CFL, NFL, WLAF

Davis, Wayne

pset91 wdavis psetwlaf91 wdavis

Cards: ProSet 1991, ProSet WLAF 1991
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 7/5      Received: 7/11  (6 days)
Failure: TTM 2014, C/o New Life Covenant Church, Gordo, AL

Wayne Davis was a linebacker for the Alabama Crimson Tide.  He posted a career high 125 tackles his Junior year, and 85 in his Senior year. A 9th round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1987, the season was sort of a mess because of the Players’ Strike. Davis saw playing time in all 12 nonstrike games that year, and also in all 16 games in 1988.  He’d sign as a Plan B free agent with the Los Angeles Rams in 1989, and then later with the 49ers, who let him go on the final cutdown. Wayne played for the Edmonton Eskimos in 1990, before giving the WLAF a shot. Davis impressed the league scouts enough, that Orlando saw fit to make him the first overall pick of linebackers in the 1991 positional draft.  Head Coach Don Matthews liked his overall speed and athleticism. He’d have a solid year, posting 33 tackles, and 2 fumble recoveries. Wayne also played on special teams, recording 8 tackles on kickoff coverage. His highlight of the year was a 9 tackle effort in Orlando’s 35-34 victory over the San Antonio Riders on opening day.  A man of God, Davis styled himself as being a new found ‘Minister of Defense’ ala Reggie White, bringing the Good Word to the masses, and had been quoted as stating, “God first. Football second.”  After starting off the 1991 season hot, the Thunder had a meltdown and finished 5-5. Matthews quit, and new coach Galen Hall decided to overhaul the franchise. With a plethora of new linebacker blood in camp, Hall had to make some difficult cuts- Davis among them. Wayne however, felt a calling to God greater than football, and was ordained in 1992. Reverend Davis later returned to school and earned to Masters in Education and in Pastoral Ministry and lives in Gordo, Alabama today where he preaches to his flock and congregation.

NFL 28/1   Tac   N/a   Sac  N/a    Fum N/a    Int  0   Yds 0   Avg -.-   Td 0   Lg -.-
WLAF    Tac 33   Sac 0   Fum 2    Int 0    Yds 0   Avg -.-  Td 0  Lg -.-

NFL

Manuel, EJ

udst13 ejmanuelCard: Upper Deck Star Rookies 2013
Acquired: 2015 Trade, Spoodog Box Break
Failure: TTM 2013, C/o the Buffalo Bills

I had seen a lot of responses from EJ Manuel during his rookie season so I decided to take a stab at him. I was really disappointed when I didn’t get a response.  I like EJ and I still think he has the tools to succeed at the pro level. There are a lot of haters out there who want to see players do nothing less than fail, whether because it is a draft grade they gave them, they hated the guy at the college level,  or just an impatient member of the pro fan base, people sometimes just have it out for professional players.  Anyway I wrote a very encouraging letter -and never heard back. With the sting of that failure still fresh in my mind, well over a year later, I was talking to Spoodog and he offered me this EJ Manuel and a Marquise Goodwin autograph in exchange for one that I had given him earlier in the day.

It wasn’t until 2011 that EJ Manuel finally took over as the starter for the Florida State Seminoles. He had been battling future pro Christian Ponder at quarterback since he arrived on campus his Freshman year. His senior year was his signature season at FSU, leading the school to a 12-2 record. He threw for 3,392 yards and 23 TDs while rushing for 310 yards and 4 TDs on the ground.

Manuel was taken by the Buffalo Bills in the 2013 NFL Draft with the 15th overall pick. He’d start 10 games over his rookie season for new head coach Doug Marrone, finishing with 1,982 yards passing, 11 TDs, and 186 yards rushing.  In 2014, EJ started 4 games, but during the 4th game against the Houston Texans, Manuel threw an errant pass that was intercepted at the line by defensive lineman JJ Watt and returned 77 yards for a TD. This would be the turning point of the game and the season for Manuel. He’d be benched in favor of Kyle Orton, who as Marrone put it, “Gave the Bills a chance to win now.” With the departure of Marrone after the season, the re-retirement of Kyle Orton, and the hiring of Rex Ryan, it appears that EJ has been given a defacto second chance to lead the Bills.

NFL

Brown, Eric (DB)

UD98BD ebrown UD98 ebrown

Cards: Upper Deck Black Diamond 1998, Upper Deck 1998
Acquired: IP 7/17/2014, Academy Houston Texans Stampede Tour

A devestating hitter for the Denver Broncos, the Texans were surprised to see Eric Brown available in 2002. Originally drafted by the Broncos back in the second round of the 1998 draft, he spent 4 seasons there, starting 52 of 53 games. Over that period Eric tallied 273 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 6 fumble recoveries and 6 interceptions, earning a Super Bowl ring in XXXIII.

eric brownNeeding a presence at Strong Safety, Brown started opposite Matt Stevens and anchored down an intimidating group that included corners Aaron Glenn and Marcus Coleman. Eric recorded 60 tackles, .5 sacks, and 2 interceptions for 7 yards in 2002. Brown in 2003 had 72 tackles, .5 sacks, a pick, and 3 forced fumbles. Eric only started 4 games in 2004, and due to a lingering knee injury was shelved for the majority of the season. In 2005, head coach Dom Capers and GM Charlie Casserly boneheadedly decided to get rid of nearly all of their expansion players and veteran free agents that joined the franchise during the expansion season. Brown was cut and his career ended shortly thereafter.

While Brown has been quoted as saying that his heart was always in Denver with the Broncos, he’s joined the Houston Texans Ambassador program. Last year, when I attended the Kemah Kickoff, I gambled that I might need a few cards of his in the future and scrounging around for a few of Eric paid off. Appearing alongside DJ Swearinger for the Houston Texans Stampede Tour at Academy in Austin for 2014, he was surprised to see a card of his, and told me that he hadn’t signed one in a long time.

G/Gs 97/87     Tac 365    Sac 6.5    Fum 5    Int 9    Yds 34    Avg 3.7    Td 0    Lg 13

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