Holmes, Priest (2)

Cards: Upper Deck 2006, Fleer 2003 Top Prospects, Upper Deck 1999, SP 1999, Leaf Rookies & Stars 2005 Longevity (146/250), 2003 Upper Deck Sweet Spot, Leaf 2005 Certified Materials Gold (228/750), Upper Deck 2002 All-Star Authentic.
Acquired: IP 9/26/15, Little Taco Factory Magic Show, 11/6/16, 3rd Base Round Rock.
See Also: Priest Holmes

I had enough notice but for some reason did not order the cards I wanted for the Priest Holmes show. Still these two gems look immaculate with Holmes’ autograph on it. Priest has a great autograph with a firm signature. It looks good on nearly any card and stands as one of my favorites. On top of that he’s pretty engaging with fans. This was the second time I’ve met him in person and he takes the time with each fan to engage them for as long as they’d like.

Twitter pays would be the lesson of this story.  Priest put the word out that he was going to be at the Little Taco Factory with the members of the Austin-San Antonio NFLPA.  Shawn, my recent cohort (who went with me to the Lone Star Challenge) decided to attend this event with me because he really wanted Priest. While the tacos were pretty good and there was a magic show to boot, the true prize was when Priest arrived nail bitingly halfway through the event. We talked about the good old times, Raycom sports, and how Austin has really changed over the years, making the drive from Austin to San Antonio totally worth it.

One of my friends, Anthony, (is not only Native American,) is a huge Chiefs fan.  During  the season he frequently met up with other members of his Chiefs group to watch the game on Sundays. It just so happened that he gave me a lead in 2016 on Priest- not even knowing that I was a collector. It was a perfect storm for me to nab Priest again, as it was an off week for the Texans. I packed to the brim as usual with cards knowing that I’d give a few away to other fans to keep people from getting upset when I would get Priest to sign 4 or 5 cards.  It turned out to be a really good event.  I patiently waited for the chance, and he signed everything I had on me. I even ran into Longhorn Legend John Walker who reconnected with me about the customs I did for him.

Priest was kind enough to sign everything for fans and patiently took photos with everybody. He very much enjoyed the photo of me with the sleeping mask on too!  Priest has recently also been found to be a decent signer through the mail as of 2017. Currently he signs for a nominal donation to his foundation. In 2016 Priest made the list of semi-finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Again there was no end to the amazing cards in Holmes’ pantheon of cards. I had been kicking myself after I missed out on the stellar die cut star patch AFC ProBowl card that Upper Deck did. Just a superior piece here. I love how they wrapped it with All-Star Authentic around the card and then separated Priest from the canvas. I also really wanted to get a few of his Baltimore things signed since that’s where he started it all.  The Upper Deck Blackud06 holmes 4x1kRDiamond card has an odd cut to it, but still it’s a very interesting and unique design. The Sweet Spot Classics 2003 is gaudy, and the patch leaves little room for a signature, but it’s still pretty nice looking. Priest is active in the Austin-San Antonio Corridor, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I get him on a few more of those cards that he has still out there.

 

Robinson, Keenan (2)

sage12 krobinsonCards:  Sage 2012, Upper Deck 2012
Acquired: IP, Aaron Williams Lone Star Showcase 2015
See Also: Keenan Robinson

The Redskins took the training wheels off Keenan Robinson in 2014 when he replaced longtime starting linebacker London Fletcher. Keenan had 71 tackles (33 assists), 1.5 sacks, 6 TFL, 3 passes defensed, and a fumble recovery in 13 games this last season.  In back to back seasons, Robinson had season ending injuries before the season began, but he took the best from it and decided to play relentlessly- because any day it could all be over. With an increased fire for the game, Robinson had assumed duties as the defensive play caller in the huddle in 2015.

ud12st krobinsonIn 2016 Keenan was surprisingly allowed to sign with the division rival New York Giants. He dressed for all 16 games and started 6 at middle linebacker putting up 79 total tackles and 7 pass deflections. An athletic and speedy defender, Keenan has the speed to keep up with runningbacks and tight ends in pass coverage. He also has the odd honor of picking off Tom Brady twice in his short career.

Robinson was being interviewed off to the side at the Lone Star Showcase. He was very happy to sign anything that anybody had at the event and patiently talked to every fan if they had something to say. The Showcase was fun, but listening to kids participating in the Showcase chide and heckle fans and adults who wanted autographs was a disappointing sight. It’s easy to bite the hand that feeds you if you do not understand that: Simply put, fans dollars are what keep the sport going and fan patronage is what pays for camps for kids.

 

Grimble, Xavier

sage14 xgrimbleCard: Sage 2014 (71/250)
Acquired: 2016, Box Breaker

Splitting starts initially with Randall Telfer at tight end at USC, Xavier Grimble declared as a junior for the 2014 NFL draft. He finished with 69 receptions for 731 yards and 11 touchdowns. Going unselected, Grimble has seen times on the practice squads of the Giants, Patriots and 49ers in 2014, before landing on the roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2015, where he made his 2 first professional catches and his first TD against the Bengals in 2016. He finished the season with 11 catches for 118 yards and 2 TDs.  He’s expected to make a run for the starting tight end position in Pittsburgh going into 2017.

Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.