Category Archives: WLAF

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Tucker, Erroll

psetwlaf91 tucker LL
Card: Pro Set WLAF 1991
Acquired: 2014, EBay. TTM 2015, C/o Home.
Sent: 6/30     Received: 7/27   (27 days)
Failure: TTM 2010, TTM 2013, C/o Home

Well Erroll has been difficult for me to track down and since I had 2 failures, I thought I might as well acquire at least one autograph of him on the cheap through EBay. Anyway, I wasn’t too happy with this seller. After I scanned in the card, and added it into the WLAF book of autographs, I noticed something when it was lined up next to its sister cards: it had been trimmed. Also called shaving, trimming is a frowned upon practice that has gained notoriety as of late because of media attention after a Honus Wagner had its edges removed just ever so slightly to increase the value of the card. In this case a full 2 cm had been removed from the bottom of the card, and as I had doubles of Tucker’s card I could easily see that the height wasn’t consistent with the other cards. Such a pain as I still needed another autograph of him on his ProSet WLAF League Leader card. I decided to give Tucker a final shot in 2015, and it appears my persistence paid off as not only did I get Erroll on another  base card to replace the Ebay card, but also I got him on his league leader card.

psetwlaf91 tuckerA return specialist and speed merchant at Utah, Erroll Tucker led the nation in kick return (29.1) and punt return (24.3) averages in 1985. He was drafted in the 5th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers but did not see any playing time his rookie season. Tucker returned to the NFL in 1988 playing for the Bills (1988-1989)  and Patriots (1989).

Tucker was selected by the Orlando Thunder with the 8th overall pick in the defensive back portion of the WLAF draft in 1991. His 4.6 speed and previous NFL experience fit in well with Don Matthews man to man defense scheme.  Erroll made 2 interceptions in the league’s inaugural season but he was more dangerous on special teams returning 7 kickoffs for 257 yards and a 95 yard TD, in limited duty behind Carl Painter. On punt returns Tucker was equally dangerous returning 18 punts for 373 yards and a 66 yard TD. He earned All-World Honors after the season.

Tucker decided to keep playing and went right over to the CFL signing with the Calgary Stampeders. After winning the 80th Grey Cup, Tucker decided to retire.  He’s been involved with coaching at the college level and currently lives in California.

NFL 18
KR 38     Yds  746     Avg 19.6    TD 0     Lg 37
PR  29    Yds 245      Avg  8.4       TD 0    Lg 26
Tac N/a    Sac N/a     Fum 3
Int 0    Yds 0    Avg -.-   TD 0   Lg -.-

WLAF 10
KR 7      Yds 259    Avg  37.0    TD 1    Lg 95T
PR  18     Yds 373     Avg 20.7    TD 1  Lg 66T
Tac  39     Sac N/a      Fum N/a
Int 2      Yds  1     Avg .5      TD 0    Lg 1

CFL 19
KR   4       Yds 120    Avg 30.0     TD 0   Lg 51
PR 20      Yds 162    Avg 8.1        TD 0   Lg 62
Tac 58    Sac  0    Fum 0
Int  1      Yds 11     Avg 11.0      Td 0    Lg 11

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Archer, David (2)

ultwlaf92 surgeCards: Ultimate WLAF 1992, Ultimate WLAF 1992 team card
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 5/23    Received: 8/8  (78 days)
See also: David Archer

I was kicking myself after getting David Archer’s autograph on some cards a few years ago. I realized that I didn’t get his Ultimate WLAF Sacramento Surge card signed. My general rule of thumb is to wait a few years before and if I contact a player again. I just feel like it is appropriate not to spam players with requests, so I put myself in my self-imposed penalty box and waited on this one. I sweated it out for a while but after a 3+ month wait he signed these two cards for me.

ultwlaf92 archerUltimate and ProSet went head to head during year two of the WLAF, with Wild Card showing up near the end. None of them found traction in the market, and today they are easily found in the secondary market. While ProSet focused on year one players, Ultimate was peppered with rookies and new names giving a nice blend to go along with ProSet. Wild Card showed up at the tail end of the 1992 season or had a weaker distribution network, so for autograph purposes it was completely out of the mix.

Archer was the quintessential journeyman quarterback, or one of the greatest third string QBs you’d ever seen. He played for no less than 7 teams during a 14 season football career spanning the NFL, WLAF, and CFL. He won World Bowl II with the Sacramento Surge in 1992, and later lost in the playoffs to the Jeff Garcia led Calgary Stampeders in his final game with the Edmonton Eskimos in 1998.

He still does radio today for the ACC in Atlanta and hosts an afternoon radio show.

NFL, WLAF

Witkowski, Dean

wcwlaf92 witkowskiCard: Wild Card WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Home
Sent: 3/4  Received:  3/27  (24 days)

Dean Witkowski was an outstanding player at North Dakota. He arrived at the college in 1987, and was the school’s all-time leading tackler at the time of his departure in 1990, with 548.  He is also notable for holding the single season school record for tackles in a season with 185 in his final season.  Witkowski was selected in the 9th round of the 1991 draft by the Green Bay Packers, and joined a selected handful of North Dakota players who have been drafted into the NFL.

In 1992 Dean was selected by the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football in the 11th round. Coach Galen Hall was rebuilding after the Thunder defense collapsed late in the 1991 season.  Among his moves was bringing in Witkowski.  The defense indeed saw an improvement over the 1992 season, culminating in an appearance in World Bowl II against the Sacramento Surge.

He was inducted into the North Dakota Fighting Sioux Hall of Fame in 2004. Dean sent me a nice note along with the autograph.

WLAF     Tac  N/a     Sac 1.0     Fum N/a
Int  0      Yds  0     Avg -.-     Td 0    Lg 0