Tag Archives: action packed rookies 1992

Arena, NFL

Nagle, Browning ‘Browning Rifle’ (1968-2026)

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1991, Action Packed Rookies 1992, Pro Set Platinum 1992, GameDay 1992
Acquired: In Person 1993, CGA Youth Golf Tournament

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Browning Nagle played QB at Louisville from 1987 to ’90, after transferring over from West Virginia (’86).
  • Over his time with the Cardinals he threw for 4,653 yards and 32 touchdowns in two years.
  • Culminated his career at Louisville with a 1991 Fiesta Bowl win over Alabama, where he posted a program-record 451 yards and three touchdowns.
  • Selected in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.
  • After a quiet rookie season on the bench learning the ropes behind Ken O’Brien, Nagle would step into the starting lineup for the Jets in 1992.
  • Threw for 366 yards and 2 TDs in first start, but the good times would be few and far between after that.
  • In 14 games he’d throw 7 touchdowns and for 2280 yards- but he’d turn the ball over 29 times (12 fumbles and 17 interceptions).
  • When Boomer Esiason arrived the following season Nagle headed back to the bench in 1993.
  • In 1994, he’d sign with the Colts and finish out his 1995 and 1996 on the Falcons.  
  • Over his NFL career Browning suited up for 24 contests.
  • After sitting out 1997 and 1998 Nagle would play two seasons in the Arena leagues, for the Predators (1999) and Buffalo Destroyers (2000) before retiring from football.
  • His two seasons in the AFL were pretty good in respect to his NFL work. (553 att, 303 comp, 54.8%, 4120 yards, 74 td, 18 int, 98.6 rat)
  • After football, Nagle worked at Medtronic as a senior marketing manager.
  • He was also extremely active in the celebrity golf tournament network.

ACCOLADES:

  • 1991 Fiesta Bowl MVP
  • Reitz Memorial High School Hall of Fame

NOTES:

“And with the 34th pick in the 1991 NFL draft, The New York Jets select: Browning Nagle, Quarterback, Louisville.”  Perhaps most notably known as the pick right after Brett Favre, Browning Nagle came from a long line of drafted quarterbacks from Louisville. The Jets went quarterback surprisingly, (despite a glaring need for defense,) enchanted by Nagle’s strength and velocity on the ball.  

In one of my fonder moments on the first day of the CGA Youth Golf Tournament in 1993,  I met Billy Joe Tolliver, Browning Nagle and Steve Bartkowski on the course. They liked my likenesses I drew of them so much they signed everything I had of them. We talked football for a few minutes and I rode around on the course with them for a hole. 

I was very lucky to get Browning’s autograph on a few cards, as he was a total and elusive signer TTM.

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EPITAPH:

4/10/26- It was announced today that Browning Nagle had passed away earlier this week after a battle with colon cancer. He was just 57 years old.

NFL

Jones, Robert

Card: Action Packed Rookies 1992
Acquired: Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1993

Robert Jones had some great cards, especially his college ones which showcased his uniforms from ECU. An incredible linebacker talent coming out of college Jones would be drafted by the Cowboys in the first round of the 1992 draft, where he’d be named NFC rookie of the year following the season demonstrating consistently solid yet unflashy play. After sitting on the bench the majority of the 1993 season, he again asserted himself as starter at linebacker for the Cowboys, winning 3 SuperBowls with the team. In 1996 Jones became a free agent and signed with the St. Louis Rams starting 28 games over 2 seasons with the franchise. In 1998 Jones went to Miami where he was reunited with former coach Jimmy Johnson.Robert would have a career high 5 sacks and 2 picks that season where the team would move him to right linebacker, a position he would play the remainder of his career. Jones would become a veteran casualty in 2001, and would play that season with the Redskins.  In 2002, Robert would sign a free agent contract on April 25th, with the expansion Houston Texans- but inexplicably on May 14th, asked to be released and retired.

G/Gs 151/128   Tac 602  Sac 8.0   Fum 1 Int 3   Yds 14  Avg 4.1  Td 1   lg 14t

NFL

Thompson, Darrell

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1990, Action Packed 1992
Acquired: TTM 1993, C/o The Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers (at least during the 1990s) were a really good organization with TTM requests.  Darrell Thompson is basically a Great Lakes legend where he went to school locally in Rochester, Minnesota and then at college at Minnesota playing for the Golden Gophers where he’d lead the team in rushing in 1986, 1989 and 1990. Thompson would finish with 40 rushing touchdowns and rank 4th on the college’s all time offensive yardage list with 4,518 yards rushing and 337 yards receiving, easily running away with the school’s rushing record. At 6 feet and 210 pounds, Thompson was an imposing force. The Green Bay Packers would make him the 19th pick of the 1990 draft and immediately pencil Darrell in at fullback. He would come in off the bench his rookie season while he was learning the system and do some spot duty at kick returning- even returning one for a touchdown. His second season would have him lead the Packers anemic rushing attack, chipping in 471 yards starting in 13 games. Thompson would suffer a series of setbacks from injuries starting only 4 games in 1992, but would rebound nicely in 1993 rushing for a career high 654 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Pack- but buried in the depth chart in 1994 Darrell and after only 8 games Thompson’s season would be over- and so would his career. He would work with at risk children and first time offenders in a Twin Cities project called Bolder Options which he expanded his involvement in after retirement. Thompson would also become a regular with the Minnesota Gophers athletic department and has gone into broadcasting, working radio for the Golden Gopher network.

G/Gs 60/28     Rush 464    Yds 1641    Avg 3.5    Td 7    Lg 60 |
Rec 41    Yds 330  Avg 8.0  Td 1   Lg 43