Blake Sims was Alabama’s starting quarterback in 2014. Starting all 14 contests, he was 252 of 391 for 3,487 yards and 28 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He also ran 78 times for 350 yards and 7 TDs. Blake was not selected in the 2015 NFL Draft and teams tried to pigeonhole him in at another position other than quarterback. Sims headed north to the Canadian Football League. There he was on the roster of both the Argonauts and the Roughriders during the 2015 season.
Blake then took his skills to an unusual destination: Australia. He was going to play for the Wollongong Devils of the National Gridiron League- but the league never got off the ground in 2016, so he returned to the United States and signed with the Falcons and spent time on their practice squad before ultimately ending his season on the practice squad of the Bucs.
After he was waived by the Bucs, Sims eventually signed with the Alliance of American Football. He was assigned to the Birmingham Iron and then later re-selected by the team with their second round pick during the QB Draft. Unfortunately he’d be injured and subsequently waived by the team before taking a regular season snap.
Max Redfield played safety for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2013-2015. Over his 3 years he totaled 143 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions and 3 pass deflections.
He’d be dismissed from the team in 2016 for violating team rules a second time- specifically possession of an unlicensed handgun and marijuana possession. Redfield enrolled Indiana University -of Pennsylvania. He had a solid season in 2017 for the Crimson Hawks with 78 total tackles, 4 interceptions, 9 pass deflections, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. A traditional ‘in the box’ safety- Redfield is a sure tackler and solid athlete who can chase down ball carriers while making his home close to the line of scrimmage. He wasn’t selected in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Max got a minicamp invite to the Oakland Raiders, but didn’t make the squad. In 2018, Max saw an opportunity with the Alliance of American Football. He’d join the Birmingham Iron based on territorial rights.
Redfield made the best of his situation and became one of the stars of the Iron defense. The Iron were well disciplined. Coached by former NFL DB Tim Lewis- they were excellent at keeping opposing offenses in front of them and not giving up big plays or chunk yardage. Starting 7 games Max had a pick, 34 total tackles, and a forced fumble.
After the AAF folded, Max was drafted by the Washington Defenders of the XFL- but he opted to not sign with the league citing the XFL’s poor pay structure. Max wanted to do some travelling, and opted to play for the Italian Football League. After COVID struck, he decided to stay there, becoming an ambassador for the Florence Gufeli of the IFL while the pandemic played out.
Cards: Topps AAF 2019 Certified, Topps AAF 2019 Acquired: 2019, EBay. IP 2020, Houston Roughnecks /Tampa Bay Vipers Joint Practice
A 3 year starter for Eastern Michigan at linebacker, Ike Spearman medical redshirted his 2015 season, granting him a 5th year of eligibility. He’d play for them from 2012-2017, posting 179 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble.
Ike joined the Alliance of American Football in 2019. He’d sign with the Birmingham Iron and start 1 game, posting 8 tackles and 3 assists for the team before the league folded. Afterwards he’d join the XFL Tampa Bay Vipers for the 2020 season.
Noticing that players from the Vipers had their gear against the wall, I waited patiently for them to finish practice and come over. Ike was one of the first players over, and he gladly signed this card for me. Early in February though, Ike suffered an injury and was placed on the Vipers injured reserve.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
