Tag Archives: by product of herschel walker trade

NFL

Harlow, Pat

Cards: Action Packed 1992, Action Packed Rookies 1991
Acquired: TTM 1992, 1993 Patriots Blitz

In a world where snail mail was king and the internet was still in its infancy, I used to camp by the mailbox waiting to see what came. An autograph kept the mail interesting, and was like receiving a present every day of the year- or whenever I got one. Case in point, I sent off bulk to the Patriots in 1992 and after a few months wait got a stack of autographs back from the team. (I’d send another bulk load later that they’d go ahead and kindly fulfill the next season as well.)

Originally the fourth best defensive lineman on the USC Trojans squad, Pat Harlow would make the switch to offensive tackle and make an immediate impact. At 6″7′, 295, Pat Harlow was drafted from USC by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 1991 draft (which at first was a highly maligned draft, but in retrospect was obviously not on talent with the 1989 draft, rather it was ‘respectable’.)

The pick was originally part of the blockbuster Herschel Walker trade. With the first two tackles off the board in Charles McRae and Antone Davis, Pat Harlow would be the third Tackle taken in the first round by New England. Offensive line however would not be where the depth was in this draft as only one lineman, (Erik Williams– Dallas, Rd.3) from this draft would ever to make the ProBowl.

An aggressive offensive lineman with the desire to finish off the block downfield, the knock on Pat was his relative lack of playing experience at the position. This was viewed by Patriots’ management actually as an advantage as his full potential hadn’t been completely tapped. Harlow went on to play respectably from 1991-1995, starting 64 games.

Pat was traded to the Raiders for a second round pick in 1996, and moved to left tackle, (uncomfortably) where he ended his career prematurely in 1998 due to back injuries at the age of 29.

NFL

Hopkins, Brad

Card: Classic 1993
Acquired: In Person, Houston Oilers training camp 1993

A nice little piece of trivia about the Herschel Walker trade was that it was so far reaching and the picks were traded around from team to team that Brad Hopkins who’s career lasted until 2006 was considered a by product of it. The Oilers offensive line was beginning to show signs of age, and with Dean Steinkuhler‘s retirement at RT in 1991, the team had a dire need to shore up the offensive line. Brad Hopkins was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the first round of the 1993 draft. The choice was panned because of its relative lack of glamour and because Brad was the 3rd offensive tackle taken in the top 15. Hopkins went on to start 11 games that season and gain all rookie honors in 1993- the final year of Houston’s dominance in the AFC Central and the beginning of the fall of the Oiler franchise. After an all too familiar collapse in the playoffs against the Chiefs in the post-season, owner Bud Adams began to disassemble the Oilers by trading Warren Moon to Minnesota.  The team would slide to an embarrassing 2-14 record in 1994. Hopkins witnessed the fall of the franchise even further as Adams was rebuffed by the city of Houston for a new stadium called the ‘Bud Dome’.  He then quickly announced plans to move the team to the city of Nashville. In the midst of all this Hopkins started all 16 games for the first time in 1995.  He continued this streak through 1998 while the team moved from the cavernous Astrodome to Memphis, Tennessee, and the Oilers drafted both Steve McNair and Eddie George. In 1999 he’d start all 16 games again, while the Oilers completed their move to Nashville and the team changed its name to Tennessee Titans. The team went to the Superbowl that season, in the battle of traitorous owners as Tennessee lost to St. Louis. Hopkins went to the ProBowl in 2000, and also be named All Pro, blocking up front for George.

He retired in 2006 as the ‘final’ Houston Oiler still on the team roster (as McNair signed with the Baltimore Ravens). Hopkins was once memorably quoted when a correlative statistic came out that showed that NFL players were more prone to domestic violence than other sports as saying, “I’m not going to go home and trap block my wife.”

I got Brad’s autograph in 1993 while he was still a rookie at Houston Oilers training camp. Looking back I probably would have treasured his autograph more knowing he’d be the last HOUSTON Oiler.