Category Archives: NFL

NFL

Fryar, Irving

Cards: Action Packed 1992, Proset 1990
Acquired: TTM 1991, 1992  C/o The New England Patriots

Irving Fryar was the first modern day wide receiver selected with the top pick of the NFL draft in 1984. (Keshawn Johnson would be the second drafted by the Jets in 2000.)  After an anonymous rookie season in 1984, Fryar led the Patriots to Super Bowl XX in 1985. -Unfortunately it would be against the vaunted Chicago Bears. (Fryar however scored the Patriots only touchdown of the game.) He’d notch a ProBowl nomination that year as the Patriots’ wr/kr, but the team slid back under the radar -and so did his statistics, with the team becoming a quarterback carousel. Being a #1 pick, it was hard for Irving to live up to the high expectations set before him in the early years, but the 1990s were kinder to him, as Fryar finally came into his own.

He’d leave the Patriots after the 1992 season and would play with the Dolphins (1993,1994,1995), Eagles (1996,1997,1998) and finally the Redskins (1999,2000).  Irving never really got the respect deserved to him as he’d notch ProBowl nominations in 1993, 1996 and 1997 going over 1000 yards 5 times after 1991. Fryar also earned his fair share of NFL records, and was a constant touchdown threat during his playing days. He holds an odd record of catching touchdowns from 19 different quarterbacks over his career, and was named to the Patriots 50th anniversary team.

After retiring from pro football in 2000, he became a man of God and a reverend for the New Jerusalem House of God. His son Londen, also played briefly for the New York Giants.

g 255     rec   851       yds 12785        avg  15.0          td 84        lg 80

NFL

Trudeau, Jack

Card: Proset 1990
Acquired: Colts Blitz 1992

Jack Trudeau. Now that is a walk down memory lane for Indianapolis Colts and fans of the original Tecmo Bowl game on the Nintendo. Trudeau was the slowest, and most ineffective quarterback in the original Tecmo Bowl game. He was incredibly easy to intercept. Let’s not forget the roster which had such notables as Pat Beach and Albert Bentley (since Eric Dickerson would not allow the makers to use his likeness). It was tantamount to insult if you beat somebody with the hapless Colts, and the easiest way to win with them was to kick 60 yard field goals with Dean Biasucci. That aside, you can tell the makers clearly based his ability on his statistical output, as Trudeau throughout 1987 shared quarterbacking duties with Gary Hogeboom, (yes the one from Survivor).

Again in 1988 and 1989, Jack shared QB duties, this time with Chris Chandler.  He’d then have to go toe to toe with cannon-armed overall #1 pick Jeff George in 1990.  (Oddly Trudeau never earned the respect of the Colts fans and from the organization, despite playing for the Fighting Illini in college.)  In 1994, he played for the Jets, and then was selected by the Carolina Panthers in their expansion draft (#56) where he served as the team’s 3rd team quarterback behind Frank Reich and rookie Kerry Collins. He retired after the 1995 season.

After retirement Trudeau bought a golf course and has been President of Enviro-Save USA, an environmentally conscious corporation that deals in fuel saving technology and production. He’s also garnered quite a following on the radio, where his morning talk show at WNDE AM 1260 (Indianapolis) was picked up in 2011 for national syndication.

Games   67         Att  1644        Comp 873     Yds  10243
TD 42        Int 69    Lg  82       Rat  63.3

NFL

Bennett, Fred

Card: Score 2007
Acquired: Texans blitz 2009

After Bennett was a two time SEC choice, Fred was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 draft as a compliment to former Gamecock Dunta Robinson. (Robinson was going to mentor him up to the speed of the NFL game.) Unfortunately Fred Bennett got thrown into the fire when Robinson went down with a season ending knee injury in week 9 that season.

Bennett responded surprisingly well, making 55 tackles, 3 interceptions and 14 passes defensed.  Bennett would then start an additional 6 games for Robinson in 2008 (before Dunta returned) grabbing 2 more interceptions and 6 defenses. Questionably, Bennett from other accounts fell into the team doghouse and had to dig himself out by the end of the season, and started only 3 games in 2009, as a new secondary coach was brought in. Caught in a numbers game, Bennett was cut by the Texans in 2010 and was signed by the San Diego Chargers within days.