Category Archives: NFLE

NFL, NFLE, University of Texas

Jones, Brian (LB)

Card: University of Texas Upper Deck 2011
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent: 4/13   Received: 5/7    (24 days)
Failure: 2015, C/o Home

Originally a UCLA commitment, Brian Jones was a rare transfer victory during the days of Coach David McWilliams. He played for UT from 1988 to 1990. In both 1989 and 1990 he garnered All-SWC Honors and posted 117 tackles in his Senior season.

He was selected by the then Los Angeles Raiders in the 6th round of the 1991 draft, however the Colts traded for Brian before the season even began. The next few years found Jones bouncing on and off the rosters of the Dolphins (1992) and Raiders (1994). He then joined the Scottish Claymores of the newly reconstituted WLAF or NFLE- where he found success and was spotted by the New Orleans Saints. He spent 4 seasons with the franchise before ultimately retiring in 1998.

Brian finished his communications degree in 2000, and went into radio. Later he moved to TV and has been in College Football and lifestyle programming ever since. I got lucky on this one after failing on another address last year.  Brian was one of my favorite linebackers growing up. I was really surprised that he was taken so late in the 1991 draft. Still he managed to carve out quite a career for himself and parlay it to the next level.

NFL 44/9       TAC 53       SAC  1.0       FUM 1
INT 0       YDS  0        AVG -.-       TD 0

NFLE          TAC N/a       SAC N/a        FUM N/a
INT N/a      YDS  N/a      AVG N/a       TD N/a

NFL, NFLE, ufl

Ragone, Dave

Card: SPX 2003  (0331/1100)
Acquired: 2017, EBay

Dave Ragone was one of the granddaddy’s of Louisville respectability when it comes to quarterbacks. He posted some good numbers there while with the Cardinals as a 3 year starter setting numerous records at the school, finishing 685/1180 for 8564 yards and 74 TDs to just 29 interceptions.  He was picked near the top of round 3 by the Houston Texans in the 2003 NFL draft.

At the time the young Houston Texans franchise were looking to groom a competent, low cost backup to incumbent starter David Carr.  (The sexy thing to do in the league during those days was to groom a 3rd stringer that had potential enough to entice other teams to drop draft picks in order to get after a one game audition.) The pick by the Texans was widely panned.  Dave got to start 2 games his rookie season throwing for 135 yards and an interception.

Ragone went to NFL Europe in the meantime. He’d play for the Berlin Thunder in 2005 and was named the league’s Offensive MVP, as he threw for 1,746 yards and 13 TDs en route to an appearance in World Bowl XII.  Dave returned to the Texans and backed up David Carr for the full 16 game slate, not seeing any action.

In 2006, the Texans team was completely scrapped, front office down. The Texans new head coach Gary Kubiak decided to go in another direction at quarterback and waived Ragone. He’d be claimed by the Bengals and quickly traded to the to the Rams, who cut him during training camp.

Dave has gone into coaching since his playing days ended, first being seen on the pro scene honing his skills as a quarterbacks coach (under his former OC from Houston, Chris Palmer) for the UFL Hartford Colonials, helping to turn Josh McCown into the biggest UFL success story.  He then had stops with the Titans (2011-2013) as both a WR and later as a QB coach, the Redskins (2015) as an offensive quality control coach, and finally with the Bears, who he has been the quarterbacks coach of since 2016.

NFL
G/GS 2/2    ATT 40    COMP 20    YDS 135     PCT 50.0
TD 0     INT 1      RAT 47.4
RUSH  6     YDS  51   AVG 8.5         TD 0              LG 14

NFLE
ATT 251   COMP 158  YDS 1746   PCT 62.9  TD 13   INT 2   RAT 97.5
RUSH 35    YDS 166    AVG 4.7    TD 1   LG 14T

NFL, NFLE

Hollings, Tony ‘Superman’

poff03-tohollingsCard: Playoff Contenders 2003
Acquired: 2016, EBay

Tony Hollings’ career has experienced some peaks and valleys.  He arrived at Georgia Tech as a defensive back in 2000.  Needing a runningback, the Yellowjackets converted Hollings over to the offense.  In only 4 games he displayed electrifying Heisman potential, running 92 times for 633 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’d suffer a season ending ACL injury against BYU. Hollings declared for the Supplemental NFL draft in 2003. The Texans fell in love with him and coughed up a 2004 2nd round pick.

The Texans were looking to improve their offensive skillset. With James Allen and Jonathan Wells in the backfield, the braintrust that was in Houston expected Hollings to be the home run hitter that they desperately needed.

This has been a hallmark of the franchise, and over time has cropped up time and time again. The Texans have always felt they have been a player away, and they reach for talent whether through the draft (Hollings) or through Free Agency (Ex. Ed Reed, Ahman Green, Eric Moulds, and Brock Osweiler).

What the Texans really didn’t see was that Tony had lost the burst to the ACL injury that just made him so electrifying. Snakebitten, Hollings also experienced knee and toe injuries that limited his production. The first game he played in was the first game I went to- the Texans home opener against the Chiefs. He finished
2003 with a woeful 102 yards on 38 carries. He’d follow that up with an equally disappointing 2004 with a stat line of 47 yards on 11 carries.  A change of management in 2005 signaled the end for Hollings. He’d dress for 2 games before being shelved indefinitely and never see the field again for the Texans.

After getting nibbles from both the Bears and Colts respectively, Tony reappeared on the football radar in 2007, running hard for the Hamburg Sea Devils of the NFLE.  There he experienced a renaissance of a sense, collecting 100 carries for 389 yards and 5 touchdowns.  After the NFLE was folded, Tony’s effort earned him some NFL time briefly on the roster of the New York Jets in 2008.  Tony closed out his career in the German Football League playing for the Berlin Adler in 2009.

A frequent tailgater at Georgia Tech events, at last glance Tony lives in Georgia and works for a distribution company.  I liked Hollings and hoped that his career might work out in some way. I might try to get him on a WLAF custom at a later date.

Playoff made some nice cards, and this 2003 entry was endemic of design during the time. Everything was really bold going into the 2000s. With that giant ROOKIE pasted 3 times in the background, it sure does grab my attention, but this to me is a card that sells itself well but does not finish. I really wish that they had used the rest of the right side of the card. It feels so blank out there, and the ticket just blends in black with the steel blue which doesn’t help. The artifact from the certification stamp makes the card look like it is damaged, but among the plethora of ugly cards that were still being pumped out at that particular time, there were much worse designed cards to choose from.

NFL   G/GS  23/1      RUSH 49    YDS 149    AVG 3.0    TD 0    LG 17     |
REC 7    YDS   71    AVG 10.1   TD 0    LG  27

NFLE     RUSH 100     YDS 389       AVG 3.9     TD   5        LG  40      |
REC  8        YDS    94    AVG   11.8     TD  0    LG   39