Category Archives: WLAF

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Slack, Reggie

Card: Ultimate WLAF 1991
Acquired: In Person 1992, Houston Oilers Training Camp
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Home

Reggie Slack out of Auburn was flat out raw talent who just won games.  Drafted in the 12th round by the Houston Oilers in 1990, I had a really good feeling about this him and when he was able to play during the preseason- I was just glued to the TV. Reggie won the 3rd string quarterback position backing up Cody Carlson and Warren Moon. He did not take a snap during the regular season, but in the 1991 off season Reggie was made available to the WLAF for the 1992 season.

The Run N Shoot counterpart to the Oilers- the New York/ New Jersey Knights picked up Slack to play quarterback for the team.  He’d play great for the Knights both as a passer and as a runner,  finishing second in the WLAF with a 98.2 quarterback rating.  As a rusher he led all quarterbacks with 269 yards and 5 touchdowns. (His 7.7 yard average is unofficially the highest yards per carry for any player in the league, but his 35 carries did not qualify him for the achievement.) Unfortunately the World League folded after the 1992 season. Slack returned to Houston, but lost out to local fan favorite Bucky Richardson for 3rd string.

Reggie left the United States and headed to Canada where he signed with the Toronto Argonauts.  He played respectably for the Argos while he polished his CFL game,  before being traded to Hamilton in 1994.  In 1995, Slack signed with the Birmingham Barracudas, but after 3 games he quickly returned to the Blue Bombers and became a fan favorite. As Winnipeg fell apart in 1996, Reggie saw even more playing time under center,  but was not in the future of the franchise.

Undeterred Slack then signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders and lead the team to an improbable Grey Cup appearance igniting the team in the playoffs for two upset victories. He’d continue playing for the Roughriders over the next two seasons but injures would take their toll and by 2000, he’d be out of football. Reggie returned in 2002, playing for Toronto that season and in 2003 for the Tiger-Cats before retiring after 2003.

Slack was a guy that I thought was the quarterback of the future for the Oilers when they drafted him. An electric player to watch who was fearsome on the option, I am glad Reggie found success in the CFL.  

I was super excited to get Reggie’s autograph on his Ultimate WLAF card at training camp that year in 1992. It was the only day I was there. When I called him out he, came trotting over in that red practice jersey, smiled and signed. I had always wanted to get Reggie’s autograph on his Wild Card WLAF issue that I got later, and even created one of him in his Knights and Oilers uniform as well. I sent out for his autograph back in 2011, but that turned out to be a dead end. I hope to give him another shot at a later date as he is one of my favorites.

WLAF
G/Gs  N/a     Att  215       Comp 140            Yds  1898       Pct 65.1%          Td 12          Int 7            Rat 98.2
Rush 35      Yds  269       Avg  7.7         Td  5            Lg   29

CFL
G/Gs  N/a    Att  2188     Comp  1241     Yds  16173  Pct  56.7   Td  84    Int  75 |
Rush  383    Yds   2578    Avg  6.7    Lg  48     Td   27

Reggie Slack throwing to Alexander Wright: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFedz7vsbVw

 

NFL, WIFL, WLAF

Mitchell, Lyvonia “Stump”

Cards: ProSet 1989, Topps 1990
Acquired: In Person 1992, San Antonio Riders
Failure: TTM 2011, C/o Southern University

Stump Mitchell was drafted out of the Citadel by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 9th round of the 1981 draft.  A slashing runner with nice hands, he’d be a great bargain and compliment to incumbent runningback Ottis Anderson also getting in time on kick and punt returns. Stump’s best year would be in 1986 when he’d have 1006 yards rushing and 502 yards receiving for St. Louis and 1950 yards from scrimmage.  His 5.5 yard average would lead the NFL. Mitchell in the end, would play his entire career with the Cards racking up almost 12,000 yards from scrimmage before retiring from a bum knee after 1989.

In 1992 while attending San Antonio Riders games I would always get the program and saw that one of the assistant coaches was Mitchell. Eventually I found that I had a few of his cards in my collection and was able to get him to autograph these two cards. Right after the season ended I got a few more cards to have him autograph but the league folded and I was never able to do so.  The ProSet 1989 is one of the best looking cards from that set, but I suspect due to his name it was not a profiled feature picture on the box.

He was owner of the failed WIFL’s St. Louis Lightning and had Mouse Davis in place as his coach before the league quickly imploded. Stump would then return to high school and the college ranks before coaching the Seattle Seahawks runningbacks from 1999-2007. He’d spend 2008 and 2009 with the Redskins before going to Southern University where he at this time he remains the head coach (as of 2011). Along with Mike Johnson, Stump is considered a member of the Mike Riley tree.

I sent off for Stump’s autograph earlier this year in January to get those final cards signed but it came back return to sender. I turned around and sent it care of Southern University back in February, but as of this post I am still waiting on a reply.

G/Gs  116/53     Rush 986     Yds 4649      Avg  4.7       Td 32   Lg 64  |
Rec 209    Yds 1955     Avg 9.4     Td 9     Lg  46   |
Kr 177    Yds 4007     Avg 22.6    Td  0    Lg  67 |
Pr 156     Yds 1377      Avg 8.8      Td 1      Lg  50

 

NFL, WLAF

Laufenberg, Babe

Card: Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: In Person 1993, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Home

Most famously remembered as the Dallas Cowboys 3rd string quarterback during the late 80s and early 90s, Babe Laufenberg was also the #2 overall choice of the WLAF expansion Ohio Glory in 1992.

Originally drafted out of Indiana in the 6th round of the 1985 draft by the Washington Redskins, Babe would not see playing time with the team. In 1986, he’d sign with the Saints, suiting up one game, but not play. This trend continued for Babe as he returned to the Skins for 1987.

In 1988 however, Laufenberg signed with the Chargers and started 6 games for the team that year. He’d compile a 2-4 record as a starter, throwing for 778 yards, with 4 touchdowns to 5 interceptions.  He’d move to Dallas in 1989 as the 3rd string quarterback behind Troy Aikman and Steve Walsh. He’d suit up for 3 games in 1989, after Aikman went down with an injury, but Babe still did not see any playing time until 1990.

With Steve Walsh traded to New Orleans, Laufenberg was elevated to second string for the remainder of the season.  Once again, Aikman was  injured, this time during Week 16 against the Eagles. Babe finished out the game,  as the team lost 17-3, completing 13 of 36 passes for 140 yards…. and 4 interceptions.  Laufenberg then started week 17 throwing for 129 yards and a touchdown to Jay Novacek in a losing effort blow out to the Atlanta Falcons 26-7. It’d be the last time he’d start a game in the NFL.

In 1991, Laufenberg rode into camp I’d swear on a Vespa. A character- you could always count on Babe to say something quotable or give people appropriate nicknames, like “Moose“. The Cowboys were comfortable with newly signed Steve Beuerlein in camp behind Aikman and cut the Laufenberg early on into camp that year to give him a chance to catch on somewhere else.  He’d sign with the Chiefs for the season.

Babe wound up being drafted by the Ohio Glory of the WLAF in 1992. I remember in that preseason game against San Antonio at San Marcos, Riders fans heckled Babe, as he was sacked and intercepted multiple times, en route to a shellacking by San Antonio. The Glory returned to play the Riders later in the 1992 season, but by then the team was starting Pat O’Hara.

Fans were still wrathful about the Cowboys missing the playoffs in 1990, blaming Laufenberg for the loss to the Eagles and Falcons, but really the Cowboys had to win both games- and they never stood a chance against the Eagles in the first place. Sports is a great place for revisionist history however, and Babe to many fans, despite his popularity was scapegoated by fans in Dallas  at that time for those games. -Personally, I loved the guy. Great personality. Amazing to listen to talk.

After the WLAF folded, Babe went into broadcasting where through 2011 he is a successful color commentator and sports broadcaster in Dallas.

G/Gs   N/a    Att 115   Comp 62   Yds  622  Pct 53.9   Td  2   Int 6    Rat  53.6