Tag Archives: action packed rookies 1992

NFL

Haley, Charles

Card: Action Packed 1992
Acquired: In Person, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1994.

Charles Haley is perhaps one of the craziest players I’ve had the pleasure of getting an autograph from and unfortunately this reputation has denied him from entry into the Pro Football HoF.

There’s always that guy you hear ‘stories’  and rumors about- The one who pulls out his manhood and runs down the hall peeing on Carmen Policy’s office wall. The guy who masturbated during team meetings and talked about other player’s wives while he did it.  The guy who attacked head coaches (George Seifert) and had a wonderful vocabulary that he loved to share with the media but they couldn’t print it. The guy who was so crazy it was rumored that Ronnie Lott was assigned to keep him in line. A guy who nicknamed himself “The Last Naked Warrior” -but it wasn’t his fantasy football team.  The guy who once received bananas in his locker as a joke because of his Neanderthal-like ways.  That’s what I heard.

But there’s the guy who you hear the straight up truth about what he left on the field as a player and father. He’s also the guy who suffered from Bi-Polar disorder, was manic, and was only diagnosed with it a few years after football. He’s the only guy who’s won 5 SuperBowl rings (49ers and Cowboys) and is modest enough not to wear one. He’s the guy who’s daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia and decided to retire. He’s the guy who came back for a final season despite injuries ‘for the love of the game’. He’s the guy who racked up 100.5 sacks over his career as a budding situational pass-rusher and then later defensive end. He’s the guy who wrote his wife poetry when they dated at James-Madison. He’s the guy who loved to go on shopping sprees- for his mother. He’s the guy who walks with a slight bend after constant back surgeries and through therapy, self-discovery and medication has come to understand what he’s done.  He’s the guy who with a committee that values winning over statistical performance, both which he’s demonstrated- still has not gotten into the NFL HoF.

The latter is Charles Haley today and that’s how I choose to remember him, and despite my penchant for hating on Cowboys- I really liked him.

In 2011, although drafted by the San Fransisco 49ers, Charles was honored by the Dallas Cowboys who selected him to announce their 2nd round pick during the NFL draft, and also with an induction into the Cowboys Ring of Honor along with Larry Allen and Drew Pearson.

G/Gs 169/109     Tac  485     Sac 100.5      Fum 26        Int 2    Yds 9   Avg 4.5      Td 0     Lg  8

NFL

Klingler, David

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1992, Classic 1992, SkyBox 1992
Acquired: TTM 1993, C/o The Cincinnatti Bengals. In Person 1996, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp.

David Klingler was another in a line of Houston Cougar record-setting quarterbacks (Andre Ware) under the Run and Shoot offense. He’d set a then record with 11 touchdown passes and 716 yards in a game against Eastern Washington in 1990, winning the Sammy Baugh award after that season. David would also break Ware’s career passing records and set the NCAA record for touchdowns in a season (since broken) with 54. In 1992, Klingler would be the #1 pick of the floundering Cincinnati Bengals franchise with the 6th pick overall (right after Terrell Buckley).(Thinking in terms of quarterbacks that were from the 1992 draft, the only members of this draft to make the Pro Bowl ever in their careers were Brad Johnson and Jeff Blake.) The Bengals had a fresh new coach in Dave Shula, and he wanted a fresh, new face at quarterback along with him. This meant Klingler also had the very unenvious position of replacing extremely popular player Boomer Esiason at quarterback. Klingler in his rookie season would start 4 games under center for the Bengals posting 3 touchdowns to 2 picks, and throwing for an anemic 5.4 yards per throw. He’d also be sacked 18 times in 1992- a rate of a bit over 4 a game. In 1993, Klingler was dubbed starting quarterback, where I’d send off through the mail to get his autograph. In 13 games, the Bengals allowed Klingler to get sacked 40 times, but he’d try to make up for it with his rushing ‘prowess’, running for 282 yards and a 6.9 yard average. He would only throw for 6 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. David would almost duplicate those numbers in 1994, starting in only 7 games and being sacked 24 times. In 1995, he had a forgettable season with the Bengals and was released. Considered one of the many busts of the early nineties, Klingler never really stood a chance behind a patchwork line and in his first career game he was sacked 7 times by the Steelers. The Raiders would take a flyer on Klingler, where he played 2 more seasons and I got his autograph in 1996 at Dallas Cowboys training camp. After his 1996 season with the Raiders, he’d be signed by the Packers looking for competition behind Brett Favre, but he’d lose out in training camp and retire soon thereafter.

Klingler since leaving the NFL has graduated with a Doctorate in Old Testament Studies from the Dallas Theological Seminary. He remains an avid football fan and backer of the University of Houston.

G/Gs   33/20    Att 389    Comp 718     Yds 3994     Pct        Td 16     Int 22   Rat 65.1

NFL

Buckley, Terrell

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1992, Sky Box 1992
Acquired: TTM 1994, C/o The Green Bay Packers

When Buckley came out of Florida State, he had a lot of buzz surrounding him as the second coming of Deion Sanders; Rightfully so since he was a dazzling punt returner and cornerback. The Packers quickly nabbed him with the 5th pick of the first round of the 1992 draft. He’d have 3 picks and 4 fumble recoveries his first season, and be an electrifying punt returner. He’d average 10 yards a return and be the youngest player in the league to score a touchdown on a punt return. With luck getting quite a few Packers through the mail in those years I made a stab at Terrell Buckley in 1994, his final year with the Packers. Within a month or two I got these two back in the mail.

Buckley’s career was underrated to say the least.  After three seasons in Green Bay, he headed out for greener pastures in Miami and played there for the next 5 seasons, pulling down 22 picks and 2 touchdowns. In 2000, he’d hop ship for the Denver Broncos for an impact year with 6 interceptions, and then New England for the next two where Buckley would earn a Superbowl ring. Terrell bounced around for the next three seasons playing again for the Dolphins in 2003, the Jets in 2004 and the Giants in 2005, where he retired at the age of 34. Buckley’s statistics are surprising as he had 50 interceptions in his career, but no Pro Bowl appearances or Hall of Fame nominations to his resume. (He currently is the only defensive player in the league with 50+ interceptions not to be enshrined, ranking him 31st all time.)  After football Buckley returned to Florida State, where at the time of this post he is working on their staff as a strength and conditioning coordinator. Buckley signs his cards ‘TBuck’, a name affectionately given to him by radio and tv personality Jim Rome.

Games 209     Tac  465   Sac 2    FF 15
Int 50        Yds  793       Avg 15.9       Td  6       Lg 91T

Pr  79          Yds 748        Avg  9.4     TD 1      lg 58t