Tag Archives: Atlanta Falcons

Conner, Darion

Gameday 1992, #7

CARDS: Action Packed 1991, Gameday 1992, Skybox 1992
ACQUIRED: TTM 2023, C/o Home
SENT: 1/3 RECEIVED: 1/30 (27 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Darion Conner was a 3 time All-Southwestern Athletic Conference Selection out of Jackson State.
  • In 1989 posted 12.5 sacks and 130 tackles.
  • Second round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1990, Conner was prized for his versatility.
  • Settled at ROLB, and in first 3 seasons went over 100 tackles each year.
  • In 1994, played one season for the Saints, and had a career high 10.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and an interception for 56 yards.
  • 1995 saw him take his skill set to Carolina, where he added another 7.0 sacks to his resume as an original member of the Panthers.
  • After two largely fruitless seasons in Philadelphia (’96-’97), Darion was signed by the ‘original but new’ Cleveland Browns.
  • Didn’t play a down for the team, so he decided to take his skills to the Arena Football League in 1999 playing OL/DL.
  • Connor was an impactful player in Arena Football.
  • He’d play with the Tampa Bay Storm through 2005.
  • Connor’s football career ended abruptly after he committed DUI-manslaughter and vehiculuar homicide.
  • He was sentenced to 15 years in prison- of which, he has paid his debt to society and is now a free man.

NOTES:

Darion signed all three of these cards for me masterfully with a silver sharpie. The Skybox card looks incredible.

TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
51933.0515656.0056
NFL
TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
4411.0500-.-0-.-
ARENA

Johnson, Norm ‘Mr. Automatic’

Fleer 1990, #268

CARD: Fleer 1990
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2023

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Norm Johnson was a placekicker for UCLA from 1980-’81.
  • Over those two years he locked in 64 of 65 extra points, and 24 of 33 field goals.
  • He was signed as an UDFA by the Seattle Seahawks in 1982.
  • Played the next 9 seasons for the team, and in 4 of those seasons accounted for 20 or more field goals.
  • Signed with Atlanta in 1991, played with the Falcons through 1994.
  • In 1993, he went 26 of 27 on fieldgoals, including a 54 yard long.
  • Joined the Steelers in 1995, and immediately paid dividends hitting 34 of 41 field goals that year at Three Rivers to lead the NFL in both those categories.
  • Played final season for the Eagles in 1999.
  • Finished career with a whopping 1,736 points in 273 games played.

ACCOLADES:

  • All Pro 1984
  • Second Team All Pro 1993
  • Pro Bowl 1984, ’93
  • Seattle Seahawks 35th Anniversary Team

NOTES:

Norm played for the ‘Seattle Knights’ on Tecmo Bowl- and he was absolutely terrible. The season that his player stats were based off of, 1985, was an outlier, and his worst season as a pro, when he hit 14 of 25 field goals. In general, Norm was a very reliable kicker throughout his playing career, but he could never shake that bad moniker for me.

XPAXPMPCTFGAFGMPCTLG
644638.991477366.76754

Stecker, Aaron

Playoff Contenders European Ticket 2000, #176

CARDS: Playoff Contenders European Ticket 2000, Leaf Rookies & Stars 2001, Bowman 2000, Topps Chrome 2000
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home
SENT: 7/23 RECEIVED: 8/5 (13 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • RB Aaron Stecker started his college career at Wisconsin in ’95.
  • After Ron Dayne sucked all the wind out of the RB room- Stecker transferred to Western Illinois in ’97.
  • Stecker ran wild at Western Illinois Stecker finishing as the school’s all-time leading rusher with 3,799 yards (since surpassed).
  • Going undrafted in ’99 he’d be cut in camp with the Bears.
  • Stecker was signed in 2000 by the Bucs and allocated to NFLE.
  • He’d go on to have over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and 11 TDs playing for the Scottish Claymores.
  • The Bucs liked what they saw so much, Stecker made the team’s roster and contributed on special teams and as a 3rd down back.
  • In 2004, Stecker signed with New Orleans’ crowded backfield, playing 3 seasons and starting 7 contests.
  • After his stint concluded with the Saints, Aaron played for the Falcons in 2009.
  • Tried out for the Packers in 2010 but was not signed.

ACCOLADES:

  • NFLE Offensive MVP 2000
  • Western Illinois HOF 2010
  • Scottish Claymores Hall of Fame 2003

NOTES:

A home run NFLE success story, Aaron parlayed his time playing for the Claymores one season- into 10 seasons in the NFL.

RUSHYDSAVGTDLG
1767744.4759t
NFLE
RECYDSAVGTDLG
362767.6439
RUSHYDSAVGTDLG
38615263.9859
NFL
RECYDSAVGTDLG
16611757.0348
KRYDSAVGTDLG
170393423.1198t