Tag Archives: action packed 1992

AAF, NFL, XFL

Johnson, Pepper

Action Packed 1992 #182, ProSet 1989 #470

Cards: Action Packed 1992, ProSet 1989, Topps AAF 2019
Acquired: TTM 2021, C/o Work
Sent: 4/3 Received: 5/10 (37 days)
Donation: $5.00 per card

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Recorded 379 tackles and 5 sacks playing for the Buckeyes from 1982-1985.
  • New York Giants 2nd Round pick out of Ohio State in 1986 who was penciled in to play inside linebacker replacing Harry Carson.
  • Equally adept dropping into pass coverage or laying down the wood on opposing ball carriers.
  • Giants leading tackler in 1988, 1990-1992.
  • Pepper joined the Cleveland Browns in 1993, reuniting him with former Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick, who used him at both inside and outside linebacker.
  • Johnson led the Browns in tackles with 207 in 1994, and 195 in 1995.
  • Went on to play for the Lions (96), and Jets (97/98).
  • Joined coaching staff of the Patriots in 2000 as a positional coach, and coached there through 2013.
  • Later Pepper coached for the Bills (14), Jets (15/16), in the AAF with the Memphis Express (2019), and briefly with the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL (2020).
  • In 2021 Pepper coached for IMG Academy in Florida.
Topps AAF 2019 #78

ACCOLADES:

  • Pepper is a two time Pro Bowler (90/94).
  • First team All-Pro (90).
  • Two time Super Bowl champion as player (XXI, XXV).
  • Three time Super Bowl champion as coach (XXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX)

NOTES:

Pepper’s given name is Thomas. His nickname came from his habit of sprinkling pepper on his cereal as a child.

Pepper’s time in the XFL as a defensive coach lasted just one game as defensive coordinator of the Wildcats in 2020. He was fired after the team allowed 4 TD passes against the Houston Roughnecks in their season opener.

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NFL

Harvey, Ken

Cards: Score 1990, Action Packed 1990, Action Packed 1991, Action Packed 1992
Acquired: TTM 2020 C/o Home
Sent: 10/13 Received: 10/26 (13 days)
Failure: TTM 2015, C/o Home

I have been angling to add Ken Harvey to my collection for a very long time. It wasn’t because of his playing career as much as the places we both came from. Heck he and I technically grew up in the same neighborhood since his high school was right down the street from me. Heck he even quit school briefly as he fell in with the wrong crowd briefly, and worked at Fuddruckers over on Anderson Rd in The Village across from Northcross Mall.

I probably even frequented it a kid about the time he worked there. I remembered not being fond of their liquid cheese, and sitting under these giant canvas military grade tents on the patio eating a giant burger with my parents. Anyway, it’s all long gone- even Northcross Mall which is now a mini-Walmart.

Ken got his act together, went back and finished high school and was snatched up by the California Golden Bears. After an impressive college career playing linebacker at Cal wrapped up in 1987, Ken was selected in the first round of the 1988 Draft by the Phoenix Cardinals. – It wasn’t hailed as such a big deal back then, even though being from Austin and being a ‘small town’ kid making it big in the NFL, especially from my neighborhood should’ve been. When I got his first couple of football cards, I was very excited. – I mean here was a player I had a personal connection to from a location basis. We walked the same streets. We had been in the same 7-11’s- maybe to buy those same cherry Slurpees, nachos, and a pack of football cards or two. – Well maybe not the nachos for him but- he immediately became relatable.

Ken played six seasons with the woeful Cards at right outside linebacker. He put up some solid numbers over that period, recording 120 tackles in 1989 and 10 sacks in 1990. I seem to remember he had a falling out in 1993 with the club, signing with the division rival Washington Redskins in 1994. From 1994-1997 Ken was considered one of the most dominant linebackers of the NFC East. He’d earn a Pro Bowl nod in each of those seasons, recording a career high 13.5 sacks in that ’94 campaign. He’d call it a career shortly before the beginning of the 1999 season.

Ken has been honored by the Redskins as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins, and was inducted into the club’s Ring of Fame. He also has received a couple of nominations for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He currently lives in the DC area and has had an interesting post-professional playing career, working for the Redskins, writing for the Washington Post, and training aspiring tourists to become astronauts. He wrote a very nice note to accompany my cards, saying it’d be an honor to sign them.

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164/13582889.015
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NFL

Cook, Marv (2)


Cards: Score 1993, GameDay 1992, Action Packed 1991, Action Packed 1992
Acquired: 2012, Akron Acquisition. 2017, TTM C/o Home
Sent: 9/28   Received: 10/07  (9 days)
See Also: Marv Cook

After his NFL career concluded in 1996, Marv has become a well respected coach at the high school level in Iowa City, IA winning numerous state titles. He has some great cards and after getting the Score 1993 in 2012 C/o the Akron Acquisition, I thought I’d go ahead and get a few more since he’s a great signer through the mail.

The Score 1993 card is a really conservative design, anchored well on the left and bottom- but among the pantheon of card designs this was a pretty boring look. A few nitpicks- They typeface used is too narrow making the team and position difficult to read. Maybe it’s just because of the color scheme, but this looks like it belongs on a Domino’s Pizza box.

Marv’s Action Packed entries are typical of this set. Good sports photography supported by the embossed gimmick. The minimal works here, because of the punchy mid-range photography, although in the 1992 entry the nameplate is lost in the photo.  On the 1992 entries it was a nice touch with the red stripe used for AFC teams while the blue stripe used for NFC.

I always had a weak spot for the GameDay cards. GameDay was interesting because it was the only Long Tom set on the market. I loved this set specifically for that look alone which not only separated itself from the competition on the market, but resembled a ticket, standing out from the crowd at an event. This card of Marv, I think the photo was from the game in which he caught a TD in an epic upset over the Houston Oilers at Foxboro Stadium.