Category Archives: NFL

Graber, Douglas

CARD: Frankfurt Galaxy Team Issue 2003
ACQUIRED: 2023, Private Acquisition

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Douglas Graber has a long and established history coaching football at every level, starting at high school level back in the 60s.
  • By 1969 he entered the college ranks working as a DC at Michigan Tech (1969-’71) and Eastern Michigan (1972-’75).
  • He then was a positional coach for DBs at Ball State (1976-’77) and Wisconsin (1978-’81).
  • In 1982, Graber took his first head coaching job, leading Montana State to a share of the Big Sky Conference Title at 6-5.
  • The NFL came calling in 1983, and Douglas moved to Kansas City where he was the DBs coach for the team through 1986.
  • In 1987, he orchestrated the Tampa Bay Bucs defense for two seasons.
  • The defense in 1988 improved from 30th to 4th in run defense under his tutelage.
  • He’d depart for the HC job at Rutgers in 1990- a position he’d hold through the ’95 season.
  • Overall the Scarlet Knights finished with a 35-41-1 record over his tenure.
  • Douglas reappeared on the football radar in 2001, taking over as head coach of the Frankfurt Galaxy of the NFLE.
  • After a slow start, he’d lead the team to back to back 6-4 records, and a World Bowl victory (XI) in 2003.
  • In 2004, he served a single season as the New York Jets defensive backs coach.
  • Then served a final year as Ball State’s DC in 2009.
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Junior, EJ

CARDS: Fleer 1990, Game Day 1992
ACQUIRED: TTM 2021, 2022 C/o Home
SENT: 10/27/21 RECEIVED: 2/13/23 (474 days)
SENT: 1/25/22 RECEIVED: 2/19/22 (25 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • EJ Junior played from 1977-’80 at defensive end for Alabama.
  • Over his college career he had 190 tackles and 21 sacks.
  • He’d be the 5th overall pick of the 1981 NFL Draft by the St Louis Cardinals who shifted him to OLB.
  • Had 49 tackles, 10 pass deflections, an interception and a sack his rookie year.
  • Displayed versatility seeing action at OLB and MLB.
  • In ’84 led the team in tackles with 99- and had 9.5 sacks, and 6 pass deflections.
  • His 5 interceptions in ’85 were the most by a Cardinals LB since 1956.
  • Ranked second on the team with 106 total tackles, 2 sacks and 8 pass deflections.
  • From 1986-’88, EJ was hampered by a series of injuries.
  • Signed by the Miami Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent in 1989.
  • Found new life as the Dolphins designated pass rusher, posting a total of 11 sacks between 1990 and 1991.
  • Joined the Bucs in 1992- finishing his season with the Seahawks dressing for 5 contests.
  • Played one final year in 1993 for the Seahawks, dressing for 4 games, before transitioning to the team’s linebackers coach for the ’94 campaign.
  • Over NFL career played in 170 games- starting 120.
  • Worked as the Director of Player Development for the Dolphins from 1996-’98.
  • Spent a season with the Vikings (’03), and Jaguars (’05) as a minority intern coach.
  • Earned first assistant coaching gig working in the NFLE with the Rhein Fire in 2005.
  • Returned stateside in 2006 and served as a linebackers coach for Southwest Baptist until 2008.
  • Head coach at Central State (OH) from 2009-’13 finishing with a 9-45 record.
  • After a brief hiatus, served as defensive line coach at Delaware State from 2015-’17.

ACCOLADES:

  • Alabama Sports Hall of Fame 2012
  • College Football Hall of Fame
  • Senior Bowl Hall of Fame 2007
  • Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame 2010
  • NFL All Rookie Team 1981
  • Pro Bowl 1984, ’85

NOTES:

I sent to EJ to try and get him on these two cards. After I sent to him I saw a lot of RTSes from that address. I turned around and mailed these two same cards a few months later to his new address and he kindly responded. I must have been the last mail he got before his forwarding address expired, as over a year later the original cards I sent out in 2021 came back autographed.

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McGhee, Kanavis

CARDS: Action Packed Rookies 1991, Classic 1991, Star Pics 1991
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home
SENT: RECEIVED: 11/4/24 (850 days)
FAILURE: TTM 2016, C/o Work

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Kanavis McGhee played OLB at Colorado from 1987-90.
  • He alongside fellow linebacker Alfred Williams were an imposing linebacker duo in college.
  • McGhee accumulated 297 tackles, 38 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, and 15 sacks over 41 contests in Boulder.
  • 3rd round pick of the New York Giants in the 1991 NFL Draft.
  • Started his first game at the tail end of his rookie season in place of Carl Banks, but for the majority of his time in New York, only saw action on special teams.
  • Suffered a knee injury in 1993, and was released by the Giants in ’94.
  • Played a season in Cincinatti in 1994, and closed out his career playing for his hometown HOUSTON Oilers in 1995.
  • Spent some time at the high school level, before coaching in the NFL Europa with the Amsterdam Admirals as a defensive assistant.
  • Returned to the high school ranks, and then joined Colorado as a defensive line assistant.
  • Currently is coaching at the high school level in the Houston area.

NOTES:

I saw a recent success or two come back for Kanavis on SCN, and I guess he decided to mail mine out as well. Near the end of my PO Box usage I started putting my home address on envelopes as well as the PO- saving this success from the unclaimed letters bin at USPS.

I got Kanavis and Keith McCants confused, as I swore the Oilers signed Kanavis much earlier than the 1995 season.

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