Tag Archives: action packed rookies 1992

NFL

Coleman, Marco

Cards:  Action Packed Rookies 1992, Classic 1992, SkyBox 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 11/8   Received: 11/21  (13 days)

Nice acquisition here in the form of 1992 defensive rookie of the year Marco Coleman signing 3 cards in under two weeks. The SkyBox and Classic cards were hilarious as they are taken less than 5 seconds apart. You usually see cards where it is the same photo, but not one a few seconds apart. The Action Packed 1992 Rookies card is stellar though making up for it, as it’s well known I like getting these cards autographed.

Marco Coleman was a dominant linebacker out of college from Georgia Tech. He broke the school record of sacks previously held by sackmaster Pat Swilling (28).  At 6’3, 286, Coleman was considered slow for his position but undersized for defensive end. Certainly he was a forerunner to what is referred to sometimes as a ‘tweener’. The Dolphins needing new blood at the position drafted Marco #12 overall in 1992, and he was the second linebacker off the board behind Quentin Coryatt. Coleman would start both at linebacker and defensive end in his rookie season, finishing with 6 sacks and 84 tackles but after it was all said and done, Marco really took off at defensive end. He’d start there the rest of his career primarily playing on the right side, averaging 5.5 sacks over the next three seasons.
After a 3 year stint with the Chargers from 1996-1998, where he tacked on 9.5 more sacks to his career totals, Marco signed with the Redskins in 1999. Returning to his rookie form, Coleman made 6.5 sacks, 42 tackles and recovered a fumble that he returned 42 yards for a touchdown. He’d top that in 2000 lodging a career high 12 sacks and earning a Pro Bowl berth after being moved to left defensive end.  In 2002, he’d enter the journeyman phase of his career, and play for the Jaguars and Eagles one season a piece, before finishing out his career playing for the Broncos in 2004 and 2005.

G/Gs  207/185     Tac  520    Sac  65.5     Fum 18    Int 1     Yds 2     Avg 2.0      Td  0     Lg 2

 

NFL

Williams, Darryl “Hitman”

Cards: GameDay 1992, Action Packed Rookies 1992, StarPics 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o  Home
Sent: 8/26    Received:  9/3  (7 days)

The Miami Hurricanes free safety and head hunter Darryl Williams helped the team win the National Championship in 1989 and 1991. Quick, fast, and fluid, Williams was a great athlete who showed the willingness to apply the hit as well as sit in zone to make the pick. A team leader out of the gate, Darryl had great instincts and reacted well to plays. The knock on him was his lack of size (6’0″, 193) and experience at the position (only a 2 year starter). He’d finish as the Hurricanes 4th all-time leading tackler with 173 total tackles, and 8 picks for 150 yards, 2 td, and 4 fumble recoveries. An All American in college recording 84 stops and 3 picks in 1991, Williams would declare early and be drafted by the Bengals in a draft day swap with the Washington Redskins during the first round (#28) of the 1992 draft.  It’d be the first time the Bengals would draft a safety in the first round of the NFL draft, underscoring their attempts to keep up with the pass happy Oilers in the AFC Central arms race.

Williams rookie season was a strong performance in 1992, with 4 picks, 2 sacks and 78 tackles starting 12 games that season.  It’d be in 1993 that he’d start the oddest of streaks: the NFL record for most consecutive starts by a free safety, a record he still holds to this day with 108 games. During that season Hitman made an interception that he’d return 97 yards in a 24-16 loss to the Steelers.  Darryl would also wreck havoc in the secondary recording a career high 126 tackles. He’d also notch a safety in 1995 before heading west to play for the Seattle Seahawks.

It’d be in 1996 that Williams put together a masterful season with 5 picks for 148 yards and a touchdown. Williams would earn his only Pro Bowl nod and AP nomination in the following season in 1997, where he led the league with 8 interceptions for 172 yards and a touchdown.  Although he had a down year in 1998 with 3 picks, and his streak of starts would end in 1999, he’d prove that indeed you can return home, resigning with the Bengals in 2000.  Hitman would play with the squad through 2001, recording a career high 3.5 sacks in his final season.

I quit collecting cards pretty much en masse after 1992. GameDay, Action Packed and Star Pics, were the last brands I really liked at that point, but by 1993 everybody had left the style that defined themselves behind, (ProSet and Score,) were out of business, (StarPics,) or were concentrating on premium branding (Fleer) that I just didn’t care about.  I sent off for Darryl at the end of August and got a very quick reply in a week. Oddly there was no post mark from where he sent it to me from on the envelope that had taken some water damage, but thankfully the cards were unharmed. He signed the 3 cards I requested, plus the additional card I asked him to keep. A nice return from the Cincinnati Hitman.

G/Gs 156/137     Tac 715       Sac 9.5       Fum 15       Int 31       Yds 691        Avg 22.3       Td   4     Lg  97t

 

NFL, NFLE

Sacca, Tony

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1992, Classic 1992, Classic Blister 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 8/25   Received: 9/12 (17 days)

Tony Sacca played quarterback for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1988-1991. Ol’ Joe Patero was a notorious proponent of the ground game, especially with Blair Thomas in the backfield through 1990, but a trial by fire his Freshman season provided Tony with the chance to start. Although the team started off roughly, by 1991 Sacca had adjusted to the college game and had turned into a fairly solid prospect.  When he graduated from Penn State he was tied as the school’s all-time leader for touchdown passes in a career (41) and a game (five). He was also second in passing yards in his career (5,869) and also in single season yardage (2,488).

The Phoenix Cardinals were looking for answers at quarterback during the 1992 draft and took Sacca with their 2nd round pick. With Timm Rosenbach in the fold, the team hoped to groom Sacca as his backup, but Tony’s career would be short-  completing only 4-of-11 passes with two interceptions in his rookie season. By 1994 he’d be cut, but later signed with the retooled WLAF in 1995, which had renamed itself the NFLE. He’d be selected by the Barcelona Dragons, and backup Casey Weldon at quarterback.

After 2 seasons in Europe, Tony retired to pursue coaching. In 2007, Tony would be stricken with pneumonia which would lead to his hospitalization. He luckily recovered from it and lives in Delran, New Jersey to this day.