Category Archives: University of Texas

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, University of Texas

McCoy, Colt (3) ‘The Real McCoy’

Cards: Donruss Rookies & Stars 2010 Dressed for Success, Donruss Rookies & Stars 2010 Freshman Orientation, Score 2010, Score 2011, Playoff Contenders 2011*, Panini UT 2016.
Acquired: IP 2/10/18, Texas Meet Eat & Greet Bastrop, Tx
See Also: Colt McCoy, Colt McCoy (2)

About two weeks before the event Colt put up a flyer on his Facebook feed for the Texas Meet Eat & Greet, taking place at Texas Boot Company in Bastrop, Tx. This was literally 15 minutes from me so it made a lot of sense to go to. I arranged for time off from the wife and baby. (It was occurring on the same day we were celebrating our baby’s first birthday, but honestly I had earned the time off after taking care of both of them when they came down with sickness the previous week.) I got there at about 15 minutes late, because the party ran a little long, but that’s okay. I was able to find a spot on the grass and got a place in line inside.

I had a lot of cards I wanted Colt to sign, and as we know, in person events can be pretty dicey with making multiple requests, so instead of being greedy and asking for 10 or 12 autographs, I cherry picked out my favorite 6 and just rolled the dice. Previous experience had led me to believe that Colt wouldn’t have a problem and luckily I was correct. While the line was long, the event was pretty informal once you got to the front. Fans were taking their time talking to the players so I figured I had a good shot. It couldn’t have worked out better.

I opened with talking about Dunkin’ Donuts. I knew he owned a couple of shops. I was just shocked he owned the one right next door to us! I told him that I got donuts there on a pretty regular basis and they did a good job. He just wished that the could raise the sign a bit or get it above the Factory Mattress Warehouse they shared the lot with. It was a good chuckle. I told him that I knew 6 cards was a tall order, but did he mind signing them for me? He pawed through them and said sure. It was then that I almost blew it.

My friend Deadhorse, was a big old fan of McCoy’s. In fact he owned his jersey. When he found out that I was going to the event, he asked me if there was anyway I could get Colt for him. I said sure and I’d give it a shot. When I was talking to Colt I told him that my friend up in Ohio was a really big fan of his, and I wanted to get one for him. Colt looked at me and sarcastically responded, “Man, I don’t have any fans left in Cleveland.” It was actually a good laugh. I steered the conversation quickly, reminding him that, “Dude you beat New England, with the BROWNS. That amounts to something. I thought you got a bad wrap there in Cleveland.” He laughed and said true, and then we talked about the continuing failures of the franchise since then.

Later in the conversation we talked about how I had hoped that when he was a free agent that he signed with the Texans, but I was happy for him nonetheless in Washington.

Colt’s time in Washington has been pretty quiet since Kirk Cousins cemented the starting role at QB for the Redskins. He got in briefly during one game in 2015, going 7 for 11 for 128 yards and a TD, but outside of that he hasn’t seen any playing time whatsoever.

Cousins’ continuing contract debacle though will have a rippling effect through the league however. The Redskins started making moves in the off-season immediately trading for Chiefs QB Alex Smith and then sat on Cousins. Speculation arose as to if the Redskins were going to franchise Cousins an unheard of third time and then trade him away. In the end Washington went ahead and let him walk. Cousins signed with the Vikings, and McCoy continues to back up new incumbent starter Alex Smith.

NFL, University of Texas

Charles, Jamaal

Cards: UT Upper Deck 2012, UT Upper Deck 2012 Icons, Panini 2015
Acquired: IP 2018, GiGi’s Cupcakes Soft Grand Opening

Jamaal Charles represents one of the biggest in person coups in a while for me. I had been looking for him for a couple of years- hearing about and missing out on a few events he was at. I guess it all started in 2013, when I did the Spoodog Box Break with Mike-E and Spoodog. Spoo had 2 or 3 certified Jamaal’s and pulled another in the case, but I had no luck whatsoever.

After finding out that GiGi’s Cupcakes had a soft opening the previous day, I decided to go up to see if I could get Brian Orapko and Michael Griffin’s autograph. I knew that Charles had been there the previous day, and I was pretty disappointed to miss out on him, but I packed his cards anyway. When I arrived after driving across town and through an on and off ice storm, I saw this beautiful powder blue Lambo sitting in the parking lot. I walked in and exclaimed, “Who’s sexy car is that outside?”, and Brian responded to me, “Oh that is Jamaal’s. He’s here too.”  The game was finally over. I had found him. After getting Brian and Griff, I went outside, grabbed 3 cards and pushed my luck. Rak was very impressed that I came prepared and Jamaal was kind enough to sign all 3.

Jamaal Charles comes from a very long line of excellent runningbacks out of the University of Texas. A standout in track, Charles joined UT in 2005 winning the National Championship in his Freshman year. He averaged a whopping 7.4 yards per carry on 119 carries and scored 11 TDs. He’d have his best numbers in 2007, rushing for 1,619 yards and 18 touchdowns on 258 carries. After the campaign concluded he declared for the 2008 NFL Draft.  He finished 4th in career total rushing yards (3,328) with UT trailing only Ricky Williams, Earl Campbell, and Cedric Benson.

Surprisingly Jamaal did not get selected until the 3rd round of the 2008 NFL draft. He’d be chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs- a rush heavy team led by Larry Johnson. During his rookie season he saw the field seldomly but made the best of it rushing for 357 yards on 67 carries. Jamaal’s first TD was a 36 yard pass reception from Tyler Thigpen against the Bills in Week 12. In 2009, Jamaal had a breakthrough and became starter for the Chiefs. He’d rush for the first of 5 1,000 yard seasons that he’d post over the next 6 seasons. Jamaal’s biggest attraction as a runningback is his yards per carry. He led the league with a 5.9 yard per carry in 2009, and then in 2010 had a career high 6.4 yards per carry (1467 yards). After an injury plagued 2011, Jamaal returned to form rushing for a career high 1,509 yards, 70 receptions (693 yards), 7 receiving TDs, and a 91 yard scamper in 2012. 2013 saw him rush for a career high 12 TDs and 1,287 yards and likewise in 2014 another 1,033 yards and 9 TDs (206 carries).

Unfortunately both Jamaal’s 2015 and 2016 season were marred by back to back season ending injuries, so the Chiefs decided to let Jamaal test the free agent waters for 2017. It ruffled some feathers when Charles- the career yardage leader for the Chiefs- signed with the division rival Denver Broncos. (I even picked up Jamaal late in one of my fantasy drafts and stashed him on my bench.) During his lone season at Mile High Jamaal hard charged to 296 yards on 69 carries. Unhappy with the runningback situation there, he asked to be released and is currently a free agent.