Category Archives: NFL

Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL

Palmer, Carson

Cards:  Upper Deck 2009 SR
Acquired:  TTM 2011, C/o home
Sent:  9/2  Received: 9/10  (8 days)
Failure: TTM 2011, C/o The Cincinnati Bengals

Gotta hand it to Upper Deck on this release.  Rarely am I interested in buying new cards- especially at today’s prices, but these College To Pro’s inserts… (questionably with an apostrophe between the O and the S,)  were a really nice subset inside their UD Star Rookies offering.  A prime example is this really nice Carson Palmer insert that I was just blown away by.  I thought it would look great autographed. I sent off to the Bengals after I heard that there were a few trickle down successes coming across- but unexpectedly Carson ‘retired’ from the team. My letter was RTSed, but on the outside somebody kindly wrote his new address that I quickly sent back out to.

Carson Palmer had a very good career at USC leading the Trojans to an Orange Bowl victory and also claiming the Heisman Trophy in 2002. After graduating from the school, the hard luck Bengals were looking for a new blood at the position and made him the first overall selection of the 2003 draft. As opposed to previous first round selections, David Klingler and Akili Smith, Palmer would spend his entire rookie season sitting on the bench.

In 2004 he officially took over the starting reins at quarterback for the franchise throwing for 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions and a 77.3 quarterback rating. He’d deliver for the franchise in 2005 leading them to a division title and a playoff run for the first time in some 15 seasons of futility with a career season posting a 101.1 quarterback rating and leading the league with 32 touchdowns.

Unfortunately he would be injured in the playoffs and the team would lose against the Steelers. After an amazing rehabilitation, Palmer was back on the field in 2006 without missing a regular season contest.  He would win ProBowl honors at the end of the season and throw for over 4,000 yards. After another 4,000 yard season in 2007, he’d be shelved a good portion of 2008 with torn tendons in his throwing arm. Carson would answer the call again leading the team to the playoffs in 2009, but as the team slumped to a 4-12 record in 2010, Palmer demanded to be traded.

Unable or unwilling to make his demands, management decided to put him on the reserve/ did not report list.

G/Gs  97/97   Att  3217   Comp 2024   Yds  22694      Pct 62.9        Td 144        Int 110        Rat  86.9

12-18-11 UPDATE: Shortly before the 2012 trade deadline, the Oakland Raiders were looking to make a move and paid a lion’s share to get a hold of Palmer from the Bengals, where he is now the starting quarterback of the team.

College Football HoF, NFL

Steinkuhler, Dean

Card: ProSet 1990
Acquired: In Person 1991, Houston Oilers Training Camp
See also: http://n8d.flywheelsites.com/2011/steinkuhler-dean-2/

One of the most dominant and decorated linemen to come out of the University of Nebraska- Dean Steinkuhler won the Outland and Lombardi Trophies in 1983 playing at guard. His most notable moment for the Huskers was picking up a ‘fumblerooskie’ and rumbling in for a touchdown in the Orange Bowl.

The Houston Oilers made him the second overall choice of the 1984 draft where the team would kick Dean out to play right tackle, and along with Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews, the trio would form the nucleus of a very good offensive line.  The Oilers started Steinkuhler immediately and he’d play 10 games before a knee injury ended his rookie season and scrub all of 1985.  Dean would make a triumphant return to the lineup by 1986, starting the whole season and 11 games into 1987 before he was shelved for the rest of the season. In 88 and 89 he’d start the full slate of games, but once again bad knees crept back up in 1990 limiting his production to 7 games.  The porous Astrodome turf had taken its toll on Dean, exposing a chink in the Oilers’ offensive armor. Dean retired after 1991, starting only 1 game that season, at the age of 30. I’d meet him at Houston Oilers Training Camp in his last season where he nicely stopped and signed this ProSet card. Over his career he played in 100 games and started 77.

Dean lives now in Syracuse, Nebraska where he runs a storage unit facility, operates a car wash and enjoys watching his sons follow in his footsteps into football.  Of Dean’s accomplishments was that he was named to the 3rd string All Century College Team and also had his number retired at Nebraska.

I sent off for his autograph on his Score 1990 and 1991 cards trying to get the autograph of some of the great Oilers I remembered in 2010 through the Mieselman list, and received a response a bit over a year later in November of 2011.

NFL, WLAF

Erney, Scott

Cards: Pro Set 1991, Pro Set WLAF 1991, Ultimate WLAF 1992, Wild Card WLAF 1992.
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Work.
Sent: 7/19   Received: 8/17  (29 days)

Scott Erney and fellow quarterback Stan Gelbaugh played high school football within a stones’ throw of each other, and while Gelbaugh would go to Maryland and Erney attended Rutgers- they would ironically cross paths again as starting QBs in the WLAF.

During Scott’s career at Rutgers from 86-89, he set the school passing record for completions (614), attempts (1128), and yards (7,188). In one remarkable game Scott threw for 436 yards against Vanderbilt and led the team to upset victories over Penn State and Michigan State.  Going undrafted in 1989, he’d sign with the Denver Broncos, – however, facing stiff competition, Scott would be cut before the end of training camp.

As the WLAF opened up shop in 1991, Erney would be the 5th quarterback taken in the draft by the Barcelona Dragons. Under Jack Bicknell, he would establish himself as the starting quarterback over Notre Dame star Tony Rice. In 7 games Erney would throw for 1186 yards and 8 touchdowns, to 2 picks, – leading all starters at that position and setting a league benchmark. During the season he’d throw for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns in a victory over the Orlando Thunder and guide the team into the playoffs with an 8-2 record.  Despite a nagging separated shoulder that caused him to miss 3 games, Scott would finish second in passer rating with an 86.6 quarterback rating.

The team would beat the Birmingham Fire and play the London Monarchs for the championship game, but lose 21-7.  During the game Scott was tacked by Marlon Brown and tore a muscle in his leg. On the plane ride home he suffered from compartment syndrome which aggravated the injury further. Tissue in his leg actually died. Doctors suspected that Scott might never play again, but amazingly he recovered and returned for the following season.

Riding high into the 1992 season, the Barcelona Dragons offensive line was in shambles. Erney would suffer 27 sacks on the season, (roughly 3 a game)  and his quarterback rating would plummet to a 61.5 rating. Still Scott would help the team enter the playoffs again at 5-5, on the back of his 315 passing attempts, and narrowly lose out in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual World Bowl Champion Sacramento Surge, 17-15.

After the reorganization of the WLAF in 1992, Scott would retire. He currently works for the Erie insurance group. I got these cards postmarked back from Harrisburg, PA in roughly 30 days, and was super happy to finally add another Dragon to my collection.

G/Gs 17/20   Att 473   Comp  247   Yds 2840   Pct 52.2   Td  14   Int 12   Rat 69.9