Tag Archives: adrenalyn 2009

NFL

Stokley, Brandon

CARDS: Adrenalyn 2009, Score 2009
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home
SENT: 8/8 RECEIVED: 8/20 (12 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Brandon Stokley played for ULM Ragin’ Cajuns from 1995-’98.
  • He finished as the all-time leader in receptions (241), reception yardage (3,702), and touchdown receptions (25).
  • 4th Round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 1999 NFL Draft.
  • He’d start 11 of 39 contests for the Ravens over the next 4 seasons catching 73 passes for 1028 yards and 7 TDs.
  • In Super Bowl XXXV, he caught 3 passes for 52 yards and a TD.
  • Signed with the Colts in 2003.
  • Had his best season as a pro catching passes from Peyton Manning in 2004.
  • On the season Stokley caught 68 passes for 1077 yards and 10 TDs.
  • More impressive was the fact that he became part of the first trio of 1,000 yard receivers in a season (alongside Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison).
  • Injuries really sapped his next two seasons to the bone as he caught just 49 passes.
  • Brandon signed with the Broncos in 2007, where he played the next 3 seasons.
  • Again Stokley’s numbers spiked with 40 receptions for 635 yards and 5 TDs that season.
  • Released by the Broncos in 2010, he spent the season with the Seattle Seahawks adding another 31 receptions to his career total.
  • Injuries plagued Brandon again in 2011, and after a disappointing two games with the Giants- he’d be cut.
  • 2012, was a reunion of sorts for Brandon, paired back up in Denver with his former Colts QB Peyton Manning.
  • Stokely posted 45 catches for 544 yards and 5 TDs for the Broncos as they won the Super Bowl.
  • He’d resign with the Ravens in 2013, seeing action in 6 contests- but having his season and career ended by a concussion.
  • Since he retired, Brandon has done sports radio in the Denver area.

ACCOLADES:

  • (ULM) Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame 2008
  • Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame 2018

NOTES:

I always seemed to get Brandon confused with other receivers who played in Indianapolis around this period of time. (Anthony Gonzalez and Austin Collie.) The Score 2009 set is a need, so I shot this one out to him along with the really nice Adrenalyn card.

RECYDSAVGTDLG
397533913.43987t
NFL

Orakpo, Brian, (3)

Donruss Rookies & Stars 2009, #128

CARDS: Upper Deck First Edition 2009, Donruss Rookies and Stars 2009, Score 2012, Bowman 2009 Superlatives, Upper Deck 2009 Football Heroes, Adrenalyn 2009, Photo memorabilia
ACQUIRED: In Person, 2021

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

Photo memorabilia Upper Deck First Edition 2009, #184

NOTES:

Never in my wildest dreams after seeing Ricky Williams during Spring Break of 2020, would I believe that I wouldn’t see another in person signing until September of 2021, but that is exactly what happened due to COVID. My work (at the time) sent us home- telling us they’d see us in a week or two. Our stay was extended indefinitely, eventually to a point where I never stepped foot in the office again.

Orakpo was hosting an event for a new business he was working on, Restore Wellness. I decided to have some fun and got a treatment trying out cryotherapy. It completely got rid of my joints cracking for a few days.

Bowman 2009 Draft Picks Superlatives, #S2 Upper Deck 2009 Heroes. #184

Adrenalyn 2009, #389 Score 2011, #293

We watched the UT game against TCU, and I gave a pretty accurate score. Brian signed anything and everything. I grabbed a few signed photos on my way out the door, and gave them to a few friends. I am quickly running out of cards of his. A lot of these represented set needs and likes, as the Donruss Rookies & Stars 09, and the Adrenalyn always stuck out in my mind.

AAF, NFL

Allen, Jared

Cards: Score 2009, Upper Deck 2009, Adrenalyn 2009
Acquired: TTM C/o Home, 2019
Sent: 4/6 Received: 4/18 (12 days)

Jared played college ball for the Idaho State Bengals from 2000 to 2003. It should be noted that Allen experienced exponential growth in almost every statistical field every year he played for the Bengals. In his Senior year of 2003, he started 12 games and posted 102 combined tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, 9 pass deflections, 6 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries- earning him the Buck Buchanan award for the nation’s best D-I defensive player. Despite Jared’s resume and imposing physique (6’6″, 265), he was not selected until the 4th round of the 2004 draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jared played 4 seasons for the Chiefs and much like his college career, experienced a strong upward curve in his statistical production. In his final season in Kansas City, Jared logged an NFL leading 15.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss, while catching 2 TD passes moonlighting on offense. He was named both to the Pro Bowl and an All-Pro.

Jared was traded by the Chiefs to the Vikings in 2008 in a blockbuster trade. Taking his talents to the NFC North, Jared again notched 2 more AP and Pro Bowl seasons with consecutive 14.5 sack seasons. After a ‘down year’ in 2010, Allen had a career high 22 sacks- missing the NFL sack record by just .5 sacks in the final game. He’d play two more years in Minnesota, and finish with an impressive 85.5 sacks in just 6 years.

Allen moved on to the Bears for 2014, but was moved to an OLB capacity in Chicago’s 3-4 alignment and record 5.5 sacks on the season. Jared was on the move again, traded to the Carolina Panthers 4 games into the season. He’d play in his first Super Bowl as the Panthers fell to the Broncos 24-10.

After the season, Jared retired but holds the NFL records for safeties (4-tied), consecutive games with a sack (11), and times leading the league in sacks (2). He has led a very interesting life post-retirement and has worked in charitable work with the Juvenile Diabetes Program, the NFL-USO tours, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Outside of that he’s an avid outdoorsman and curler, and put together a team of former NFL players to compete at a variety of national curling competitions.

I am so proud to be a part of @theAAF and be able to help change the game forever.

– Jared Allen

In 2018, Jared stunned the football world when he joined Bill Polian, Troy Polamalu, Justin Tuck, and founder Charlie Ebersol on stage to announce the Alliance of American Football. In the well rehearsed but quickly staged news conference Jared and Justin Tuck got up on a stage and sold the product like a tech start up. Forget the XFL. I was in and I was excited for the A-A-F.

Jared was in full throttle too, as both an investor and also in player relations. Oddly though, this was the most we saw of Jared for the remainder of the AAF’s short duration. He continued to strongly trumpet the league on social media, but as 2019 rolled around, this came to an abrupt stop.

In April of 2019, after hemorrhaging cash for most of its duration the AAF ended after just 8 games, as chief investor Tom Dundon pulled out his remaining investment.

Considering Jared’s through the mail track record, I was shocked to get this one back, little less in 12 days. I’d like to believe that the content of the letter matters and that players do read them.

Jared has a lot of great looking cards. It was very hard to trim it down to even 3 to send him, however I chose these 3 from his time as a member of the Minnesota Vikings. For once I was sort of underwhelmed by a Score 2009 entry, purely because it’s Jared celebrating after a sack. His hands both annoyingly go into the margin of the design and make the photo placement look careless. I really like the look of both the Upper Deck and the Adrenalyn cards while the Adrenalyn has a nice reflecting shine to it.

G/GSTACSACFUM
187/181642136.032
INTYDSAVGTDLG
6559,1136