Tag Archives: Carolina Panthers

Arena, NFL, NFLE

Kubiak, Jim

Playoff Contenders 2000, #166

Card: Panini Contenders 2000 European Ticket
Acquired: 2021, Future Considerations

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Jim Kubiak was a traditional dropback passer who played for Navy from 1991 to 1994.

  • Over 4 years he threw for 6008 yards (558/969) and 23 TDs. 

  • His career yardage and completion totals represented a school record.

  • Commitments to the Navy prevented him from playing immediately out of college.

  • As a member of the NFL, he was an off-season member of the Panthers (96), Colts (98-99), Jets (00), and Colts again (03).

  • Jim garnered extensive experience from his time in the World League playing for the Dragons (99) and Admirals (00).

  • Threw for 7 TDs and 2 INT for the Dragons in 99, and 4 TDs and 817 yards in 2000 for Amsterdam.

  • Over the next 5 years, Kubiak honed his skills in the Arena Football League, playing for the Buffalo Destroyers (01-02), Dallas Desperados (03), Detroit Fury (04), and Georgia Force (05).

  • Best year in the AFL came in ’03 with the Desperados, throwing for 4762 yards, 97TDs/17 Int, on 388 of 557 passing.

  • Spent the entire 2004 season on IR with the Fury. 

  • Retired after blowing out his knee early in the 2005 season with the Georgia Force, but worked in their front office in both 06 and 07.

  • After a few college stops, also worked with the Soul (05) and the Force (08-12) as their OC. 

NFLE

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231124137058.211780.9

AFL

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1242788998563.418936114.4

ACCOLADES:

  • 2nd Team All Arena 2003

NOTES:

Jim Kubiak is not related to Gary Kubiak. Kubiak spent time working as a color man for a few years in Buffalo for the Bills. Currently he is a director of the WNY QB Academy.

AAF, NFL

Lewis, Tim

Card: Topps AAF 2019
Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o The St. Louis Battlehawks
Sent: 2/18 Received: 2/29 (11 days)
Failure: TTM 2019, C/o Home

Tim Lewis was an imposing defensive back out of Pittsburgh. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with their 1st round pick in 1983. Lewis’ career was off to an incredible start. He started just 7 games in his rookie year at right corner, but recorded 5 interceptions for 111 yards while forcing 3 fumbles. In 1984 Tim returned a pick 99 yards for a TD, en route to adding 7 more interceptions on his resume, and 4 more the following year in 1985. It’d be then that Lewis’ football playing career came to an end during 1986, when he suffered a terrible neck injury against the Bears.

In 1987, Tim went into coaching, first at Texas A&M, then later at SMU, Pitt and then back into the pro ranks with the Steelers in 1995. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2000 with Pittsburgh, then joined the Giants in that same capacity from 2004-2006. Since that time, he saw stops with the Panthers, Seahawks, Falcons, and 49ers.

2019 was an interesting year in football. With the Alliance of American Football on the radar, Tim took the coaching reins of the Birmingham Iron. They’d finish 5-3, as only the second team to clench a playoff berth in the short lifespan of the AAF. The team very much reflected Tim’s style with a smash mouth defense that begrudgingly gave up yards.

Unable to get his autograph through his home address, I sent this card to the Battlehawks where he was coaching the defensive backs of that solid squad, before COVID wiped out the XFL in 2020.

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AAF, CFL, NFL, Pro Football HoF, usfl

Polian, Bill

Cards: Topps AAF 2019 Custom, Panini 2016 HOF
Acquired: TTM 2019, C/o Home
Sent: 11/2 Received: 11/12 (10 days)

Bill Polian has a long and storied career as a football executive that spans across 4 leagues: The NFL, CFL, USFL, and the AAF.

After graduating from NYU in 1964, Polian began his careeer as a scout for the Chiefs in 1978. He also spent time with the Blue Bombers and Alouettes in the CFL as well working his way up to Personnel Director. A one year stint in the USFL Chicago Blitz in 1984, led Polian back to the NFL. He’d then begin a long and storied career with the Buffalo Bills later that year as the Pro Personnel Director. He’d help transform the Bills into an NFL powerhouse laying the foundation for the franchise to appear in 3 consecutive Super Bowls. He was released by the team after they lost their 3rd Super Bowl in 92.

A 3 year hiatus saw Polian return to the NFL with a vengeance as GM of the expansion Carolina Panthers. He was able to assemble enough talent that the franchise posted a expansion record 7 wins in 1995, and an even more impressive 12 wins in 1996. After a down year in 97, Bill joined the Indianapolis Colts as General Manager.

His first move was a no brainer: Selecting Peyton Manning with the first overall pick of the 1998 NFL Draft. Later he’d hire Tony Dungy to coach the franchise, and the rest is history. After the reorganization of the divisions in 2002, the Colts would dominate the South- winning 7 divisional titles under his watch. Indianapolis appeared in two Superbowls winning XLI. He’d not be retained after the 2011 season.

In the meantime he began to roll in the accolades, being inducted into the Buffalo Wall of Fame in 2012, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015, and the Colts Ring of Honor in 2017.

Bill felt the siren’s lure and resurfaced again in 2018, where he signed up to be Head of Football of the upstart Alliance of American Football, co founding it alongside Charlie Ebersol. The league was able to pull off 8 weeks of football before it collapsed due to financial strain. Bill Polian was greatly disappointed in the failure of the AAF and in chief financial cow Tom Dundon who pulled the plug.

I wrote to Bill after creating a dead on custom of the Topps AAF certified card. Thanks to COVID I had to find a new custom printer. The card quality was outstanding, but I didn’t prep the high gloss card, so the autograph didn’t stick properly to the card. He also signed this Panini HOF card for me as well.