Tag Archives: buffalo bills

NFL

Conlan, Shane

Cards:  Action Packed 1992, ProSet 1989, Upper Deck 1992, Topps 1990
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o home
Sent: 7/5  Received:  8/3  (26 days)

After an All-American career playing outside linebacker at Penn State, Shane Conlan would be drafted by the Buffalo Bills with the 8th pick of the 1987 draft after trading down from the 3rd pick with the Houston Oilers, (who took Alonzo Highsmith). He’d be the third linebacker off the board after Cornelius Bennett and Mike Junkin.  An impressively stacked defensive draft, Conlan would not disappoint as he was named defensive rookie of the year after the strike shortened season. An impressive specimen of both speed and size Shane had an instinctive nose for the ball. He would be named All-Pro in 1987, 1988 and 1990, and go to the Pro Bowl from 1988-1990. After 6 seasons with the Bills and 3 SuperBowl appearances, Conlan would take his talents to the Los Angeles Rams in 1993 during the first year of free agency. He would play with the franchise through its transition to St. Louis and retire after the 1995 season.

Shane since retirement has been active in trying to improve former player benefits. (One of his teammates and friends from Penn State is former runningback Steve Smith, who suffers from ALS.) He’s also received accolades being named to the Bills’ 50th anniversary team and to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. He currently works for Senior Management group in Wayne, PA .

Shane was nice enough to sign these cards in under a month. I offered to allow him to keep a few but he signed all 4 and the extra and returned them in the SASE. A very nice return as I liked all these cards- even the Topps 1990.

G/Gs 120/114   Tac  751    Sac 7.0   Fum 6
Int 5    Yds 36   Avg 7.2    Td 0    lg 28

NFL, WLAF

Rasul, Amir

Cards: Ultimate WLAF 1992, Wild Card WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 7/27   Received: 8/29  (34 days)

An excellent rusher and receiver out of the backfield during college, Amir Rasul finished with 2072 yards rushing, 600 yards receiving and a total of 23 touchdowns during his career at Florida A&M.  The Buffalo Bills would draft him in the 7th round of the 1991 draft to fit the mold of a Thurman Thomas back in their offense. He would not make the roster of the team.

The WLAF would come calling and the expansion Ohio Glory would select Amir in the 6th round of the 1992 draft. Although playing for the abhorrent Glory, (which finished at an abysmal 1-9,) Rasul was always a threat out of the backfield, racking up 572 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns for the team. In the season opener against Orlando, not only did he score the franchise’s first TD, Rasul also set league records rushing 24 times for 152 yards and a TD.  He also earned Offensive Player of the Week Honors. His rushing yards would be good enough to rank 2nd in the league behind Ivory Lee Brown (SA) in the end. He would not earn All-World honors however for his efforts. That would be it for the WLAF though, as it would reorganize after the 1992 season.

Since that time Amir has lived in relative anonymity and went into construction where he is the owner of Diamond Construction Group, out of the Fort Lauderdale area. I was able to track him down utilizing Spokeo, as his unique name made him an easy find. I didn’t expect to get a reply, so to get his response on these 2 cards was quite nice in a bit over 30 days.

Below are his WLAF statistcs:

G 10   Rush 136     Yds  572    Avg  4.2   Td  4    Lg  36  |
Rec 20    Yds 117    Avg  5.8      Td 0   Lg 22

NFL

Jeffcoat, Jim

CARD: Pro Set 1990
ACQUIRED: IP 1991, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Jim Jeffcoat was drafted in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys out of Arizona State in 1983.
  • He’d immediately replace Harvey Martin in the lineup and Jeffcoat would pick up where Martin left off, -harassing opposing ball carriers and quarterbacks of the NFC East opposite “Too Tall” Jones.
  • Jeffcoat became recognized as one of the best finness rushers in the league recording 5 seasons of 10 or more sacks and 5 seasons of 70+ tackles.
  • As time wore on, and with the eventual arrival of Charles Haley, Jim would share time at left defensive end with Tony Tolbert.
  • After 12 seasons with the Cowboys, he’d sign with the Buffalo Bills in 1995, playing 3 more seasons with them before his eventual retirement.
  • Jeffcoat has worked for the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Cougars as a defensive line coach and at the time of this post he was working for the San Jose State Spartans in that same capacity.
  • See Also Jim Jeffcoat (2)

ACCOLADES:

  • Arizona State Sun Devil Hall of Fame 1994

NOTES:

Jim’s 102.5 sacks as of 2012 still ranked him in the career top 25 for the NFL, and while he was nominated in 2008, Jeffcoat has not made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Considered one of the finest defensive linemen to come out of Arizona State, he was inducted into their hall of fame in 1994.

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