CARDS: Topps 1992, Topps 1991, Topps Stadium Club 1992 ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home SENT: 8/22 RECEIVED: 8/27 (5 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Roger Ruzek played K at tiny Weber State (’79-’82), where he set NCAA Division I-AA records for field goal accuracy (84.2), and school career records in FG (46), FG in a game (4), and consecutive XP (30).
Unable to beat out Matt Bahr in Cleveland as an UDFA in 1983, Ruzek joined the New Jersey Generals in 1984.
He played 2 seasons for the franchise before the league folded.
In ’86 he got a tryout with the Cowboys but didn’t latch onto the team until the following season after a few bumps.
Ruzek ended up posting 22 of 25 on FGs, scoring 92 points.
Tied NFL record with 4 FG in 1 quarter against the New York Giants that year.
Set franchise mark with 5 FGs made against the Rams that year.
In ’88 had a contract holdout, but had a rough year- and was eventually cut during the ’89 season in favor of Luis Zendejas.
Quickly found a home with the rival Eagles that year, and returned to solid form.
The Eagles opted to keep Ruzek and he’d kick with the team through 1993.
During the ’93 season, the Eagles signed Matt Bahr after Ruzek strained a hamstring.
Ruzek again replaced Bahr, later in that season, and then again was released in ’94 as the Eagles opted to go with Eddie Murray.
With a cup of coffee out of the way with the ‘9ers in ’94, Ruzek played Arena ball with the San Jose Sabrecats in 1995.
He then hopped over to London to play in his final season for the Monarchs of the World League in 1996- making 8 of 11 FGs.
NOTES:
Back when I was a kid, I played a lot of soccer. When I started watching football I was all about the kicker. I was surprised, the guy who scored the most points, who had the most pressure on them to win games, didn’t get more love. On the Cowboys, (since that’s all we got here,) I really liked Ruzek, and was surprised the team didn’t stick by him longer during his later struggles with the team. He also made an appearance on the original Tecmo Bowl as a member of the Dallas ‘Wings’.
I had no clue that Ruzek had played for the World League. If I had known that I would have written him sooner. It’s just too bad all he had to sign with was a ball point pen. Regardless he was the shortest wait of 2022 coming in at a breakneck 5 days.
Scooby played LB for Arizona and saw playing time right out of the gate as a true Freshman in 2013.
In 3 years (27 games), he had 236 total tackles, 38 TFL, 14 sacks, and 6 FF.
Drafted by the Browns late in the 7th round (2016), Scooby has seen much of his NFL career on and off the practice squad.
Joined the Cardinals late in 2016, and was on and off the regular season squad and practice squad through 2018.
In 2018, Wright was a territorial allocation of the Arizona Hotshots of the AAF and played with the team during its abbreviated season in 2019 (8 tackles).
Spent 2019 on the practice squad of the New England Patriots.
2020, saw Scoob take his game to the XFL where he played for the DC Defenders, notching 17 tackles, before the league ended operations due to COVID.
After playing for the Alphas of the Spring League that year, Scoob reappeared on the radar of Spring Football in 2022 with the Birmingham Stallions.
It was with the Stallions, Scoob etched his name into Spring Football lore.
He had 52 TT, 3 sacks, and 2 FF for Birmingham in ’22.
During the Championship game that year, Shark-Dog had a spectacular pick 6 for the go ahead score.
Spent 2023 on IR.
ACCOLADES:
USFL 2022 Defensive Player of the Week – Week 4
NOTES:
I am very glad to finally close the book on Scooby. After the Hotshots beat the Commanders in that final game, I tried to get him but he was quick to go to the locker room but I had no luck. In 2020, when he joined the Defenders, my friend Seth, offered to get his autograph at the Defenders team event. He came through in spades and I was able to get him in this beautiful gold pen.
Later Mark (Mark’s Signing Bonus), helped me out with Shark-Dog’s address. I finally got around to sending this XFL 2020 card to him, after I found out that there was going to be no USFL card of him. He was nice enough to sign both XFL 2020 cards I sent, as one was for my friend Seth.
I sorta blew it though because I had a Leaf Draft card I could’ve sent among others, but I guess I’ll just have to get him after the USFL and XFL merge.
During his time in the USFL Scooby has earned the nickname ‘Shark-dog’ based on his unique defensive celebration. As he put it to the sideline reporter: “I had to go Shark-Dog on them. Half Shark, half Dog.”
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
