Category Archives: NFL

NFL

Daniels, Owen

Card: Fleer 2006
Acquired: TTM 2009, Texans Blitz
See Also: Daniels, Owen (2) 

Owen Daniels was originally a quarterback at Wisconsin, but was moved to tight end where he became one of the Big 10s best receivers. The Houston Texans, always looking for tight ends in head coach Gary Kubiak‘s system drafted Owen Daniels in the 4th round of the 2006 draft. At 6″3’ and 245, Owen was an ideal fit for the Texans tight end heavy system.

He’d start 12 games his rookie season and be named to the All rookie squad at the end of the season after making 34 receptions for 352 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Daniels would follow his 2006 up with a full 2007 making 63 receptions for 768 yards.  In 2008 Owen would make the Pro Bowl after making 70 receptions for 862 yards thus indeed proving what a key cog he was to the team. However in 2009, Owen would be shelved after 8 games after sustaining a knee injury during a game against the Bills. (Owen was on pace for 80 receptions and over 1000 yards receiving at the time of his injury.)  He’d miss a good portion of the 2010 season but return to the lineup starting 10 games and make 38 receptions.  Although financial negotiations between the Texans and Daniels had been acrimonious at one point,  he finally was rewarded with a long term contract in 2011 at the end of the season, after nearly 2 years. Since joining the Texans Owen has moved into 3rd all time in receptions and yards behind current players Andre Johnson and Kevin Walter and is the franchises’ all-time leader at tight end.

A solid receiver that causes mismatches against most linebackers with his speed, hands, and ability to locate the soft spot in a zone, the knock on Owen is that he still needs to improve on his blocking and overcome his injury prone reputation. Daniels is expected however to return to form in 2011 and will make an excellent late round addition to most fantasy owners’ teams. Admittedly he has a track record of blowing out his legs in some capacity, but he has an almost bionic approach to rehabilitation.

G/Gs 65/62   Rec  245    Yds  2972   Avg  12.1    Td   17   Lg 44

 

NFL, WLAF

Brown, Ivory Lee

Card: StarPics 1991
Acquired: In Person 1992, San Antonio Riders v. Orlando Thunder
Failure:    TTM 2010, c/o home.

So there was no security at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos where the Riders played. This allowed me to meander down to the  front of the stands and onto the field at half time. As Ivory Lee was galloping off to the locker room during half time, I crossed paths with him and asked him for his autograph. He smiled and kept jogging saying, “I got another half of work to do.” After the game he penned this Star Pics card for me.

Ivory Lee Brown graduated from tiny Arkansas-Pine Bluff where in his first season he rushed for an incredible 8.3 yards a carry and 1465 yards. An imposing powerback who could easily be mistaken for a fullback at 6’2″, 245, Brown was selected by the Phoenix Cardinals in the 7th round of the 1991 draft, where he’d be placed on the team’s developmental squad.

As the 1992 season opened up in the WLAF, the NFL made available many of its developmental squad members and future stars for the fledgling World League.  The San Antonio Riders were looking for a replacement for their previous runningback Ricky Blake– and found the upgrade in the form of Ivory Lee Brown.  The Riders were a classic offensive team built around a strong running game and tenacious defense. Ivory Lee would initially share the depth chart in the preseason with Tony Boles- but with Boles MIA by week 3, Brown would shoulder an increased workload for the team. By the end of the season Ivory Lee Brown would lead the WLAF in virtually all rushing categories with 767 yards, 166 carries, a 4.6 average, and 7 touchdowns.  His 767 yards would be a league record and he’d be named first team All World League. A big, shifty runner, Coach John Robinson during a broadcast remarked how Ivory Lee was more of a deceptive finesse runner in the open field.

As the season came to close against the Sacramento Surge, optimism was riding high for the 7-3 Riders that 1993 would be their season- but that would never be as the league folded North American operations and did not reemerge until it was retooled to a strictly European format in 1995.

Brown would return to the Cardinals where he’d emerge from the practice squad and be moved into the starting lineup for Phoenix while incumbent runningback  Johnny Johnson held out.  He’d start 5 games and run for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns in relief of Johnson, but would not be resigned after the season. Brown’s history from there is sort of… a mystery as he drops off the face of the Earth, but from time to time his name comes up in conversation as he’s the uncle to current Minnesota runningback Adrian Peterson.

I wrote Ivory in June of 2010 hoping to get the former All WLAF back’s signature on his Wild Card 92 WLAF card at his home address through the Meiselman list, but have been unable to reach him up to this point.

WLAF G/Gs 10/10    Att 166   Yds   767   Avg 4.6   Lg 54     Td 7   |
Rec 9     Yds  54     Avg   6.0      Lg 12    Td  0

NFL

Bowden, Joe


Cards: StarPics 1992, Classic 1992, Upper Deck 1992, SkyBox 1992
Acquired: In Person, 1992,1994,1995 , Houston Oilers Training Camp
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Central Oklahoma University

Joe Bowden was a talent coming out of OU back in 1992, and going in the 5th round to the Houston Oilers, I knew they had gotten him at a bargain price. At 5’11”, 230 the knock on Joe was that he was undersized to play linebacker, but Bowden certainly made up for it with a motor that never quit. He didn’t start any games in 1992, but in 1993 under Buddy Ryan got to start in 6 games, making a sack, fumble recovery and 28 tackles. Over the years the team transitioned to Tennessee and in 1999 Bowden would start 15 games at right linebacker, making 3.5 sacks, 1 interception, 2 FF and 36 tackles.  He’d sign with Dallas in 2000, and but not start any games and retire shortly afterwards.

At least when he played, Joe was an excellent signer in person. I sent out again for him in 2010, hoping to get what was left of my cards of him signed, however as of the time of this post, he has not responded from his work at Central Oklahoma University where he coaches.

G/Gs 139/84     Tac   306      Sac   12.5     Fum   9    Int  3    Yds  39     Avg   13.0       Td   1    Lg  29