Tag Archives: baltimore colts

NFL

Beach, Pat ‘BEEACCHHH’

CARDS: Pro Set 1989, Pro Set 1990, Fleer 1990
ACQUIRED: TTM 2025, C/o Home
SENT: 7/29/25 RECEIVED: 8/8/25 (10 days)
FAILURE: TTM 2011, C/o Home. TTM 2015, C/o Work

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Pat Beach played TE at Washington State where he caught 62 passes for 936 yards and 5 TDs.
  • A 6th round draft pick in 1982 by the Baltimore Colts, Pat Beach worked his way into the lineup at TE as an extra blocker and deep snapper.
  • After blowing out his ankle in ’84, Pat Beach started all 16 games in 1985.
  • He led the team that year with 36 catches for 376 yards and 6 TDs during a strike shortened season.
  • Then caught 20+ passes in each of the next 3 seasons from 1986-’88.
  • Played for the Eagles in 1992, and then Phoenix in 1993.
  • Retired, Pat lives in Washington and is an avid diver.

NOTES:

Pat Beach. One of the OG from Tecmo Bowl on the NES who played for the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts back then didn’t have much. Dickerson (Bentley) was the bread and butter on the run plays. Trudeau didn’t get any love- and when Brooks was being covered.. Beach was THE MAN. I loved throwing it to Pat near the endzone and just saying, “BEEAACCCHHH,” As I threw a TD to the underutilized TE. It was good times.

Over the years, Pat became a lunch pail TE that I was really interested in, but unlike Cap Boso, Beach actually had some great cards. I had tried Pat in the past but didn’t have any luck. He had a really narrow and random response window for many years. It took me three tries but I was very excited to finally nab him.

CFL, ufl, usfl, WLAF

Popp, Jim

CARD: Pro Set 1991 World League Helmet Insert
ACQUIRED: IP 2025, San Antonio Brahmas v Houston Roughnecks

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Jim Popp played DB at Michigan State from 1983-’86.
  • A knee injury ended his pro playing career before it started, so he transitioned into the front office as a graduate assistant at MSU.
  • After a year at NC in ’87, Jim spent the next three years working with The Citadel.
  • He then got a taste for the spring league circuit as a man of many hats working for the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks of the WLAF in 1991.
  • This led to the PSFL, where Jim was the Director of Player Personnel from ’91-’92.
  • Jim joined the CFL in 1992, working for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the same capacity through ’93.
  • With the CFLUSA in full swing, Jim got his first taste of the GM job with the Baltimore Colts winning the Grey Cup in 1995.
  • After the Ravens moved into town, the team was relocated to Montreal where they became the second incarnation of the Alouettes.
  • Popp again assumed a lion’s share of roles for the franchise and rebuilt the team from scratch.
  • The Alouettes made 8 Grey Cup appearances under his management, winning 3 times.
  • In 2019, was lured to be GM of the Toronto Argonauts.
  • It immediately paid dividends as the Argos pulled off a stunning Grey Cup win.
  • Jim worked at Alabama State in 2020 as an assistant coach, before resigning in 2021 to join the USFL.
  • He was retained in his position as Vice President of Player Personnel during the merger between the XFL and USFL in 2024.

NOTES:

I knew about Jim years ago when I was researching the success of former members of the WLAF. I got it in my brain that at some point he played QB for the Skyhawks but once I refreshed my memory I learned I was completely wrong. I did remember correctly that he has been a man of many, many hats. He’s had no qualms in doing anything and everything to absorb football knowledge. He even has taken over as head coach when he had to relieve them of their duties. He’s posted a 22-36 record, and led the Alouettes to the Grey Cup in 2006.

When the Brahmas played the Defenders in 2024, I saw him wandering up and down the sidelines. I immediately kicked myself because I had nothing for him to sign. Still I stopped him and struck up a conversation about the ‘good ol’ days’ of Spring football. It was at that moment he and I stopped in unison to take in the game, and Brad Wing faked a punt, throwing a TD to long snapper Alex Mollette. As the building shook with stunned excitement, we agreed this was a seminal moment for the team.

I was prepared this time for him in 2025- and after a long wait the Brahmas had their first home game. I caught him doing his laps, making notes during the pregame and doing his thing. He came over and signed this card for me. I don’t think he’d ever seen it before as he flipped it over in shock of something from the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks. It was a nice short visit and he was on his way. A great, under the radar WLAF find.

Arena, NFL

Pagel, Mike

CARDS: Topps 1986, Pro Set 1989
ACQUIRED: TTM 2024, C/o Home
SENT: 5/6 RECEIVED: 6/3 (28 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Mike played QB for the Arizona State Sun Devils from 1978-’81.
  • During his Senior season he led the Pac-10 with 29 TD passes on 171 of 321 passes throwing for 2,489 yards.
  • Was a 4th round selection of the Baltimore Colts in 1982.
  • After a rough start as a rookie, finishing 0-8-1… he saw improvement in 1983, throwing for 12 TDs and 2353 yards.
  • Played for the Colts through their transition to Indianapolis in 1984.
  • Threw for a career high 2,414 yards 14 TDs in 1985- but also 15 picks.
  • Traded to the Browns in 1986 and seldom saw action, serving primarily as Bernie Kosar‘s backup.
  • In 1988 hopped into the lineup in relief of Don Strock and nearly guided the Browns to a comeback win over the Houston Oilers in the Wildcard round of the playoffs, narrowly losing 24-23.
  • Signed with the Rams in 1991, serving as Jim Everett‘s backup through the 1993 season, rarely seeing action on the field.
  • Played one final year in the Arena Football League with the Massachusetts Marauders in 1994.
  • Does pregame work for the Browns organization and dabbles in coaching at the high school level.

NOTES:

Pretty sure that this Mike Pagel Topps card came out of that box of football cards that spilled out into my room the first time that Josh spent the night. Some of them ended up under a shelf, only to be found years later amazingly in great shape- despite the shag carpet and Horde slime that had become engrained into it.

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NFL
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ARENA