NFL

Johnston, Daryl “Moose”

Cards: Playoff 1992, Topps 1992, Upper Deck Legends 2011
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 9/14  Received: 10/2 (21 days)
See Also: Daryl Johnston

I used to go to training camp for the Cowboys way back when they were in Austin. On one of the first days that I was there I got Daryl Johnston on his Topps 1990 rookie card.

A few years later I got the Topps 1992 and this Playoff 1992 card. I took them both to training camp with me, but never was able to get Johnston again. I don’t know whether or not he recognized me as a regular at camp, or that the Cowboys were too big for their britches and didn’t sign anymore, but he went from being a stellar in person signer to the classic ignorer, within 2 years. Part of me didn’t blame him if that was the case. The fences at training camp were a difficult to navigate with the throngs of fans who wanted autographs. Not to mention there were a lot of kids running over to the local card shop and selling all those autographs right afterwards. 

 Needless to say it’s great to see that Johnston is a pretty good signer TTM. When I uncovered this Upper Deck Legends card recently I went ahead and shot out these cards to him.  

All of these are great cards of Daryl. Once the card companies got wind of his popularity, solid play, and the Cowboys rise to prominence again, he became a regular in most of the card sets. He has a beautiful autograph, with a solid, encapsulating loop on the ‘J’.

Johnston is not a member of the NFL concussion litigation group. He instead is an advocate of proactive brain testing for players.

CFL, NFL

McKnight, Joe (1988-2016)

do10e mcknightCard: Donruss Elite 2010
Acquired: 2014 BB, Target Autograph Memorabilia

Joe McKnight was a multipurpose athlete who was a star in his native state of Louisiana. Recruited by LSU, but later signed with USC, McKnight was an incredibly hyped machine.  (He was even touted as a Heisman candidate as early as 2009, but he and USC would not live up to those expectations.) As questions arose about McKnight possibly taking dollars under the table, he declared for the NFL draft in 2010. He finished his Junior season with 1,014 yards, and a robust 6.2 yards per carry. Due to his 6’0″, 198 frame, teams questioned his ability to run in between the tackles and nab extra yards after contact -however they praised his second level deceptive speed and his overall athletic potential.

During the 2010 draft, the Jets traded up with Carolina to nab McKnight with a 4th round pick. The Panthers in return, received both the Jets pick in the 4th and 6th rounds respectively. During his time in the pros Joe hasn’t made much in roads as a change of pace back, but has been consistent as a return man, finishing with nearly identical statistics in 2011 and 2012. His first kick off return for a touchdown was a team record 107 yards against the Baltimore Ravens in 2011, and then later in 2012 a 100 yarder against the Houston Texans.  The NFL has a limited shelf life for return men, and after the Jets bulked up at RB depth and concussion and migrane issues sidelined Joe during the preseason, McKnight was the headliner of the Jets cuts in 2013. In January of 2014 the Chiefs signed McKnight to a futures contract where he hoped to jump start his career.

Starting for the injured Jamaal Charles in Week 3, McKnight piled up 6 receptions for 64 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 carry for 3 yards, but ruptured an Achilles tendon, ending his 2014 season after just that one impressive contest.

He played in the CFL in 2016 for both the Edmonton Eskimos and Saskatchewan Roughriders, rushing for 150 yards on 17 carries in his only start.

UPDATE – On Thursday, December 1st 2016, Joe McKnight was murdered. He was shot to death by another driver suffering from road rage.  Based on news reports McKnight was not the aggressor, and he died on the scene, at the incident.

NFL

Paige, Stephone

pset90 paige ap90 paigeCards: Pro Set 1990, Action Packed 1990
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent:  11/8     Received: 1/3   (58 days)

Ahh… Stephone Paige. A reliable target in the Kansas City Chiefs offense on Tecmo Super Bowl. When playing against an opponent determined to stop the Chiefs impressive ground game, you could always rely on Paige to be open for a deep bomb. Over the years, Stephone had some impressive cards that captured some of his greatest catches. From his Score 1990, where Paige is getting his jersey ripped off, to these two,-especially the Action Packed 1990 card, Paige was an artistic virtuoso at his position who was well known for his penchant for making one handed catches. If not for a turn-style at quarterback and a ground heavy offensive approach, who knows how Paige’s career would’ve turned out? Stephone completely embodies that type of underrated player that I like to get autographs from, especially when they write even the smallest note to me.

Stephone Paige is another in a long list of wide receivers that saw prominence in the NFL during the 1980s. This list included: Stephen Baker (NYG), Henry Ellard (LAR), Gene Taylor (NE), Andre Alexander (Knights WLAF), and Dwight Pickens (Riders- WLAF).  The link, is that these kids were all coached by Jim Sweeney at Fresno State- father of prolific Bulldogs quarterback Kevin Sweeney.

Paige saw playing time at Fresno in 1981 and 1982. He really made an impact in ’82, a year that he piled up 48 receptions for 942 yards and 8 touchdowns. Going unnoticed in the 1983 NFL Draft, he joined the Chiefs as a free agent. Paige became an off the bench role player for KC early on. It wasn’t until his breakout year of 1985, when he led the NFL in yards per catch with a whopping 21.9 average on 43 receptions, that Paige finally got the credit he deserved. At that time, he also set an NFL record for most receiving yards in a game played in regulation with 309 yards against the Chargers (since surpassed by Calvin Johnson). From that season on, Paige was counted on to lead the Chiefs wide receiver corps. He’d continue to be an outside threat for the team, including a career high 11 TDs in 1986, and 65 receptions for 1,021 yards in 1990. Stephone however suffered a career ending knee injury during the 1991 season. While Paige’s final career numbers are modest, especially compared to today’s NFL pass happy offenses, he held the franchise record for most consecutive games with a catch (85), at the time of his retirement, which ranks his numbers among the best free agent wide receivers of all time.

G/GS  125/81       Rec   377          Yds  6,341       Avg 16.8        TD 48            LG   86

 

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