Barnett, Tim

Card: Action Packed Rookies 1991
Acquired: TTM 1992, C/o The Kansas City Chiefs

Tim Barnett is a cousin of Philadelphia Eagles receiver Fred Barnett, who went to Jackson State. The Chiefs would take him in the third round of the 1991 draft hoping to improve their wide receiver corps which already had the superior rushing game in Christian Okoye and Barry Word. In his rookie season Tim started 8 games, making an impressive 41 catches for 564 yards and 5 touchdowns. He’d start to really come about in 1992, starting only 3 games but establishing himself as a long range threat (18.4 yard average on 24 catches) with a long 77 yard touchdown reception. Tim helped the Chiefs advance in the playoffs that year- catching a critical touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the playoffs from Joe Montana. 1993  saw another decrease in playing time once again, with Tim starting no games, however he quietly accumulated 17 receptions and a touchdown.

Unfortunately the young Barnett had been building up a rap sheet in his spare time as well for domestic assault and was on two year’s probation for misdemeanor assault and battery, -once even for pistol whipping his wife. On June 14th, 1994 Tim Barnett exposed himself and grabbed a 14 year old girl at a motel in Milwaukee. Kansas City considered Barnett toxic and immediately granted him his release. Later it was revealed that the victim had made the story up in hopes of getting a settlement out of Barnett, but the damage had already been done.

Barnett later played in the NFLE for the Scotland Claymores in 1995. He’d have a steady season with 21 receptions for 298 yards and 3 touchdowns, while the team slumped to a 2-8 record under 3 head coaches.

G/Gs 44/11   Rec 82   Yds 1188  Avg 14.5  Td 10  Lg 77T

McCallum, Napoleon

Card: ProSet 1993
Acquired: In person 1993, Dallas Cowboys training camp

Napoleon McCallum was an amazing talent coming out of high school where he decided to sign and go to college at Navy. He’d redshirt after injury at first and then later go on to be a two time All-American as Navy’s star tailback and special teams returner, setting a then record with 7,172 yards from scrimmage and become the school’s all-time leading rusher.

Drafted in the 4th round of the 1986 draft, McCallum would play one season with the Los Angeles Raiders rushing for 536 yards and catching 13 balls, before having to fulfill his 5 year military commitment.

McCallum rejoined the team to a much different backfield in 1990, and was confined primarily to special teams. He also saw some goalline duty as a fullback with the team in 1993, rushing for 3 touchdowns. Napoleon in the postseason that year added 2 more TDs and appeared poised for a breakout season. Unfortunately before Napoleon could continue his career he was critically injured in perhaps one of the grizzliest plays in football history on Opening Day of Monday Night Football in 1994.

Planting his foot and getting it stuck, he’d was tackled by Ken Norton Jr. As Napoleon went to the ground his leg literally came apart. The injury was so catastrophic that doctors almost had to amputate Napoleon’s leg. Needless to say- he would never play a down a football again.

Since football, McCallum in total has had 6 surgeries to repair the damage to his leg but remains upbeat, plays a lot of golf and stays active. Napoleon was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

G/Gs 74/6   Rush 223     Yds  790      Avg  3.5       Td 6      lg  18    |
Rec 17    Yds 121   Avg 7.1     Td 0     lg 22

Shula, Don (1930-2020)

Card: ProSet 1991
Acquired:  TTM 1992, C/o The Miami Dolphins

Don Shula was a member of the newly merged Cleveland Browns a season after they joined the NFL. Playing defensive back on that stacked team, he rarely if ever saw any playing time, but still managed to make 4 interceptions his rookie season. He’d be traded to the Baltimore Colts in one of the largest player trades of all time getting 4 seasons in with the team continuing his strong play making 14 interceptions. In 1957, Don played his final season with the Washington Redskins making 3 more interceptions.

G  73       Tac  N/a       Sac N/a      Fum   4
Int 21      Yds  267     Avg 12.7     Td 0    Lg 35

This would not end Don Shula’s football career as he would make the transition into coaching. After a small stint in college at the University of Virginia,  Don was back in the pro ranks as an assistant for the Detroit Lions from 1960-1962 (defensive coordinator). He was then rewarded with the head coaching job in Baltimore in 1963 at the age of 33, which was the youngest coach in the league at the time. Don would spend the next 7 seasons there winning 71 contests but losing two championships (1964, and SuperBowl III).

In 1970 the Miami Dolphins signed Don as their head coach and were charged with tampering forfeiting their first round choice that year. Because of the odd nature of the timing- negotiating before the AFL/NFL merger, but signing afterwards, Miami had to suffer the consequences because they were now merged leagues.  Shula would go on to become one of the ‘Big 3’ coaches (Landry, Shula and, Noll,) in the NFL’s modern era. Shula’s teams during the 70s had dominating defensive units and offensive lines supported by a ground game which allowed them to excel against their NFL counterparts. His team would reach the big game by 1971. Shula’s 1972 unit is the only team to finish undefeated in NFL history winning all its regular season games and post season contests (17-0) and in 1973 they’d return again winning this time against the Minnesota Vikings. This team was the last of Shula’s teams to win the SuperBowl but his teams would consistently remain in the playoffs. In 1983 however the team would make the transition to a passing franchise with the drafting of one player- Dan Marino. Marino guided the team to the Super Bowl in 1984 throwing a then NFL record 50 touchdown passes. Shula’s teams reached the playoffs 20 times in 33 attempts. He’d retire after the 1993 season, with a large legacy under his belt.  26 of 28 seasons of winning football in Miami, the coach with the most Super Bowl appearances (6), a 4 time coach of the year, one of two coaches in history to have over 300 wins, and the winningest coach in league history. I would get Don’s autograph through the mail courtesy of the Dolphins in 1992 right after Christmas.

Since retiring Shula has made time to occasionally attend his team’s 17-0 reunions, owns an extremely successful chain of steakhouses and has his name on a golf course and hotel in Florida. He also is involved in the Don Shula Foundation for breast cancer research. In 1997, Shula was a shoe-in for the NFL HoF.  He has also been involved in numerous presentation ceremonies over the last few years, had stadiums and highways named after him and has authored 3 books.

W 328   L 156   T 6   Pct .678

UPDATE 5/4/2020– Don Shula passed away peacefully today at the age of 90.

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