Card:  TNT AFL Talons 2014
Acquired: IP 5/17/14, San Antonio Talons vs. New Orleans Voodoo
See Also: PJ Berry

PJ Berry is a model for the AFL as far as I’ve observed. He’s exciting to watch, posts big numbers, and above all else is extremely fan friendly. At games, I always see him talking to other fans, letting young kids hold his helmet, and he always gives a shout out to everybody in the stands to make them feel special and unique. That is the type of player that the league should tout. I lament at the fact it appears that PJ has never had his jersey printed for general fan consumption and hope that the AFL can capitalize off of this.

After a slow start, the team traded Jomo Wilson back to the Jacksonville Sharks. This cleared the way for Berry to start opposite DJ Stephens at receiver. In the meantime PJ tore it up on returns. With lightening speed and fluid hips, Berry’s greatest assets are his vision and ability to turn on a dime.

I made it down to the field after the Voodoo game and gave PJ his new card, which he really liked a lot. I’m glad I replaced the previous photo I had of Berry. This is a solid shot of him. I got a couple of requests for PJ’s card I went ahead and fulfilled for other fans. It always makes me feel good that other fans might just appreciate my work.  PJ had a decent season in 2014, but probably not up to his monster statistic levels. He finished with 61 receptions for 809 yards and 10 TDs, to go along with 36 kick returns for 689 yards, and 2 touchdowns, powering the Talons to one of the top ranked return units in the league.

Card: TNT AFL 2011
Acquired: In person, 3/1/14  Talons Season Ticket Party

Of all the players that the San Antonio Talons signed in 2014, I was most excited about PJ Berry. I had created a demo card of PJ back in 2011, when I was planning to do one shots of all the team’s best players in the AFL. While the project quickly broke down because of real life stuff, I always had it somewhat on the backburner. The cards are like nothing on the market, and that to me is very exciting. So to come back to this project and find that AFL players like it and some are even asking me for some is very flattering. When the Talons signed PJ I tweeted him a copy of his card. He really liked it a lot and retweeted it to his masses.  I told him I’d see him soon to have it autographed. Lo and behold at the Talons event, when the players swarmed me to look at my cards, they started shouting, “PJ! PJ! He’s got your card! Come see this!” As PJ came over I told him that I was a man of my word and here I was to get my card autographed. He shook my hand and made a good scene of it, and told me that he wasn’t Superman right now, -just Clark Kent.

PJ has quickly established himself as one of the most electrifying players in the AFL.  In his rookie season for Bossier-Shreveport, he recorded 118 receptions for 1,352 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also had 65 kick returns for 1,171 yards and 2 touchdowns to add to his totals in 2010.  While he’d be beaten out for rookie of the year honors by Rod Windsor, Berry was named AFL Ironman of the Year in 2011, after he set the league season record for all purpose yardage with 3,752 yards from scrimmage and kick returns (100) with the New Orleans Voodoo. Another fine season in Pittsburgh in 2012 with 1,282 yards and a franchise record 2,024 yards kick returning earned Berry his second consecutive Ironman award, but he’d have a down year in 2013, before being assigned to the San Antonio Talons for 2014.

Berry also played for the South Georgia Wildcats of AFL2 in 2008 where he was known as an explosive and dangerous kick returner, demonstrated by his 6 TDs during that season.  Its a shame really that PJ hasn’t been able to catch onto an NFL roster. He was given a tryout with the Saints in 2011 after he record breaking season, but because of New Orleans depth, PJ was unable to make the team. Still PJ is considered a budding star of the AFL at this time and he is considered my biggest catch of the league to date.