Tag Archives: action packed rookies 1992

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.

 

Arena, NFL

Kosar, Bernie

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1992, GameDay 1992, Score Hot Gun 1990
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 7/19   Received: 7/27  (8 days)

Playing for the Miami Hurricanes with his unique side arm delivery, Bernie Kosar would have teams salivating to get him when he declared for the draft in 1985 with the Oilers, Browns, Bills and Vikings sending shockwaves through the draft board with their maneuvers. After getting wind that Kosar only wanted to play for the Browns, the Oilers traded away their spot to the Vikings, and then Kosar dropped the real bomb before the draft, by not filing the formal paperwork to declare. Everybody threatened to sue everyone in the ensuing melee, but in the end Kosar skipped around the draft and declared for the Supplemental draft that year where he was signed by the Cleveland Browns.

In Kosar’s rookie season, coming off the bench Bernie would help the team enter the playoffs with an 8-8 record and be immortalized in the original Tecmo Bowl. In 1986, playing full time the famously immobile quarterback would lead the team to a 12-4 record throwing a record 489 yards in a playoff game against the Jets, but losing in the championship game to the Broncos.  The 1987 season would present the same scenario, with a Pro Bowl nomination and a championship game loss to the Broncos again.  Despite injuries, Bernie would again take the Browns to a 3rd and final championship game appearance in 1988. After losing a squeaker in the playoffs to the Oilers in 1989, head coach Marty Schottenheimer would be fired, and the Browns would appoint Bud Carson head coach. Kosar would set another NFL record with 286 pass attempts without an interception between the 1990-1991 season but the team would collapse in 1991 to 3-13.


Under head coach Bill Belichick, the Browns would open up the coffers with the advent of free agency in 1993, signing University of Miami alum and quarterback Vinny Testaverde to compete against Kosar. Despite his popularity Bernie would be cut midway through the 1993 season.  The Dallas Cowboys quickly snapped up Kosar to fill in for an injured Troy Aikman where he won a Super Bowl title with the team after the season.

After his short stint in Dallas, Bernie would sign with the Miami Dolphins as Dan Marino‘s backup (after the departure of  Scott Mitchell to Detroit), retiring in 1996.  Since retirement,  Bernie has remained a popular personality in the Cleveland area. An avid golfer, Kosar was the owner of the Arena football franchise Cleveland Gladiators. Despite facing financial difficulties Kosar has remained steadfast, and was named as a consultant to the Cleveland Browns.  I was surprised to get Kosar’s autograph in such a short period of time. It had been rumored that he was charging a stiff autograph fee, but that proved to be untrue.

Kosar  is one of the select players in Tecmo Superbowl that is not identified by their name. Instead he is identified as “QB Browns” to avoid any legal issues. The only way that you know it is him is based on his abilities and the fact that he is white. Regarldess he is represented accurately in the game with great pass control but some awkward abilities but should have about 0 run speed.

G/Gs 126/108   Att  3365    Comp 1994    Yds 23301  Pct 59.3   Td  124   Int 87   Rat 81.8 |
Rush 180    Yds  265   Avg  1.5    Td 5   Lg 23