Tag Archives: buffalo bills

NFL

Paup, Bryce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cards: Skybox 1995, Fleer 1996
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

The Pack was aggressively going after the linebacker position to create some competition taking Tony Bennett in round 1 and Bobby Houston in round 3 before ultimately landing on a little known Northern Iowa Product, Bryce Paup with their 6th round pick in 1990.  He didn’t really get on the field his rookie season, but was a curious enough product at 6-5, 250 that the Packers suspected that he’d be worth giving a shot because of his versatility at linebacker and defensive end. Bryce ultimately got onto the field as a situational pass rusher in 1991 (- one of the first of the 90s to emerge,) and had 7.5 sacks and 3 FF in a misleading 7 games and 1 start. In his first game of the season, he tackled Eagles QB Randall Cunningham, effectively ending Randall’s more athletic days of scrambling fearlessly outside the pocket. As Paup began to really get a feel for playing the linebacker position at the pro level, he really gelled as a sack artist, and after the team’s switch to a 4-3 defense in 1994, he made 3 picks for 47 yards and a touchdown earning his first of 4 consecutive Pro Bowl berths. The Packers felt that Paup’s sack numbers were inflated because of the attention that  Reggie White and Tim Harris had gotten from the opposition and did not attempt to resign him. Bryce set out to prove them wrong.

The Buffalo Bills signed Paup to a free agent contract in 1995, and under defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in his 3-4 alignment, Bryce destroyed the NFL. Bryce led the NFL in sacks with 17.5, and was named Defensive Player of the Year that season, as he and Bruce Smith made a fearsome combo. He continued to play for the Bills through 1997 earning Pro Bowl berths in every season he was there, but a stinging groin injury from 1996, and his frustration over the ineptness of the offense, left bad blood between the team and Paup. Jacksonville, needing some outside pass rush help, signed Paup’s in 1998 to a monster contract that ranked second only to Junior Seau among linebackers.  He’d play two vastly underwhelming seasons there before finishing his career at  Minnesota in 2000.  Bryce currently lives in Wisconsin, where he’s begun a career in coaching football.

G/Gs  148/113    Tac  444    Sac 75    Fum 15     Int 6    Yds 55    Avg 9.2    Td 1   LG 30t

NFL, University of Texas

Leaks, Roosevelt “Rosey”

to78 leaksto77 leaks
Cards: Topps 1977, Topps 1978
Acquired: 2/16/2013, Longhorn Neighborhood Foundation Bowling Tournament
See also: Roosevelt Leaks

After having success getting Roosevelt Leaks through the mail back in 2012, I thought I’d pull a few more cards just in case I ran into him at a Longhorn function. Rosey had also done a Longhorn Legends luncheon at Fogo De Chao later on that I wasn’t able to attend, but I only had to wait a few months more, as he was at the Longhorn Neighborhood Foundation Bowling Tournament at Highland Lanes. He signed these 2 cards, which match the Longhorn cards I sent him back in 2012 exactly. While he was signing these two cards I asked him if he’d ever grow his lambchops back. He chuckled at me and said that “No, those days are long gone.”

CFL, NFL

Hill, Kahlil

Card: SP Authentics 2002
Acquired:  Target Authentic Autograph Memorabilia

Kahlil Hill was a 2002 6th round draft choice of the Atlanta Falcons from the University of Iowa, where he displayed consistency, tallying at least a catch in all 35 contests he was active for. At the end of his career for the Hawkeyes, he recorded 152 receptions, 1892 yards, and 15 touchdowns and also received the Mosi Tatupu Special Teams Player of the Year Honors in 2001.  Hill provided quarterbacks a large, slender target, at 6-3, 195, but his 40 speed didn’t  showcase his game speed that well, so he slipped to the Falcons as the 16th best rated receiver. Unable to crack the Falcons squad in ’02 after playing in one game, he spent his time on the rosters of the Saints, Lions, and Bills through 2004.   Kahlil experienced some mild success when he went to the CFL to play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2005 and 2006 as a punt returner and back up receiver. A brief off-season with the Jags later in 2006, returned him to the CFL this time as a member of the Roughriders in 2007, and finally the British Columbia Lions in 2008 before he retired.