NFL, Pro Football HoF, wfl

Kelly, Leroy

to70 kellyCards: Topps 1971, Topps 1973
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent: 12/4  Received: 12/14     (10 days) *
* Signing fee $10.00 per card

Topps classic 1971 effort remains one of my favorites that the company ever did. It’s simplistic design layout along with classic shots of players, really has always caught my eye. Kelly was iconic in his Browns poncho style jacket of the era, that epitomized the grit and elements that his opponent faced in Cleveland, but he excelled in.

Leroy Kelly played in the shadow of runningback Jim Brown for the Cleveland Browns. Not to be outdone by the exiting Brown, Kelly went on to notch many team and league records in his own stead. A bruising runningback in his own right, Kelly was in command on the sloppy Cleveland Browns’ Stadium grass/mud, and carved up many teams of the day. Before he ran the gridiron for the Browns though, he was a standout back for Morgan State Bears and a Black College Football All-American. There he did everything and seldom left the field as a runningback, defensive back, punter, and return man- (after he showed up initially at Morgan St. as a quarterback.)  He helped the Bears win a CIAA title. The Browns amazingly nabbed him in the 8th round of the 1964 draft. (No AFL team bothered to draft him at the time.) The knock on Kelly was that he was too small to be playing RB at the time, as most teams featured big backs, so Kelly set out to bulk up to 200 and prove to the league that he would be a wisely invested draft choice.

to77 kellyLeroy rushed for 7,274 yards during his career, -rushing for over 1,000 yards his first three years after becoming the starter.  He won NFL rushing titles in 1967 and 1968 and was a two-time punt return champion as well.  His numbers stand up well in league history with a  combined 12,329 all-purpose yards and 90 touchdowns over his career.   Injuries took their toll on Kelly, and by 1973 it was the end of the road for him. In 1974 the Browns waived Leroy, and he signed with the Oakland Raiders, but soon thereafter was on the roster of the Chicago Fire of the WFL, but that league folded mid-season. At the time of his retirement, he ranked No. 4 all-time in rushing and combined net yards. As a ‘smaller back’, you can point to Kelly as a prime example of a player who helped revolutionize the thinking regarding the intricacies of the the position of runningback versus halfback or fullback and so on. Leroy was enshrined in the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.

I got really interested in writing Leroy after being tuned into his legacy by another fan who has a site dedicated to Leroy and the Browns. I myself, have always sympathized with Cleveland. Just like the Oilers, the city had their team yanked out from under them. They also have shared similar paths to modern day glory and tragedy.  Thus I decided to write Leroy, since he fits the mold of the players I like to get autographs from: Underrated and unappreciated (,well at least by modern day fans).

NFL      G/Gs  136     Rush 1727      Yds 7274     Avg 4.2     Td  74    Lg  70   |
Rec 190    Yds  2281      Avg 12.0     Td  13     Lg  68
KR 76      Yds  1784     Avg 23.5     Td 0    Lg  51
PR 94       Yds  990      Avg 10.5     Td 3    Lg  74t

WFL     Rush 77      Yds 315     Avg 4.1      Td  n/a
Rec 8        Yds 128    Avg 16.0    Td  n/a

 

NFL

Shipley, Jordan

sco12 shipleyCard: Score 2012
Acquired: 2/2/13, IP Sam’s Club Austin

Jordan Shipley was an outstanding receiver for the University of Texas football program. At the time of his graduation he was the school’s all-time leader in receptions with 248, second in yards with 3,191, and second in touchdowns with 33. A two time All-American catching passes from Colt McCoy, Shipley also demonstrated versatility on special teams holding on FGs and returning punts and kickoffs.  (Jordan played 6 years at UT, losing 2 to medical redshirt.)

Shipley was taken in the 3rd round of the 2010 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals were set with starters Chad OchoCinco (Johnson) and Terrell Owens, so he spent a significant amount of his time on the bench behind them. Thankfully with Carson Palmer under center at the time, there was plenty to go around. Jordan finished 2010 ranked 3rd among rookies with 52 receptions for 600 yards (11.5 YPC) and 3 touchdowns. Things were looking up going into 2011, but in week 2 he suffered a terrible kneemem shipley injury that required him to miss the entire season and a good portion of the 2012 preseason. Inexplicably he’d be cut by the Bengals, and was picked up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers briefly. Soon there after Shipley was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars and finished 2012 with 23 receptions for 244 yards, 10.6 YPC, and a touchdown. In early 2013, the Jaguars rewarded him by resigning him as an exclusive rights free agent.

I heard about the Jordan Shipley signing at Sam’s Club through the Texas Autograph Club boards. Surprisingly there was very little traffic for Jordan at the store, so he had no problem signing the Score card plus the Tyson’s card. I was a bit disappointed that I only had one of him, but hear that he’s always found signing things around Austin, so I will try to get back to him again. We talked briefly about his grizzled beard, if he’d sign with the Texans who needed a good slot presence, had a good laugh, and took a photo before I was out the door. Overall it was a pretty good experience and I hope he gets to prove himself with the Jaguars- just not when playing against the Texans.

 

NFL

Epps, Phil

Card: Score 1989 Speedburner
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Phil Epps was actually on the roster of the Jets in the twilight of his career when this card came out in 1989, and due to print timing this card still showcased him in his Packers duds.

Phil was a world class sprinter and decathlete at TCU,  running a reputed 4.25 40 yard dash, the 60 in 6.07, (good enough for 9th fastest in the world,) and the 200 meters at 20.1.  Originally a flanker at TCU the tiny Phil Epps was a shade over 5’10”, 160, and was surprised to receive notice that he’d been drafted by the Pack. A track coach told him about it, and then informed him that his career was going to be in track, not in football. Undaunted Phil went to camp with the Packers and set his mind to making the roster.

Epps joined the Packers during the days of Jefferson and Lofton. He was able to come along quickly, especially aided by his speed and willingness to contribute where he could. Phil spent time at punt returner and really made an impact by his second season, returning a punt 90 yards for a touchdown. He was also a long bomb threat every time he touched the ball, averaging over 15 yards a reception in 5 out of his 7 seasons.  Epps best season was in 1985, recording 683 yards on 44 receptions and 3 touchdowns. After injuries and a holdout in 1988 claimed most of his season, he spent the next season on the roster of the Jets briefly before retiring. He currently lives in Grand Prarie, Texas, and makes it up to a Packers game once or twice a year.

G/Gs 95/45   Rec 200   Yds 2992      Avg 15.0       Td 14        Lg   63
Rush 11     Yds  135      Avg 12.3      Td 1     Lg  34
Kr 34          Yds 686      Avg  20.2    Td  0     Lg 48
Pr 100       Yds 819      Avg  8.2        Td 1      Lg   90t

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