Category Archives: WLAF

NFL, ufl, WLAF, XFL

Haslett, Jim

Pro Set 1991 Helmet Card, #9
Topps 1986, #392
Topps 1982, #29

CARDS: Topps 1982, Topps 1986, Pro Set 1991
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home
SENT: 1/17/22 RECEIVED: 2/7/22 (21 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Jim Haslett played college football at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 1975-’78.
  • Played LB, DE, and P for the Crimson Hawks.
  • Dominant player who etched his name in the school’s record books.
  • Over 4 years had 35 sacks, 412 tackles, and 13 fumble recoveries.
  • Selected in the 2nd round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills.
  • Jim hit the ground running and in his first contest notched a team leading 17 tackles.
  • In rookie year had 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries playing at LILB.
  • Alongside fellow Bills players Fred Smerlas and Shane Nelson, they formed the nucleus of the defense’s ‘Bermuda Traingle’ unit.
  • An aggressive player and big hitter, Jim recorded over 100 tackles 5 times in his career.
  • He’d play 7 seasons in Buffalo, starting 86 games posting 7.5 sacks, 11 fumble recoveries, and 6 interceptions.
  • In 1987 he came back for 3 games playing for the New York Jets before moving into the coaching ranks.
  • After three years working for Buffalo University both as a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, Jim moved up to the spring football league circuit.
  • He’d coach the Sacramento Surge in 1991 and 1992.
  • He parlayed his experience in the World League into a positional coaching job in the NFL with the Raiders as a linebackers coach in 1993.
  • After two years there, Jim spent a year with the Saints as their linebacker coach.
  • It’d be in 1996 that Haslett experienced his first taste of being a defensive coordinator with the Saints where he saw potent results.
  • He’d not be retained by the Saints after they cleaned house in ’97, so he spent the next 3 years as the DC of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
  • The Saints cleaned house again in 2000, and brought Haslett back to be head coach that year.
  • Jim led the Saints to their first playoff win that year.
  • He’d be fired after a tumultuous 2005 season, one in which the team cratered thanks in part to having to relocate temporarily from Hurricane Katrina to San Antonio.
  • Haslett then was defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams from 2006-’08.
  • Jim replaced Scott Linehan as interim head coach in 2008.
  • In 2009, Haslett was head coach of the UFL ’09 Florida Tuskers.
  • From 2010 to ’14 Haslett served as defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins.
  • After a consulting gig with Penn State in 2015, Jim served as linebackers coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2016-’18.
  • That’d lead to an inside linebacking coach gig with the Titans in 2020 and 2021.
  • He then served as head coach of the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL in 2023 finishing with a 7-3 record and a playoff berth.
  • Unfortunately after the league merged with the USFL, the Sea Dragons were not retained.
TACSACFUM
N/a7.512
NFL
INTYDSAVGTD
69415.60
NFL
WLTPCT
47610.435
NFL
WLTPCT
730.700
UFL
WLTPCT
6001.000
UFL 09

ACCOLADES:

  • NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year 1979
  • IUP Athletics Hall of Fame 1996
  • NFL Coach of the Year 2000
  • UFL09 Coach of the Year 2009
  • College Football Hall of Fame

NOTES:

Jim is one of the many members of the World League pipeline working his way up from the coaching ranks after his playing career ended.

Arena, NFL, WLAF

Carey, Richard

CARD: Wildcard WL 1992
ACQUIRED: TTM 2020, C/o Work
SENT: 8/26/20 RECEIVED: 9/4/20 (8 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Richard Carey played DB at Idaho, where he recorded 111 career tackles.
  • Going undrafted he latched on with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1989 as an UDFA.
  • He’d pick off a pass, recover a fumble, and see some spot kick and punt return duties while with the Bengals.
  • This led to a one year stint with the Buffalo Bills in 1990.
  • After an off-season appearance with the Falcons in 1991, Carey joined the New York-New Jersey Knights of the World League.
  • He picked off 2 passes- returning one for 17 yards.
  • Following the World League’s reorganization, Richard decided to play for the Arena Football League.
  • With the Rockers, he played two seasons, with 1993 being his best season as a pro totaling 60.5 total tackles, 19 pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and a pick.
  • He’d also catch 8 passes for 77 yards and a TD- as back then Arena players went both ways.
  • It’s unknown what Carey was doing from 1994-’95, but he appeared again one last time on the radar of the Tampa Bay Storm in 1996.
  • He’d drop 33 tackles, and 7 pass breakups to close out his career.

NOTES:

Another deep cut here that got lost in the shuffle of the 2020 COVID push, Richard signed this card in the midst of the pandemic for me. It’s really true what they say- As you get older time tends to move faster- fly by, and unfortunately, I’ve forgotten the background behind how I got this autograph.

TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
N/a0115505
NFL
TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
N/a002178.5017
WL
TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
930120000
Arena
Arena, NFL, WLAF

Smith, David (RB)

Wild Card World League 1992, #146

CARD: Wild Card World League 1992
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2023

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • As a Junior for Western Kentucky, David Smith rushed for 625 yards and 5 TDs.
  • Selected in the 8th round of the 1988 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • In 1990, played for the Pittsburgh Gladiators of the Arena Football League.
  • Joined the Monarchs of the WLAF in 1991 and played with team through 1992.
  • Scored the league’s first TD in a win against the Frankfurt Galaxy.
  • Finished season as the team’s second leading rusher with 302 yards on 84 carries, while adding 6 rushing TDs.
  • Returned to the Arena league after the World League reorganized, playing for the Cincinnati Rockers in 1992.
  • Continued one year stints playing forthe Tampa Bay Storm in ’93, the Massachusetts Marauders in ’94, and the Charlotte Rage in 1995.

NOTES:

I had been desperately looking for David for the last 13 years or so. The challenge lied in his name, which is one of the most common ones in the United States. I was able to locate this on Ebay and after negotiating with the seller, went ahead and pulled the trigger on this card, leaving me with just needing his Ultimate card. I doubt seriously anyone would fake this autograph since David is so obscure.

RUSHYDSAVGTDLG
1452192.922N/a
Arena
RECYDSAVGTDLG
1819110.60N/a
RUSHYDSAVGTDLG
943213.4628t
WL
RECYDSAVGTDLG
2199.5020