NFL

Payne, Seth

udxl02 payneCards: Upper Deck 2002 XL, Scoreboard 1997, Upper Deck Houston Texans 2002
Acquired: In Person 5/19, 610 Houston Fan Fest 2013

Seth Payne has always been a model player and leader where ever he went, from his days at Cornell and on into the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and later the Houston Texans.

At Cornell, Seth received All-Ivy League 1st or 2nd team honors from 1994-1996. His 19 career sacks from the defensive end position, set the school record. He finished his career at the school with 34 games played, 182 tackles, 25 tackles for losses, 19 sacks, and 1 forced fumble and recovery. Coming from a small school, probably worked against Payne, but his 6-4 , 290 frame bode well for him to transition from end to tackle in the NFL. The Jacksonville Jaguars made Seth their 4th round pick of the 1997 draft where he made the transition slowly into the starting lineup. By 1999 though, Payne was a fulltime starter. He played through the 2001 season with the Jaguars recording his best season that udhou02 payneyear with 5 sacks and 55 tackles.

At this point the Jaguars were in salary cap hell, so to get out of it, they arranged with the expansion Houston Texans a deal- take Tony Boselli with the first pick, and the Jaguars would
make Seth Payne and Gary Walker available for the Texans to grab as well. This would help alleviate some of the Jaguars cap purgatory. Former Jaguars defensive coordinator (1999-2000) Dom Capers and Texans head coach, jumped at the offer.

Seth was moved to nose tackle in 2002. He recorded a career high 65 tackles and the Texans first safety in the team’s first game against the Dallas Cowboys.  After injury claimed his 2003 campaign, Payne returned to form in 2004 with 2 sacks and 51 tackles. In 2005, he hustled his way to 4 sacks and 59 tackles, but injuries claimed the majority of his 2006 season, and while Seth survived the initial change over from Capers to new head coach Gary Kubiak, he’d be cut in early 2007. Payne at the time of his departure was the longest tenured member of the defense and the sbd97 paynelast member of the Texans initial expansion draft to be cut. Although the Jaguars resigned him later on, Seth was cut in training camp before the next regular season.

Seth at this time has joined the Houston Sports Radio 610 team. At Fan Fest this year, he signed these three cards for me, even remarking that the (hideous) Scoreboard college card of him, was actually a photo from his junior season when he was mobbing Columbia tailback ( and future NFL defensive end) Marcellus Wiley. Wiley was a short yardage back at the time, and clocked in generously at 6-4, 275, so when he and Payne collided, it provided fans quite the show.

G/Gs 121/98    Tac 333     Sac 17.5       Fum 3
Int 0      Yds 0     Avg -.-     Td 0     Lg -.-

 

NFL

Lowdermilk, Kirk

Card: ProSet 1989
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Kirk Lowdermilk was an offensive lineman out of Ohio State taken in the 3rd round of the 1985 draft. With great measurables at 6’3″, 284, he stepped right in, starting 2 games at center for the team his rookie season and playing mainly on special teams as a long snapper. It wouldn’t be until 1987, that Kirk solidified his regular starting status for the Vikings,  and he’d work hard paving the way for guys like Darrin Nelson, and Alfred Anderson out of the backfield, while snapping to quarterbacks Tommy Kramer and Wade Wilson. At the time he was the league’s youngest starting center at the age of 24. He broke his thumb the following season, in 1988, which caused him to miss 4 games. Still he earned AP honorable mention after the season concluded. The team’s workmanlike approach allowed them to field very consistent playoff caliber teams through the years, and Kirk played for them through 1992.

1993 hearalded the dawn of a new era of free agency, and Kirk cashed in becoming the highest paid lineman in the league. Indianapolis desperately needed new blood on the o-line and Kirk fit the bill.  He did not disappoint, playing for the Colts over the next 4 seasons, retiring after the 1996 campaign. Retired and living in Ohio, Kirk has dabbled in coaching in his spare time.

G/Gs 178/150

NFL, University of Texas

Robinson, Keenan

Card: Leaf Rookies 2012, Leaf Young Stars 2012
Acquired: 2012, Box Breaker.  2/16/2013, Longhorn Neighborhood Foundation Bowling Tournament

Keenan Robinson was a solid outside linebacker for the Texas Longhorns as a 3 year starter. In the 2011 campaign he notched 106 tackles, 10 TFL, 1 sack, and 2 FF. Keenan also earned Holiday Bowl MVP Honors after the season. Keenan in college wore (from what I can tell) undersized pads. Either that or the technology has come so far that they look small. Initially the name did not click when I got the Leaf Draft box breaker and I thought he was a wide receiver. His combine numbers were purely average, but this was good enough to rank him 4th among inside linebacker talent. A solid athlete, with a nose for the ball and decent pass coverage skills, Keenan was drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 draft by the Washington Redskins.  Jim Haslett and his defensive staff immediately shifted him to inside linebacker in the hope that he can become one of the heirs to aging superstar London Fletcher, but in the meantime expected Robinson to get a lot of repetition on leafys12 robinsonspecial teams and sparse time full-time in the lineup. He was able to scoop up 12 tackles, but blew out his pectoral muscle in Week 12 and missed the remainder of the season.

I got into the Longhorn Bowling event sheerly through my connections, and while I was there I happened to bump into James Kirkendoll who had shaved his dreds off. Along with him were Aaron Williams and Keenan Robinson. – I embarrassingly did not recognize them. They sat down and had lunch with me and were talking a whole gambit of topics from football to the women of Montreal. Later once the bowling teams were announced I finally attached the names to the faces that were sitting in front of me a short time earlier. Keenan took it all in stride and signed the Leaf Young Stars 2012 card for me. It turned out to be a great event and I hope that they consider expanding it in the future on a limited basis to the general public.

 

 

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