Tag Archives: calgary stampeders

CFL, NFL

Harper, Josh

Card: Sage Artistry 2015  (26/100)
Acquired: 2016, Box Breaker

Josh Harper played for the Bulldogs of Fresno State. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the water or weather up there, but the Bulldogs just produce a ton of wide receivers, regardless Josh kept the lineage alive. He first arrived on the scene at Fresno in 2011.  After two decent years, he broke out in 2013 with his first 1,000 yard season (79 receptions, 1011 yards, and 13 TDs). Despite his numbers, he was not selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. He signed as a free agent with the Oakland Raiders that year but did not make the squad. Josh signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL the following year, but was cut soon thereafter.  Currently he is a free agent.

I love these Sage Artistry cards. They do the best they can for not having any college logos or uniforms and making exciting cards out of otherwise unheralded players.

CFL, NFL

Mallett, Martell

Card: Sage 2009
Acquired: 2017, Walmart Autographed Memorabilia

Martell Mallet has led a very interesting football career.  Admittedly there really wasn’t much to go on for scouts when it came to Martell. He played at Arkansas Pine Bluff and only saw action in 2007 and 2008. His body of experience was limited, With a bit over 170 touches and a little over 1000 yards to his resume, it is easy to see why the big back went undrafted in 2009.

Mallet still wanted to play, so he signed with the CFL joining the British Columbia Lions that year. He’d have a pretty sensational rookie year finishing with over 1400 yards rushing, setting the single game franchise rushing record (213 yards), and earning the CFL equivalent of Rookie of the Year.  After the season he’d join the Eagles in early 2010 and spent much of the early portion of the year on and off the squad. After a brief stay on the Browns practice squad during that year and a return to the Eagles in 2011, Mallett again was on the move to the New York Giants. An injury prevented him from suiting up, and he was given an injury settlement.

Martell decided to try his hand again with the CFL signing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2012. He got injured in camp and was on IR the entire year. During 2013 he’d be released and then in 2014 Martell signed with the Calgary Stampeders. At this point, Martell had gone roughly 4 years without playing in a game. He came in for the Stamps in a pinch and ran for 163 yards on 27 carries. His efforts helped the Stamps win the Grey Cup. After the season, he retired from football.

CFL  37     RUSH  241    YDS 1403     AVG 5.8     TD 6    LG 57
REC 50     YDS 414   AVG 8.3    TD 2   LG  26

CFL, NFL

Kramer, Erik ‘Brass’

Cards: ProSet 1991, GameDay 1993, Action Packed 1992
Acquired: TTM 2017, C/o Home
Sent: 3/20      Received: 4/17     (28 days)
Failure: TTM 2011, C/o Home

I’m not sure where to start with Erik Kramer. I tried him back in 2011- shy a few months before his son tragically died of a drug overdose. Things spiraled out of control so much that Kramer in 2015 attempted to take his own life with a gun. Somehow he managed to survive and over the past two years has been rising from the ashes of his own personal pain.

Kramer went to college at NC State. He was the team’s starting quarterback in 1985 and 1986.  Posting solid numbers as starter, over his time with the Wolfpack, he threw for 4,602 yards, 30 TDs/ 28 INT, on 334 completions and 616 attempts. Kramer also posted an 11-11-1 record as a starter and earned ACC Player of the Year honors as a Senior.  He went undrafted in 1987 and initially signed with the New Orleans Saints, but was subsequently released. Quickly he was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as a replacement player during the 1987 strike.

Erik joined the Calgary Stampeders in 1988.  Playing in 5 contests he threw for 5 TDs and 964 yards. The next season he’d blow out his knee and not see a snap under center. Afterwards he was released by the Stampeders. Erik’s story could’ve very easily ended there, but he chose to give it another shot in the NFL, signing with the Detroit Lions after getting spotted during a tryout by offensive coordinator Mouse Davis.  Kramer’s string of bad luck continued, as he suffered a season ending shoulder injury during the 1990 preseason.

The Lions had a classic quarterback rivalry going on between Andre Ware and Rodney Peete going into 1991. Erik Kramer was an afterthought on the squad.  This worked to his advantage as he was a consummate professional in preparation for each and every game. He supplanted Ware and then bode his time until Peete was injured. Kramer picked up and after a rough start or two, he led the Lions on a 6 game winning streak to conclude the season. The Lions made the playoffs, and Erik set team playoff records with 29-of-38 passes for 341 yards and 3 touchdowns as the Lions ambushed the Dallas Cowboys. It’d be the Lions first playoff victory since 1957.

It would be safe to assume that after the season Kramer would’ve been chosen to be the hands down starter for the Lions, right? Well this is the Lions and that didn’t happen. Instead 1992 opened again with another open quarterback competition- this time lasting into the regular season. While it finally took Kramer being named starter and then rallying Detroit to a 3-1 record down the stretch to win the division title, the Lions lost a home wild card game to Brett Favre and the Pack 28-24. Detroit had another bumpy season in 1993 and while Kramer went 3-1 as a starter, the Lions ran out and signed Scott Mitchell, effectively ending their quarterback carousel in 1994.   Erik in the meantime took a flyer with the division rival Chicago Bears.  While his first season there was met with mixed results due to a separated shoulder, there is no question that he had an impact season in 1995 setting personal highs and franchise records going 315 of 522 for 3,838 yards with 29 TDs to only 10 interceptions. Kramer hung around with the Bears another 3 injury plagued seasons before abruptly retiring midway through the 1999 season with the Chargers due to a persistent neck injury.

Kramer was the definition of the ‘walking wounded’ during his playing career in the league. He gave up his body to injury leading Detroit and Chicago back to periods of respectability. Concussions may have also contributed to his severe depression as well.

It is said that the bullet traveled through Erik’s chin, tongue, nose, and out the top of his head. Amazingly, the damage was so clean, and the medical attention paid to him was so quick, he survived.  Much like his playing career- Kramer quickly has moved to rise from controversy and loss, making an impressive recovery- and coming to an understanding that life is worth living for.

Pro Set struck gold in Erik’s initial release in their 91 update set with a nice straight on shot of him. This was Proset at their best: minimal design, dynamic action photography, and an unobtrusive logo. I was a big fan of Action Packed- but their 92 set annoyed me by flipping profile information on the back. The player name type was also just a tad too small. Gameday barely tweaked an overall successful design over the entire lifetime of the brand. I liked this 1993 issue of Kramer in the elements.

G/Gs 83/67        Att 2299      Cpd 1317       Yds  15337       Pct 57.3
TD 92    Int 79      Lg 85t
Rush  153       Yds 217      Avg 1.4      Td 5     lg 31