Category Archives: NFL

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Jones, Eric

Card: Pro Set WLAF 1991
Acquired: In Person, San Antonio Riders v Birmingham Fire 1992

 

After being touted by the Vanderbilt football program in 1988 as a Heisman Trophy candidate, Eric Jones went undrafted, and was signed in 1989 by the British Columbia Lions of the CFL.  June Jones and the Detroit Lions soon came a calling after a season ending injury to quarterback Rodney Peete. Eric was on the roster for the remainder of the season.

In 1991, Eric was picked up by the Birmingham Fire of the WLAF where he worked his way into the starting lineup after inconsistent play and injury took its tool on starting quarterback Brent Pease. Jones also wore the helmet cam during the 1991 post season when the team faced the Dragons in the playoffs.

In 1992, Eric was backup to Mike Norseth and played sparingly that season before the league disbanded. I’d get his autograph after the night game ended between the Riders and Fire. He was really gracious, and excited to sign my card.

Eric after football has worked his way into the medical field and is now involved with the Boston Scientific Corporation where he sells defibrillators and pacemakers. 

Games N/a   Att 87  Comp 41  Pct 47.1  Yds 495
Td 1   Int 9  Rat 29.3

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Taylor, Lawrence

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1992, SkyBox 1992
Acquired: TTM 2010, c/o home
Sent: 4/27   Received: 6/1   (34 days)

Lawrence Taylor is without a doubt the greatest football player to come from North Carolina and one of the most dominant linebackers of all time redefining the position during the 1980s and 1990s. He was drafted as the second overall pick of the 1981 draft (after George Rogers was taken by the New Orleans Saints) by the New York Giants after an All American career with the University of North Carolina. He’d would go on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors that year en route to his first multi-sack season. Lawrence was a character on and off the field, and this has led to a great deal of controversy with multiple run ins with the law. Regardless, Taylor has left a sizable footprint on the NFL landscape. He was named a 10 time Pro Bowler, and an 8 time all pro notching 7 straight 10+ sack seasons including a high 20.5 in 1986 and in 1991 he crossed the 1000 tackle mark. Taylor has hoisted awards for 1982 Defensive Player of the Year, 1986 NFL MVP and Defensive player of the year award, and multiple yearly awards from 1981-1990. He played for the Giants during their victories in Super Bowl XXI and XXV as part of the “Big Blue Wrecking Crew”. At retirement he was second on the NFL all time sack list and was named to the league’s 75th anniversary team.

Since retirement, Lawrence has continued to struggle with his inner demons, writing two books about his life and drugs, pursued a variety of interests including, acting, commercials for Weight Watchers, and most passionately golf. Nicknamed ‘LT’ he also worked as a commentator on games and also appeared as a wrestler in the WWE.  Despite his hard partying lifestyle Taylor was named to the NFL Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1999. Recently he appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” and has invested in a variety of different capital ventures.

I met LT in 1993 at the CGA Youth Golf Tournament. He was taking his golf game very seriously, and broodingly instructed myself and the other fans to: “WAIT FOR ME AT THE CLUBHOUSE AND I WILL SIGN ALL YOUR AUTOGRAPHS.” Scared out of my gourd, I complied, but never got it since he was only on hole 3 at the time. It was one of the few autographs I kicked myself for never getting. I sent for his autograph in 2010, ironically the day before his most recent run in with the law, through the NFL HoF. I was surprised that he gave me his autograph in a bit under a month.  Since this post he plead guilty to the charges and has received probation.

Games 184    Sac 142     Tac  n/a     FF 11
Int 9     Yds 134      Td 2

NFL

Harbaugh, Jim ‘Captain Comeback’

Cards: Fleer 1990, GameDay 1992
Acquired:  TTM, C/o Stanford University, 2010.
Sent: 2/3   Received: 8/13  (210 days)

Jim Harbaugh was drafted from the University of Michigan in the first round of the 1987 draft by the Chicago Bears, – 5 years after taking incredibly popular Jim McMahon. The Bears had a long history up to this point of being a vaunted ground attack with Walter Peyton and later Neal Anderson. Over the team’s history, (as of 2009) the Bears had only 1 quarterback repeat as a 3,000 yard passer.

Harbaugh rode the bench for the Bears through 1989, when McMahon was traded to the San Diego Chargers.  Jim claimed the starting role but still had to look over his shoulder with Mike Tomczak backing him up.  Jim in 1991 threw for 3121 yards (2nd in team history). In 1994, Harbaugh was traded to the Colts, after finishing second on the career yardage list for the Chicago Bears.

Jim led an improbable Colts team back from the dead, into the playoffs and one game away from the Superbowl, knocking out the heavily favored Pittsburgh Steelers. During the 1995 season Harbaugh would have perhaps his finest moment leading the NFL in passer rating, being named AFC player of the year, NFL Comeback Player of the Year, and finished second in the NFL MVP race.  By 1997, the Colts fell back down to the Earth, and Harbaugh again would find himself traded, this time to the Baltimore Ravens.  He’d sign with the Chargers in 1999, but by 2000 he was splitting time with Ryan Leaf. Harbaugh then suited up briefly with the Lions and Panthers before retiring.

In retrospect over Jim’s playing career, he was a cannon armed quarterback who had to learn the minutia of the NFL game. He was a formidable rusher finishing with 2700 yards, a 5.0 average, and 18 touchdowns over his career. Jim was rough around the edges and was prone to force the ball, especially early in his career, but once surrounded with the right talent and placed in the right offense to hone his skills and check down targets properly, Harbaugh briefly became one of the most dangerous quarterbacks of his era.

Jim Harbaugh had been planning all along to go into coaching. From 1994-2001 while he was still in the NFL, Harbaugh was working as an offensive consultant and scout for Western Kentucky University. He then hopped over to the Raiders  for two seasons, and by 2004 was head coach of the University of San Diego.  In 2005 Harbaugh was named to the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor where he was dubbed ‘Captain Comeback’ by the Colts faithful during his playing days there. By 2007 he was head coach at Stanford University defeating rival USC in the what is considered to be the greatest upset in college football history (43 point favorite) and in 2009 hung a record 55 points on them, where the Cardinals were named to their first bowl game since 2001.  Jim also has pursued a variety of hobbies, including his foundations and a variety of children’s hospitals. He is also co-owner of Panther Racing in the Indianapolis Racing League. In 2011, he took over as head coach of the San Fransisco 49ers.

Jim Harbaugh gets the ironman award for the longest response, clicking in at 210 days. Nonetheless I was quite pleased to notch this former decorated Chicago Bear in my collection.

GS 140   Att  3918   Comp 2305  Pct 58.8
Yds 26288    Td  129     Int 117    Rat 77.6