was surprised that I did not get a response, but recently through SotL, I was able to contact him, where I sent him a new letter with the card.  This one was a bit odd, as he sent this one back in the original envelope I sent him from 2010, so this one officially becomes the longest wait at 540 days.  Shortly before the date of this post he also sent back the other card as well signed and personalized it. Below are Grantis’ WLAF statistics:

G 10   Rec  36    Yds   435     Avg   12.1    Td 4     Lg 46t

NFL

Williams, “Super” Mario (2)

Card: Score 2010
Acquired: In Person 12/6/2011, Whataburger Community Player of the Month
See Also: Williams, “Super” Mario

I visited Houston again earlier this month. With multiple appearances and big names on the same day, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet Williams, and JJ Watt at the same location. Whataburger was again hosting the Community Player of the Month event, and after getting lost on Highway 6 N as opposed to Highway 6 S, I was able to find the correct location. Arriving a bit before 2pm, I saddled up to a group around front and talked to them. As I did the community relations team of the Texans came out and strapped wristbands on us. I was #14, but there was probably close to 100 people there. When the event began, they quickly ran out of wristbands and then gave the next 15 stand by cards, and turned the excess out above that away. There was greater than 250 people there for autographs, and while Mario was accommodating, his introverted and shy nature especially when dealing with the giant crowd came off as dismissive.  When he signed my card I asked him what his tattoo was on his hand, to which he bashfully replied that it was a football.

With the Texans drafting of JJ Watt, Mario Williams immediately became the largest outside linebacker in the league. Combining a devastating upfield bull rush with a 2 point stance, Mario was off to a fast start in 2011, much to the dismay of pundits and the media who hoped for his failure.  While he was learning the job on the fly, Mario made 5 sacks, 11 tackles, 1 forced fumble and a pass defensed before tearing his pectoral muscle, ending his season after only 5 games. Going into a contract year for 2012, it is thought that the Texans may franchise Williams at OLB, effectively dropping his salary from its high perch among defensive ends, or allow him to test the free agent waters with the emergence of young LB Brooks Reed.

UPDATE: 8/27/12 As theorized the Texans did indeed allow Williams to test the free agent waters where he signed with the Buffalo Bills and a $100 million dollar contract.