Tag Archives: baltimore colts

NFL

Curtis, Mike (1943-2020)

Upper Deck Legends 1997, #AU-95

CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2020

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Mike Curtis played college ball at Duke from 1962-’64.
  • He’d go on to establish himself as one of the greatest athletes in Duke history, playing both LB and FB.
  • #1 pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1965 who planned to use him exclusively at FB.
  • Was also selected in the 3rd round of the 1965 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.
  • Made the transition to MLB in 1966 and the rest became history.
  • Played alongside ‘The Mad Stork’ Ted Hendricks, as the team lost Super Bowl III and won Super Bowl V.
  • Played for Colts from 1965-’75.
  • Joined the expansion Seahawks for ’76, eventually finishing career after the ’77 and ’78 seasons with the Redskins.
  • Started 125 of 166 contests over career.

ACCOLADES:

  • Duke Hall of Fame
  • All-Pro 1968, ’69
  • Pro Bowl 1968, 1970-’71, ’74
  • Colts MVP 1974
  • AFC Defensive Player of the Year 1970

NOTES:

Mike Curtis was one of these sweeping cheap Ebay pickups I did at the beginning of 2020. As a not really big name, I waited this one out- and then promptly forgot to scan the card in when I got it, so it waited in limbo for a while before I tracked it down.

I could make an argument for Mike Curtis to be in the HoF, but I doubt he will ever get in, as defensive statistics weren’t well tracked or considered spectacular at the time. He was an absolute terror patrolling the middle of the field and was extremely effective covering the pass for a LB.

EPITAPH:

4/20/20- Mike Curtis passed away from CTE in St. Petersburg, FL at the age of 77.

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NFL

Morrall, Earl (1934-2014)

Upper Deck Legends 1997, #AU-143

CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2020

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Played QB and P for the Michigan State Spartans putting them on the map in the Big 10 in 1955.
  • On season completed 42 of 68 passes for 948 yards, and led the country with an average of 9.1 yards per play.
  • Had school record at the time-274 yards passing against Marquette, and snapped an 11 game winning streak by Notre Dame.
  • Finished 4th in Heisman ballot voting that year.
  • First round selection of the 49ers in 1956.
  • Started 4 contests for the ‘9ers that year completing 38 of 78 passes for 621 yards.
  • Traded to Pittsburgh in 1957 and passed for 1,900 yards, 11 TDs and (12 INT).
  • Played 2 games in Pittsburgh in ’58 before being traded to the Lions for Bobby Layne.
  • Played the next 6 seasons in Detroit, culminating in his 1963 effort when he threw for 2621 yards and 24 TDs (14 INT) on 174 of 328 passes.
  • Traded again, this time to the New York Giants in ’65.
  • Repeated his ’63 efforts throwing for 2446 yards and 22 TDs that year.
  • Broke wrist in ’66 and sat on the bench behind Fran Tarkenton before being dealt to Baltimore in 1968!
  • Came in for Johnny Unitas and guided team to Super Bowl III.
  • Had best season as pro throwing for 2,909 yards, 26 TDs, and led league with 8.2 yards per completion.
  • This would foreshadow his future with the Miami Dolphins- a team he’d join in 1970 after being claimed off of waivers for just $100.
  • In 1972, came in and replaced an injured Bob Griese, guiding the team to a 9-0 record (as part of the only fully undefeated NFL season).
  • The team would go on to win Super Bowl VII that year.
  • Played the next 4 seasons there, retiring at the age of 42, after the 1976 season.
  • Became a QB whisperer, working at the University of Miami, tutoring future QB titans Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, and Jim Kelly.

ACCOLADES:

  • NFL MVP 1968
  • NFL Comeback Player of the Year 1972
  • All-Pro 1968, ’72
  • Pro Bowl 1957, ’68
  • Dolphins Walk of Fame 2012
  • Florida Sports Hall of Fame
  • Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame (1992)
  • Michigan Sports Hall of Fame 1979

NOTES:

Earl Morrall is considered probably the best clutch backup QB of his generation -if not of all time. He played an undeniably long career in the league lasting some.. what 22 years? Although not considered for the HoF conversation, Morrall has been inducted into the ‘Hall of Very Good’. An excellent athlete, Morrall had also caught the eye of MLB playing SS in the College World Series for the Spartans, but opted to play football instead.

I had been eyeballing his autograph during the pandemic but thought it was too pricey. Once it hit about 10 bucks I pounced. It later got lost in the shuffle of incoming autographs and I had forgotten to scan it in.

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EPITAPH:

April 14th, 2014- Earl Morrall passed away at the age of 79 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. It was later discovered he suffered from Grade 4 CTE.

NFL, University of Texas

Speyrer, Cotton (2)

UT Upper Deck 2011 NCAA Nat’l Champions ’69/70, #ATA-CS
UT Upper Deck 2011 NCAA All-Americans, #AA-CS

CARDS: University of Texas Upper Deck 2011 Nat’l Champs ’69//70, University of Texas Upper Deck 2011 NCAA All-Americans
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home
SENT: 4/21 RECEIVED: 5/4 (13 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

Cotton lives in Central Texas and much like myself was affected by ‘The Texas Freeze’. He wrote me a nice note saying that normally he doesn’t respond to letters and just signs the cards, but that he too wished myself and my family well after what had happened to us.