Tag Archives: all world 1991

CFL, NFL

Ismail, Raghib ‘Rocket’ (2)

Cards: Fleer 1996, All World Promo 1991, Classic 1991, Atomic 2001
Acquired: TTM, 2018
Sent: 1/2       Received: 1/8   (6 days)
See Also: Rocket Ismail

Shortly after attending one of the Dallas Cowboys Rally Days where I met Rocket and got his autograph on a handful of cards, he started signing TTM again. I thought initially, “Oh well,” but knew I needed to double back to him to get a few more cards signed. So rolling over to 2018, what better way to kick it off by getting Rocket again as my first autograph of the year?

These cards really offer a cross section of his career starting at Notre Dame on this Classic 1991 promo card. Hand it to Classic trying to be edgy out of the gate, but the name line feels right aligned because the weight is tied to WR. I also wasn’t too big a fan of the brushed granite look, but it beats the cheetah pattern they later used. Overall, it’s a great photo of Rocket and there were quite a few of them to choose from.

From there we move on to the terrible All World CFL series, which tries to emulate the ProSet 1989 design by just angling the lines. There’s also the terrible color choices as the red and blue just feel like they clash a bit too much. It does not help that the Argonaut helmet just sort of -sits there arbitrarily on the canvas. As a promo however it sells what it is: The first set to have Ismail in his professional debut threads.

After his time in the CFL, Rocket jumped back to the NFL courtesy of the Los Angeles Raiders. It seemed to make sense. I mean the only other place with as bright stars and marketing would be Dallas, right? I liked this card. Fleer 1995 was all.. over.. the.. place.. design wise from team to team. It embodied everything I liked and hated in the 1990s sets as the companies started really embracing Photoshop. This one for example has a very unnecessary grain. I like the fearlessness of the design on the front, but it is a bit too much.

After his time with the Raiders, a stop in Dallas was next. It took me a while to come around to the sets of the early 2000s as I didn’t collect any while I was on my football hiatus. Among them I liked the die cut Atomic. I have a soft spot for gimmicky cards, and these certainly look better once you see one.

CFL

Elgaard, Ray

Card:  All World 1991
Acquired: TTM 2017, C/o Home
Sent:  3/17  Received: 3/21  (7 days)

After playing at Utah on scholarship as a tight end, Ray Elgaard returned to Canada to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. A second round pick in the 1983 draft, Elgaard was 6’3″, 220, which made him a mismatch for many of the defensive backs that were currently playing in the league. He not only had soft hands and the speed to play slotback in the league, Ray also could just bowl over defenders en route to the endzone.

He’d have a pretty soft rookie season, but after that, the rest is stuff made of legend, as he recorded 8 1,000+ yard seasons over a 14 season stand with the Roughriders. His best season came in 1990, when he recorded 94 receptions for 1,494 yards and 11 TDs. He’d also pull down 11 TD receptions in both 1991 and 1992.  Ray retired after the 1996 season.

Over his career Elgaard was named an All-Canadian 3 times, and the Outstanding Canadian in the CFL in 1988, 1992, and 1993. At the time of his retirement, Ray was the career league leader in receptions and yards. He was inducted into the Saskatchewan Roughriders Plaza of Honor and into the CFL HoF in 2002.  Elgaard also was named one of the CFL’s top 50 Players in 2006.

Retired, Ray lives in Las Vegas and works for a brokerage firm.

All-World 1991 was quite an ugly card set. They looked like they were trying to spoof the ProSet 1989 set hard. They just put diagonal pinstriping on the cards. Yes, the red was hard to read on the blue cards, and the CFL logo was easier to read than the team logos that just looked sort of stuck on there after the fact. It also didn’t help that the photos were not always action shots, which left a curious speculative collector such as myself really confused.

REC 830        YDS 13,198       AVG 15.9        TD 78          TD 81

CFL, NFL

Clements, Tom

AW91 clementsCard: CFL All-World 1991
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Tom Clements has garnered quite the reputation over the last few years working as a quarterback whisperer for the Green Bay Packers tutoring the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre, while also getting the best out of other names such as Kelly Holcomb, Kordell Stewart, Tommy Maddox, Elvis Grbac, and  Jake Delhomme at his other stops.

Being a former HoF QB in the CFL, has given Clements an edge over his coaching competitors. Some say it is his calm and easy going demeanor during gameday, or the a way of always getting a little bit more out of his quarterbacks. Regardless, Clements is praised in circles around the NFL as an up and coming coach.

Tom Clements was inducted into  the Canadian Football League’s Hall of Fame in 1994, after a prolific career playing for the Ottawa Rough Riders (1975-78) where he was named the CFL’s Rookie of the Year in 1975. In 1976, Tom earned his first Grey Cup Championship earning the Outstanding Offensive Player award. He joined Saskatchewan and later Hamilton in 1979, before a brief foray into the NFL in 1980 with the Chiefs. Returning to the Tiger Cats in 1981, he’d play there through the 1982 season and then join the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He’d earn his second Grey Cup Championship and Outstanding Offensive Player of the game award in 1984, and league MVP honors in 1987 retiring after the conclusion of the season.

He’s also had a stop at his Alma Mater Notre Dame, before making the leap to the NFL as a position coach and offensive coordinator for the Saints (1997-1999), Chiefs (2000), Steelers (2001-2003), and Bills (2004-2005), before joining the Packers in 2006. The Packers are well aware of Clements reputation as he has steadily risen in the organization’s coaching hierarchy. Although embattled after the 2015 campaign, Clements serves as the Packers Offensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach going into the 2016 season.

CFL
ATT  4657      COMP 2807       YDS 39041      PCT 60.3%
TD 252        INT 214           RAT N/a
RUSH 374       YDS  1660       AVG 4.4       TD 13        LG  42

NFL
G   2     ATT 12       COMP 7        YDS 77       PCT 58.3%
TD  0      INT 0       RAT  77.4
RUSH 2         YDS   0        AVG 0.0        TD 0       LG -.-