Cards: All World 1991, Jogo 2018 CFL Alumni Acquired: TTM 2019, C/o Home Sent: 10/23 Received: 11/2 (10 days)
At 5’7″, 200, I think it’d surprise people that Jon Volpe toted the rock at Stanford and in 1988 rushed for 1,027 yards on 228 carries for the Cardinal. He graduated with a BS and an MS in Industrial Engineering and earned honors as a 3 time All-Pac 10 Academic, and a Rhodes Scholar Nominee.
After not being selected in the 1991 NFL draft, Jon was selected by the British Columbia Lions of the CFL with the 4th overall pick. He earned CFL Rookie of the Year Honors, rushing for 1,395 yards and 16 TDs. He’d add another 941 yards and 13 TDs to CFL All-Star Honors in 1992. After a brief holdout and a down year in 1993, Jon joined the Las Vegas Posse of the CFLUSA initiative for 1994. He’d have another 182 yards on 43 carries and 3 TDs.
In 1995 Jon signed with the Pittsbugh Steelers, but a devastating shoulder injury ended his playing career during the preseason.
Jon lives in Tuscon, AZ and as of 2020 is the CEO of NOVA Home Loans, the largest privately held mortgage company in Arizona. He signed the All-World card for me, and tossed in the CFL Jogo Alumni card for me as well in 10 days flat.
The 3rd overall pick of the 1991 CFL draft by the British Columbia Lions, Bart Hull played collegiality for Boise State. A bruising fullback, he rushed for 350 yards on 105 carries, and caught 25 passes for 164 yards. Hull had a nose for the end zone scoring 13 rushing TDs.
Before the season began, BC shipped Bart to the Ottawa Rough Riders for Tony Kimbrough (QB). Bart returned one kick for 11 yards and rushed 2 times for 10 yards, but suffered a gruesome knee injury ending his season after only 3 games. After being cut by the Rough Riders in 1992, he’d briefly see some time on the practice squad of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. After a hiatus, Hull returned to the CFL in 1994 as a member of the Saskatchewan Roughriders seeing action in two games before being cut.
Bart comes from an athletic family, and being originally from Canada, he played some minor league hockey for the RHI and WCHL. In 1999 he was spotted again briefly playing indoor football as a member of the Idaho Stallions of the IPFL.
Bart works in business development now, and as of 2019 was living in the Dallas area. A great looking card of Bart, he signed this one in no time flat.
Card: CFL All-World 1991 Acquired: IP 2019, San Antonio Commanders vs Salt Lake City Stallions
A few days before the game I looked over the coaching roster of the Stallions again, and with that I found the veritable gem in Michael Gray. Packing his card into my stash to take to the game, I figured I could lure him over and nab him either after the half or the game. I identified him early on when he was on the field in pre-game warmups and as SLC battled SA to a standstill at the half, I was able to get his attention and flashed the card and pen. His eyebrows lifted and he mouthed to me that he’d sign after the game. After the game concluded, Gray was the last to leave and lumbered over to sign my card. He was in a hurry, but he was really nice. I told him that if SLC had half the crowd we did, with the way that defensive line he was coaching was playing, that the Stallions will beat us in Salt Lake in a few weeks. He smiled and thanked me for being a fan and left.
Mike Gray joined the BC Lions of the CFL in 1984 after he had tryouts with the Seattle Seahawks in both 83 and 84. He took the league by storm in 1985, earning All-Star Honors and CFL Most Outstanding Rookie Award that year, racking up 13 sacks and 2 interceptions. The following year (1986) Mike added another 6 sacks to his name, before being snatched up by the Ottawa Rough Riders in the league’s equalization draft for 1987. Before the 87 season began, Mike was cut, but was picked up by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Much to both Ottawa and BC’s chagrin, Mike turned it up a notch for the Blue Bombers. From 1987 through 1989 he’d be one of the league’s most dominant defenders at defensive end averaging over 10 sacks and about 40 tackles a season. Gray played through the 1993 season, helping the Bombers to the 76th and 78th Grey Cups. During the 76th Grey Cup Mike came up with the game saving interception against his old team- the BC Lions- netting him Defensive Player of the Game Honors.
Mike has gone into coaching since his playing years ended, seeing stints in the CFL (BC Lions 1993-1994), the NFL (St. Louis Rams 1996-1997), and at the college level (Weber St. 1995, Oregon St 1997-2002, Kentucky 2003-2004, Oregon 2005-2008, UNLV 2010-2014). He was inducted into the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Hall of Fame in 2006, and in 2019 was the Defensive Line coach of the impressive Salt Lake City Stallions front.
G
TAC
SAC
FUM
140
N/a
64.0
12
INT
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
2
6
3.0
0
13
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
