Category Archives: NFL

NFL, Pro Football HoF

Bednarik, Chuck “Concrete Charlie” (1925-2015)


Cards: Upper Deck Legends 1997, Topps 1960
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent:  9/2  Received: 9/13 (11 days)

Considered one of the great legends of football, Chuck Bednarik was the last 60 minute ‘Iron Man’ player in the NFL starting both at center and linebacker over the majority of his career. Originally the #1 overall pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1949 NFL draft, he was an effective blocker and a destructive force at linebacker that players across the league feared. In over 14 seasons, he only missed 3 games his entire career, while in the off-season he worked as a concrete salesman, earning the nickname “Concrete Charlie”.  An incredibly conditioned athlete, it is a wonder how Chuck was able to play all 60 minutes on both sides of the ball in such a high contact position. Truly he was a man among boys. Over his career he’d be named AP 10 times, to the NFL 1950s team, the 1953 ProBowl MVP, the Eagles Honor Roll, a member of the 1949 and 1960 NFL Championship squad, and have his number retired by the Eagles- a team he played his entire career for.

Shining in the most opportune moments, Chuck is perhaps best known for a bone-jarring hit of former Giants runningback Frank Gifford that knocked Gifford out for over a season, and for playing 58 minutes in the 1960 Championship game where he made the touchdown saving tackle on runningback Jim Taylor to preserve the victory.

Since retirement Bednarik has not lost any of his fire, acting a notable outspoken critic of player benefits and as a straight-shooting opinion on the condition of the Eagles and the NFL.  The Maxwell Club also annually since 1995 has presented a trophy in his honor to the best defensive collegiate player in the nation.

I had heard that Bednarik was extremely charitable with signing for fans and the rumors proved to be true. Due to problems with resellers and EBayers selling his cards, Bendarik provides only one free autograph now, and charges $20.00 for any additional memorabilia. Once again, jerks ruining it for the rest of us.

G 169       Tac  N/a     Sac N/a    Fum  21
Int  20     Yds  268       Avg 13.4        Td 1

UPDATE- Hall of Famer Chuck Bednarik passed away early on Saturday 3/21/2015. He was 89. Chuck is survived by 5 kids, 10 grandchildren, and his wife of 67 years.

NFL, WLAF

Riley, Andre

Card: Ultimate 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Washington IMG Marketing
Sent: 8/6    Received: 9/1  (25 days)
Failure: TTM 2011, KSBG Radio

A legend of the Washington Huskies program during the late 80s and early 90s, Andre Riley was the first player to ever surpass 1,000 yards receiving for the college. His senior season at Washington Andre led his team with 53 receptions for 1039 yards and 4 touchdowns. Initially a runningback, Riley converted to wide receiver and helped galvanize the squad towards their 1990 Rose Bowl Championship.

Andre would be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals during the 12th round of the 1990 draft, but with a log jam at wide receiver behind Eddie Brown and Tim McGee, Riley would not make the squad.  He wouldn’t be out of work long when the London Monarchs would dial his number up in the second round of the wide receiver portion of the WLAF positional draft in 1991.

Finding a home on the London Monarchs, Andre would be part of a dynamic wide receiver pool of Dana Brinson, Jon Horton, and Tony Sargent. With quarterback Stan Gelbaugh throwing the rock all day, Riley would finish 3rd on the squad in 1991 with 30 receptions for 506 yards, a 16.9 yard average and 4 touchdowns- a number that would be considered starter quality anywhere else in the league. His best game perhaps came against the Knights, in a contest where he had 6 catches for 78 yards and a TD. At the conclusion of the season, he’d help his team down the Barcelona Dragons and win World Bowl I 21-7 in London.

He’d return stateside after the season, briefly playing for the Kansas City Chiefs and retire. Since that time Andre has been involved in marketing, working as a General Sales Manager for KBSG radio in Seattle and currently works for Washington IMG Marketing. I sent off for his card earlier this year to KBSG but got a response back from them indicating that he was no longer with the station. After doing more research I found another address at Washington IMG Marketing and took a stab there. Riley was kind enough to reply under a month, thanking me for remembering him and the league, and the extra card that he had already given to his daughter.  -A really nice return. Below are his WLAF statistics:

G 10   Rec 30    Yds  506     Avg 16.9     Td  4      Lg 62t

 

NFL

Williams, Darryl “Hitman”

Cards: GameDay 1992, Action Packed Rookies 1992, StarPics 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o  Home
Sent: 8/26    Received:  9/3  (7 days)

The Miami Hurricanes free safety and head hunter Darryl Williams helped the team win the National Championship in 1989 and 1991. Quick, fast, and fluid, Williams was a great athlete who showed the willingness to apply the hit as well as sit in zone to make the pick. A team leader out of the gate, Darryl had great instincts and reacted well to plays. The knock on him was his lack of size (6’0″, 193) and experience at the position (only a 2 year starter). He’d finish as the Hurricanes 4th all-time leading tackler with 173 total tackles, and 8 picks for 150 yards, 2 td, and 4 fumble recoveries. An All American in college recording 84 stops and 3 picks in 1991, Williams would declare early and be drafted by the Bengals in a draft day swap with the Washington Redskins during the first round (#28) of the 1992 draft.  It’d be the first time the Bengals would draft a safety in the first round of the NFL draft, underscoring their attempts to keep up with the pass happy Oilers in the AFC Central arms race.

Williams rookie season was a strong performance in 1992, with 4 picks, 2 sacks and 78 tackles starting 12 games that season.  It’d be in 1993 that he’d start the oddest of streaks: the NFL record for most consecutive starts by a free safety, a record he still holds to this day with 108 games. During that season Hitman made an interception that he’d return 97 yards in a 24-16 loss to the Steelers.  Darryl would also wreck havoc in the secondary recording a career high 126 tackles. He’d also notch a safety in 1995 before heading west to play for the Seattle Seahawks.

It’d be in 1996 that Williams put together a masterful season with 5 picks for 148 yards and a touchdown. Williams would earn his only Pro Bowl nod and AP nomination in the following season in 1997, where he led the league with 8 interceptions for 172 yards and a touchdown.  Although he had a down year in 1998 with 3 picks, and his streak of starts would end in 1999, he’d prove that indeed you can return home, resigning with the Bengals in 2000.  Hitman would play with the squad through 2001, recording a career high 3.5 sacks in his final season.

I quit collecting cards pretty much en masse after 1992. GameDay, Action Packed and Star Pics, were the last brands I really liked at that point, but by 1993 everybody had left the style that defined themselves behind, (ProSet and Score,) were out of business, (StarPics,) or were concentrating on premium branding (Fleer) that I just didn’t care about.  I sent off for Darryl at the end of August and got a very quick reply in a week. Oddly there was no post mark from where he sent it to me from on the envelope that had taken some water damage, but thankfully the cards were unharmed. He signed the 3 cards I requested, plus the additional card I asked him to keep. A nice return from the Cincinnati Hitman.

G/Gs 156/137     Tac 715       Sac 9.5       Fum 15       Int 31       Yds 691        Avg 22.3       Td   4     Lg  97t