Category Archives: NFL

NFL

Robertson, Marcus

Cards: Topps 1993, Fleer 1995, Topps Finest 1995
Acquired: In Person 1993, Houston Oilers Training Camp, TTM 2010, C/o The Tennesee Titans
Sent: 3/26  Received: 4/6  (11 days)

Another one of these players from Pasadena, Ca, Marcus Robertson played collegiately for Iowa State and was drafted in 1991 by the Houston Oilers in the 4th round. After a quiet rookie season, Robertson would step into the starting role for the Oilers in 1992, playing solidly in the secondary.

tix hou v cleOn my birthday in 1993 my brother invited me down to Houston where he lived, gave me a Houston Oiler flag, and took me to the Astrodome to watch the Oilers play the Browns. The Oilers that year were having the best season of the team’s history and much of it was due to their ball hawking secondary and Marcus Robertson’s play. After 13 games he lead the NFL with 7 interceptions, but a knee injury would end his season prematurely- ironically during the game I was at. He’d also garner All-Pro honors that season. The Oilers would continue to play well into the playoffs, where they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Kansas City Chiefs. It would be the last time the team would make the playoffs. I bought the Topps Finest card but was not able to get Marcus’ autograph before the team moved to Tennessee. After another injury plagued 1995, Marcus would again return to form and play for the Oilers and Titans through 2000. He’d play an additional 2 seasons for the Seattle Seahawks and then retire after the 2002 season.  Since then Marcus has worked as a coach and in 2010 is with the Titans organization as a defensive backs coach.

These sets of cards really reflect the evolution of quality and style in the 1990s of football cards. The 1993 Topps card is honestly like any other regular Topps branded football card up to this point during the football card war- boring. Realizing that Topps was probably getting killed in the market by other companies the brand by 1995 made a move to foil stamping, high quality photos, the removal of that gum that you could kill a man with, and a variety of other upgrades. The Topps Finest card here is truly among my favorites. Another one of my other pet favorites, after I had left the market completely was the Fleer 1995 cards. Fearlessly branding type across the card and around players that you normally didn’t see, you really got a feel for these cards on an epic scale complimented and framed by excellent photography. I was extremely happy to add these signatures to my collection.

G/Gs  162/144    Tac 638     Sac 1.5   Fum 9   Int 24  Yds 458   Avg  19.1   Td 0   Lg 69

NFL

Pinkett, Allen

Cards: Fleer Update 1990, ProSet 1990, ProSet 1989, Score Supplemental 1989
Acquired:  TTM 2010, C/o Home. In Person 1990, Houston Oiler Training Camp.
Sent:  6/24   Received: 7/6  (12 days)

Allen Pinkett was drafted in the 3rd round from Notre Dame by the Houston Oilers as the team was still attempting to rebuild its runningback stable after the departure of beloved Earl Campbell. Along the way he’d be joined by Alonzo Highsmith, Mike Rozier, and Lorenzo White in a very crowded and talented backfield. Allen at 5-9 and 190, fit the role of a scat back for the team and had great hands that the team wholly underutilized. He’d also see kick returning for the Oilers, averaging right at about 20 yards a return on 80 kicks. After head coach Jerry Glanville was fired, the team went Run and Shoot full time. With Jack Pardee in charge, the team began to purge its runningback stable, and the last men standing by 1991 were Allen Pinkett, Lorenzo White and Gary Brown. Pinkett would enter the season as the starter against the Los Angeles Raiders and singlehandedly crush the Raiders running 26 times for 144 yards and a touchdown. He’d follow up with another 100 yard effort, and lead the NFL in rushing through the two weeks and later in the season he’d rush for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns against Pittsburgh en route to the Houston Oilers first division title. Allen would lead the team in rushing with 720 yards and 9 touchdowns and throw in another 228 yards receiving leading the team from scrimmage with 1456 yards.  Things seemed on the up and up for Pinkett after his breakout season but with Plan B and the dawning of free agency soon to come- Pinkett found himself on the roster of the New Orleans Saints to start 1992, but would not suit up for the team. He’d retire after 7 seasons.  Allen currently is a broadcaster for the Notre Dame radio network, and a spokesman for the Hartford Financial Group attempting to educate young athletes on planning for their retirement and happily signed my three cards in a very short amount of time.

G/Gs 87/27    Att  561      Yds  2321     Avg 4.1      Td 21   Lg 60  |
Rec 119   Yds 921  Avg 7.7  Td 5  Lg 51
Kr 80     Yds 1577     Avg 19.7    Td 0    Lg 48

AFL, College Football HoF, Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL, Super Bowl MVP

Staubach, Roger “The Dodger”

Card: ProSet 1990
Acquired: In Person, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1992

Reluctantly I went to Cowboys training camp that day. I was in a really bad mood but my neighbor took pity on me and took me up to St. Edwards with his kids. I used to always pack as many players as I could- and I’d also pack their most popular retired players gambling that perhaps one of them would show up. This worked for me twice. First with Harvey Martin and the second time with Roger Staubach. Roger was a killer victory for me. He was quite overwhelmed in the autograph alley- surprised at the reaction he got, but signed quite a few cards. My neighbor got behind me and shoved me through the crowd up to the fence line. Roger saw the card and grabbed it and penned it with his marker. Later I’d open a pack of Proline cards and also find another Staubach autograph in there. Josh was jealous and smacked himself on the head for not going that day, so mercifully I gave Josh the Proline card.

The forerunner to John Elway– Roger Staubach was a Heisman Trophy winner at Navy in 1963. (Roger would be drafted in 1964 by the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, and in the NFL by the Dallas Cowboys.) After serving his military duty, Staubach would sign with the Dallas Cowboys in 1969 developing quickly into a star. Staubach was an accurate quarterback who could stretch defenses with his legs. With nicknames like “Roger the Dodger”, “Captain America” ,and “Captain Comeback”, Staubach was originally a part-time change of pace starter with Craig Morton, but by the end of the season in 1971 he was beginning to eclipse Morton, and Staubach would guide the Cowboys to the SuperBowl and was named MVP. Injuries limited his 1972 season but he’d rebound to lead the team to eventual glory. A 6 time Pro Bowler, Roger would lead the team to three more SuperBowl appearances, winning his second championship in 1977.  Voted into the Hall of Fame in 1985, -at the time of his retirement Roger held the highest passer rating in HoF history and has an incredible 85-29 record as a starter.

Staubach is also arguably known as the ‘Greatest Dallas Cowboy of All-Time’. Staubach was a cardiac kid leading the Cowboys back from impossible odds doing so on 23 game winning drives.  In 1975 after an improbable comeback against the Vikings in the playoffs where Roger threw a last second bomb for the win, Roger was quoted in the locker room as stating that he “said his Hail Mary’s before the throw in the huddle.” The name stuck and that is how the term came to be.

Roger after retirement has diversified his holdings into real estate, NASCAR, and sold his holdings of his personal corporation for over 100 million dollars. He is active politically and helped in Dallas’ bid to host the SuperBowl in 2011.

G/Gs 131/114     Att 2958    Comp 1685    Yds 22700     Pct 57.0
Td 153    Int 109    Rat 83.4  |
Rush 410    Yds 2264     Avg 5.5     Td 20     lg  33