I hadn’t gotten Quan since I created the new UT Upper Deck hack set. Not only did he deserve a card, he needed a Monumental Moments card for his efforts against Ohio State.
Thanks Brian! So Brian Orakpo signed this duo card, back in what… 2018 or something and when he signed it, he signed Quan’s spot on the card. lol Oh well. I’ll take it.
Quan really liked his 2011 Upper Deck UT Hack cards, and told me that since he’s had a kid, he collects all his cards. He doesn’t play baseball anymore, but really enjoys a good game of golf. He told me that he had some pickleball on his mind, He laughed at the card that Orakpo signed in the wrong spot. We both agreed that just maybe it was intentional. He said they need to get together soon. Somehow we got off topic about cornhole and I told him that I was still hurting after getting destroyed by Cory Redding’s overhand throw. We both laughed.
Dangerous DB and return man Nathan Vasher played college ball at Texas from 2000-’03.
He tied the school record, notching 17 picks and had 64 pass deflections over his college career.
Also set the school mark with 1,314 punt return yards and 2 TDs.
Selected in the 4th round of the 2004 draft by the Chicago Bears.
After the first month of the season, established himself as a starter in the defensive secondary.
Led the NFC in 2005 with 8 picks, and returned a missed field goal 108 yards for a TD.
In 2006 injuries began to impact his playing time- a theme throughout the remainder of his career.
Signed with the Chargers in 2010, before heading over to the Detroit Lions, finishing his career there in 2011.
Over his 7 year career, Vasher started 51 of 87 games, and posted 193 total tackles, and 20 picks for 368 yards and 2 TDs.
From 2011-’20, Vash built up his coaching resume and skills at the high school and college level.
ACCOLADES:
Texas Hall of Honor 2017
Pro Bowl 2005
Second Team All Pro 2005
NOTES:
I went all out for a paid signing of Lifetime Longhorn Nathan Vasher. He doesn’t sign TTM ever so to see something pop of him nearby I jumped out of my seat to go. I had also just finished his UT Upper Deck 2011 HACK card so it seemed fortuitous for the event to happen.
Then it got complicated. My friend couldn’t go so he stacked his needs on my needs. He doesn’t like black sharpies. Also I absolutely hate driving downtown for signings. Like 6th street bar… finding parking etc… Then it seemed that Vasher was cool with signing a few, but not signing all. In the end he did so graciously- but only in black, so that became an issue. The host didn’t really give me a great deal, and with my phone about to die, I just had to eat the costs. That being said Nate really did like his UT card I did of him.
The promoter also really liked my UT HACK card so we traded some cards in order to make that happen. He told me his daughter really likes UT branded cards and since Vasher really didn’t have one that she’d really like that. (Later I saw him post the card on a buy, sell, trade group on Facebook…)
With all these autographs in mind, I’m done with the hunt for Nathan Vasher, pretty much knocking out all his cards at once in one fell swoop.
CARDS: UT Upper Deck 2011 HACK, UT 2026 ACQUIRED: IP, 2026
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Ramonce Taylor played RB at Texas from 2004 to 2005.
As a Freshman he ran for 284 yards on 28 carries scoring his first college TD against Oklahoma State, primarily backing up Cedric Benson.
He also completed a pass for 48 yards against Missouri.
During the Rose Bowl against Michigan on New Year’s Day, he returned 7 kicks for 201 yards, helping the Longhorns beat Michigan 38-37.
In 2005, Ramonce rushed for 513 yards on 76 carries, scoring 12 TDs.
Twice during the team’s national championship run, he ran for a career high 102 yards.
He also displayed a gift for receiving, catching 27 passes for 265 yards and 3 TDs.
In the National Championship game against USC, Ramonce Ran 4 times for 12 yards, but most importantly scored a TD in Texas’ 41-38 win.
Over his college career he rushed 104 times for 797 yards and 13 TDs, to go along with 30 receptions for 329 yards and 3 TDs.
He also had 26 kick returns for 701 yards.
In 2005, Ramonce made a series of bad decisions, which cascaded and culminated in him being dismissed from the football team.
Caught between a rock and a hard place he ended up declaring as a Junior, but after a bad combine, he slipped off NFL team’s draft boards.
Despite making some more questionable decisions, Ramonce kept in football shape.
In 2009 he got back on the football radar with the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of the AF2.
Very quickly he jumped to the CFL, and was with the Blue Bombers for the preseason, before returning back to the Dorados.
Spent 2009 with the Edmonton Eskimos but didn’t see any playing time.
2011 saw Ramonce return to the AF2, this time with the Rio Grande Valley Magic.
He’d then spend the remainder of his career in North Texas first with the Allen Wranglers in 2012 and then the Texas Revolution the following two years.
In 2017, Taylor played in the CIF for the Centex Calvary where he was a jack of all trades for the team playing QB, RB, KR, and on defense.
Since that time Taylor has gone into coaching.
NOTES:
Ramonce arrived to the event early, which was good for me. It was a drive from Austin to Temple, and it saved me a few hours. He really liked his card, even though the vendor had provided his own version from the UT set as well. I was impressed because Ramonce knew where the photo was from and correctly identified it as the game winning TD catch from the Red River rivalry.
Everything’s really changed. It almost all connects from Austin to Temple without a break. When I was a kid my parents would meet my grandparents halfway between Austin and Waco about once a month in Temple. We’d have lunch at this buffet there next to an inn called the ‘Smorgasbord’. It’s now called something like ‘The Cowboy Stop’ or something.
I’ve been digging through my mom’s room… organizing things- It’s a tough process to handle when a loved one has dementia. I found photos of those good times at The Smorgasbord, with me becoming super excited for gifts and presents from my grandparents in paper bags while wearing a Captain America tank top.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
