Category Archives: NFL

NFL

Ambrose, Ashley

Card: StarPics 1992
Acquired: TTM 1993, Colts Blitz

As the 1992 draft dawned, the Colts determined to fix their woeful defense, drafted Steve Emtman and Quentin Coryatt with the first two picks of the draft. They’d turn around at the top of round 2 and grab 1992 Ashley Ambrose from Mississippi Valley State.  He was a nice find at the top of round 2- well once he left the Colts. Over 4 seasons, from 1992-1995 Ashley would make 5 interceptions, 9 fumble recoveries and 94 tackles.

In 1996 Ashley signed with the Bengals, and immediately contributed with an All Pro season. Starting all 16 games for the first time in his career Ashley made 8 picks and 44 tackles. Ambrose would never be on the bench again for the remainder of his career. He’d play for the Bengals 2 more seasons before signing with the New Orleans Saints, making 6 more picks, before heading out to Atlanta for 4 more seasons. In Atlanta, Ambrose would make 12 interceptions for 207 yards, before heading back to New Orleans for the 2003 and 2004 season before retiring.

Ambrose has gone into coaching where he worked for the Colorado Buffaloes. Currently Ashley is defensive backs coach at California. I’ve dug up a few cards of Ashley, that I missed out on sending to him back in 1992 including his Action Packed Rookies and GameDay cards that I may send to him on a later date.

G/Gs  192/141      Tac 474     Sac 1.0    Fum 9
Int 42   Yds  512   Avg 12.1    Td  3    lg   73t

NFL

Foster, Arian

Card: Score 2009
Acquired: TTM 2009, Texans Blitz

First off, Score really made some great cards in 2009. This card is an excellent example of great design integrated with current trends. Furthermore Panini really had a nice look to this card and didn’t shirk on the player photo showcasing Arian in his college duds. So when I talked about getting player’s autographs, half of the charge of getting current ones is when it is a player who is a no-name rookie who has a ho-hum first season, (when I get their autograph) and then they crank it after that. Arian Foster is a great example of this.

Foster was near the top of draft boards as a junior, but elected to stay an additional season at Tennessee. Foster was billed as a runningback in the vein of Travis Henry but an injury plagued senior season complicated by an overall bad season for the team, sent Foster’s stock plummeting.  The 2009 draft went by and Foster’s name was not called. Undaunted he signed a free agent contract with the Texans over the Saints- theorizing the Texans, (under his girlfriend’s guidance), gave them the best chance for him to play. By the time the dust settled after training camp, Foster was released and resigned to the team’s practice squad. He’d remain there through most of the Texans’ 2009 season. In the meantime, the team struggled on the ground and especially in the redzone. The Texans attempted a variety of different players including Steve Slaton, Chris Brown and Ryan Moats, but were unable to really get the ground game going. But as Foster was going to the airport on Week 14, he heard on the radio that he was being promoted from the practice squad for the next game and would on special teams against the Titans. Arian would quickly move into the starting lineup as runningback helping the team establish more consistency in its ground game running for 100 yards in each of the contests he started to finish his rookie season.

While I was initially skeptical of his sophomore season in 2010, Foster proved me wrong by breaking the team record in rushing yards opening day cranking out 231 yards on the ground en route to the team’s victory over the Colts. (It would be the second highest rushing effort on opening day in NFL history behind OJ Simpson’s 250 yard effort.)  He continued his attack on the rushing books and has now the longest carry in team history with a 74 yard gallop. He also owns most other team records in the books including touchdowns in a season and rushing yards. At the conclusion of the 2010 season, Foster finished as the league’s leading rusher with 180 yards against the Jags, and was named to his first ProBowl.  Arian also shattered Priest Holmes record for most yards rushing by an undrafted free agent with 1616 yards rushing- and chipped in an additional 600 yards receiving.

Some call Foster eccentric. His middle name is Aquarian. Arian also likes to write poetry and when he scores a touchdown and puts the ball down bowing to the crowd. Admittedly Foster was amazed at how fast things changed for him when he took the starting job in 2010, however he has endured to remain humble about the whole experience.  Below are his stats through the 2010 season.

G 22    Rush 381      Yds  1873    Avg 4.9      Td  19     Lg  74t    |
Rec 74     Yds 697     Avg 9.4    Td  2   lg  50

NFL

Settle, John


Cards: ProSet 1990, ProSet 1989, Fleer 1990
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o The Carolina Panthers
Sent: 5/10   Receieved: 5/20   (10 days)

Nobody cared when John Settle graduated from Appalachian State in 1987. The knock on him was primarily based on the fact he went to a small school so he didn’t face ‘big time’ competition and that he just wasn’t big enough to play at 5’9″, 207. (I mean the only thing John did was set the school’s rushing record mark and finish ranked 3rd all time in 1-AA history.)  John would contact a few suitors and the Falcons would sign him to a free agent contract.

Behind starters Gerald Riggs and Rick Badanjek,  John didn’t get much playing time under head coach Marion Campbell his rookie year. He’d carry the ball 19 times for 72 yards and also grab 11 receptions out of the backfield for 153 yards in 1987.  1988 however was a totally different deal for Settle, as he’d start at runningback for the Falcons (after the team traded Gerald Riggs to Washington). John started all 16 games for the team and ran for 1066 yards. In addition Settle also had 68 receptions for 570 yards. His rushing totals were the highest for a free agent RB since the AFL-NFL merger and John was named to the Pro Bowl squad. In 1989, as the Falcons virtually abandoned the run, Settle rushed for 689 yards. He’d have his second season with 1000+ yards from scrimmage when you included his 316 yards receiving.

1990 saw a coaching change for the Falcons though as former Oilers head coach Jerry Glanville came to town. Glanville installed the Red Gun offense, signed Mike Rozier, drafted Steve Broussard, and decided to give 1989 prospect Keith Jones more playing time.  Settle suited up for only 6 games that season. He’d sign with the Redskins in 1991 winning a Super Bowl title there but didn’t suit up during the season. Settle retired after the 1992 season and went into coaching in 1994 working with his alma mater at Appalachian State.

He’d join Bill Belichick in Cleveland on his offensive staff working with runningbacks in 1995 serving the team through 1998, and in its transition to Baltimore. Settle then joined the Fresno State Bulldogs as their runningbacks coach- a position he’d hold for 8 seasons. Afterwards John’s next stop was in Wisconsin with the Badgers where Settle helped coordinate the first ever trio of 1,000 yard runningbacks in the same season. Finally, in early 2011, John was be hired by new head coach Ron Rivera to coordinate runningbacks for the Carolina Panthers.  He responded to my TTM request in a quick 10 days.

Of note about John is that while Appalachian State he played for little known then head coach Mack Brown his freshman year. He is considered a member of the Bill Belichick coaching tree and while playing for the Falcons did not appear in Tecmo Bowl or Tecmo Super Bowl.

John had some nice cards here and these 3 were his most solid and complete looking cards. The ProSet 1989 card is a really nice full body shot of him dodging a would be Ram tackler while the 1990 card is a shot featuring his running style gunning to place a stiff arm. I also liked his Fleer 1990 card and how he bursts out of the top of the card borders.  Also on a side note, I’d love to see the Falcons return to the ‘red look’ from the 80s, but they seem quite content with their current black look.

G/Gs    46/29    Att 439      Yds  1801     Avg 4.1     Td  10   Lg 62  |
Rec  118     Yds  1039       Avg   8.8     Td  3      Lg  36