Category Archives: NFLE

NFL, NFLE

Jackson, Fred

doR&S11 fjacksonCard: Donruss Rookies & Stars 2010
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 2/10   Received: 3/13    (30 days)

Fred Jackson’s journey to the NFL is a unique one graduating from tiny private liberal arts college Coe in 2003. During his senior season, he rushed for 1,702 yards and 29 TDs in 2003 for the Kohawks. Undrafted, Jackson had multiple tryouts in the NFL but was considered too small, so he joined the Sioux City Bandits (NIFL 2004, UIF 2005). A juggernaut in the two leagues, he’d be named MVP of the UIF in 2005.

In 2006, Jackson joined the NFLE, rushing for  731 yards and 2 TDs, and catching 27 passes for 317 yards. The Bills decided to take a stab at Fred in 2006, maybe on a whim, because GM Marv Levy was a former Kohawk alum himself. Jackson would make the squad and scored his first TD in 2008. He’d win the starting job from Marshawn Lynch and hasn’t looked back. Jackson had career highs in yards with 1,062 yards rushing and 1,014 yards kick returning, marking the first time in league history a player has ever done that. While he’d narrowly miss the 1,000 yard mark in 2010 and 2011, injuries have frustratingly cut into his playing time. In 2013, Fred finished with 890 yards and 9 TDs, including 105 yards on 18 carries and a TD, in a 19-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

I’ve seen a few successes here and there on Fred and so I decided to take a shot. I always love to get responses back from WLAF/NFLE alumni, and the fact that he’s still chasing his dream now makes it all the more sweeter.

 

NFL, NFLE

Moses, J.J.

sp2003 mosesud03 mosesCards:Acquired: IP 4/25/2013, 1300 The Zone Texans Draft Party. IP 9/1/2013, Houston Texans Kemah Boardwark Kickoff
See Also: Texans Ambassadors
Failure: TTM 2013, C/o The Houston Texans Ambassador Program

JJ Moses is another great rags to riches story from the halls of NFLE.  JJ was a burner at wide receiver for the Iowa State Cyclones from 1997-2000. Over his time at Iowa State Moses was a multipurpose monster recording 82 receptions for 1226 yards and 4 touchdowns, 73 carries for 405 yards and 3 TDs, 43 kickoffs for 950 yards and 45 punts for 411 yards. In addition, his efforts for the 2000 season earned JJ MVP honors from the school. Going undrafted, possibly due to his tiny size (5-6, 179,) Moses got into the NFL through helping another friend out with a tryout. He got the attention of the Chiefs scouts, was signed to a free agent contract, and named to the practice squad in 2001 thanks to a great preseason performance, that earned him the adoration of fans.

mem13 jj mosesThe Chiefs allocated JJ out to the Scottish Claymores of the NFLE in 2002. He was a jack of all trades for the team there and led the league in punt return yards. Returning to the NFL, JJ soon found himself on the roster of the Green Bay Packers that year. The Packers put him back at PR and KR on a limited basis, but he really didn’t see the field until 2003. Moses signed as a free agent with the young Houston Texans, -a team one year out of expansion status. It’d be here that he’d see his greatest success averaging 23.1 yards on 58 kick returns and 6.8 yards on 36 punt returns in 2003. His 1336 yards returning were a team record. He’d almost duplicate those numbers in 2004, with a 22.1 yard average on 59 kick returns, and 309 yards on 36 punt returns in 2004. After the season the team drafted speedster KR Jerome Mathis. Unfortunately it’d be the end of the Cinderella run for JJ. He’d get one final season in with the Arizona Cardinals, and then retire after the 2005 season. JJ however finished as the team’s all-time leader in punt and kick off return yardage.

ud03 moses BFGJJ has been pretty lucky since then to have survived the game in one piece due to his diminutive size.  He was also lucky not to fumble it as often as many little guys do. Still guys like JJ are the young faces of the Houston Texans franchise in the early years that really made you cheer on the underdog. I have met JJ now on two occasions. During the Houston Texans 2013 Draft Party in Austin, he was a last minute substitute for linebacker Darryl Sharpton. I could tell that many fans were a bit disappointed, but I knew who he was and as a fan from the beginning, I was very excited. When Brooks Reed and JJ arrived, I called out JJ’s name, much to his excitement. He and I briefly reminisced about the NFLE and his time with the Claymores. I did not have a card at the time for him to sign. Still I was very happy to have met him, and after signing his team provided postcard, he offered to sign any additional cards I had TTM via the Houston Texans.  I sent out the cards within 2 weeks and waited…. and waited… and waited…

leaf2003 mosesI didn’t expect to run into him at the Kickoff at Kemah. I knew the team was sending Ambassadors, but it was really the luck of the draw on the 3 that they’d send. So when I heard JJ was going to be at the event, I pulled out 4 of the 5 cards that I had sent to him earlier and bought duplicates of just in case.  When I finally got up to JJ, I introduced myself as ‘The Superfan from Austin’. He remembered me, but when I chided him about not signing the cards, he told me that he never got them. As Jamie and ND jeered him for ‘taking my cards’ JJ signed all 4, asked me where I got them from, and signed the Ambassadors card with “To Superfan”. We had a good laugh. I hope that he returns again next year to Austin for the draft, as I still have one more card of him. Unfortunately they never made a NFLE card so maybe I’ll kick the tires on making him one.

He currently lives in the Houston area and is a popular member of the Texans Ambassadors Club. In addition to his duties he’s also a motivational speaker, has spent time in radio, and is a devout Christian.

mosesmoses

G  34    Kr  128      Yds 2904       Avg 22.7      Lg 70      Td 0    |
PR  84         Yds  605       Avg  7.2       Td 0        lg 40

Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL, NFLE

Wuerffel, Danny

udcolldg11 wuerffelCards: Upper Deck College Legends 2011, Bowman NFL Europe Prospects 2000.
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home*
Sent: 1/2    Received:  1/13  (11 days)
* Donation enclosed of $20 to Desire Street Ministries

Danny Wuerffel has had a colorful football career. The catalyst behind the 1996 Florida Gators National Championship, Wuerffel rewrote many of the school’s records en route to a Heisman Trophy and All-American Honors that year.  He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the 3rd round of the 1997 draft, – where he received the ‘quarterback of the future’ label for much of his time there while Billy Joe Hobert and Billy Joe Tolliver handled being the quarterback of today. In 1999, injuries plagued the Saints quarterback rotation, but he only continued to see backup time, this time to Jake Delhomme.

Afterwards Danny decided to hone his craft in Europe. Assigned to the Rhein Fire, Danny had an incredible season playing in the NFLE, culminating in a World Bowl victory and MVP honors.

bow00 WeurffelHe returned stateside but did not see any playing time for the Packers and Bears in 2000 and 2001. Left exposed to the Texans expansion draft for the 2002 season, the Texans drafted Wuerffel, and then immediately traded him to Steve Spurrier in Washington. It would be the Texans first trade in franchise history, and for Wuerffel it would be a coming home of sorts- sort of- being reunited with his former head coach from Florida in Spurrier. With Wuerffel in place the Redskins could get Spurrier’s Fun ‘N Gun offense off the ground in DC.  The problem with the Redskins was their pourous offensive line. Still Danny came in relief for the first 3 games before being named starter. He’d post a 2-2 record and throw his first 3 professional touchdowns in a 27-20 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving day that year.  The team remained surprsingly competitive even in their losses, but he’d head back to the bench for promising rookie Patrick Ramsey.

After the season Danny retired, and has focused much of his time into charity and religion. His ministry, Desire Street, was doing well in its outreach program in New Orleans- before it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. There was nothing left. He rebuilt it from scratch again and now services needy people in the Southeast, primarily in Mississippi, Louisiana, and Georgia. Wuerffel was also diagnosed with Guillian-Barre Syndrome, and has become an unlikely spokesperson for understanding the disease and the treatments available.

NFL   25/10       ATT  350      COMP 184      PCT  52.6%        YDS 2123        TD  12   INT  22     RAT   56.4
RUSH  31         YDS 189       AVG   6.1      TD  1   LG 29t

NFLE   ATT   260    COMP 161    PCT 61.9%        YDS  2042
TD 25    INT  7    RAT 107.2
RUSH 24    YDS 80    AVG 3.3    LG 18    TD 2