Tag Archives: Carolina Panthers

NFL, XFL

Thomas, Jordan (TE) ‘King Kong’

Panini Contenders 2018 Rookie Ticket, #144

CARD: Panini Contenders 2018 Rookie Ticket
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2023
MEMORABILIA: Jordan Thomas’ Gloves
ACQUIRED: In Person 2023, San Antonio Brahmas v Orlando Guardians

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Jordan Thomas played TE for Mississippi St from 2016-17.
  • In his Senior season he posted 22 receptions for 263 yards and 3 TDs.
  • At 6’5″, 277, Thomas made a massive target and the Texans, (who love drafting TEs), selecting him in the 6th round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
  • He started 10 games his rookie year, catching 20 passes for 215 yards and 4 TDs.
  • Jordan lost a lot of his 2019 to injury- and then got buried on the depth chart.
  • He signed with the Cardinals as a free agent in 2020 and caught a pass for a 3 yard TD.
  • He’d be claimed off of waivers by the Patriots that year during the season and waived just before the new year.
  • The Colts signed Thomas to a reserve contract and he’d be released in September of 2021.
  • In 2022, he signed a futures contract with the Lions and was released just a few months later.
  • In November of that year, Thomas joined up with the XFL as a draft choice of the Battlehawks.
  • He’d be cut in early 2023, but the Orlando Guardians quickly snatched him up.
  • Jordan was not short of highlights playing for the Guardians, and was a star for the team.
Jordan Thomas’ gloves

NOTES:

So I started talking to players as they got ready to hit the field. I recognized Jordan from his time with the Texans and pounded his shoulder pads and gave him words of encouragement. I told him I know he’s money and that he can kill it out there- just not against the Brahmas okay? He laughed at me and then hit the field.

On the first drive he was put in single coverage near the endzone. He caught the jump ball with ease, and as he lifted the ball into the air over the diminutive CB, two DBs attempted to jump and hit the ball out of Jordan’s giant hands. There was audible laughing at the DBs who failed to get anywhere near it. It was like King Kong was slapping down airplanes on top of the Empire State Building. It was great highlight film!

For the remainder of the game the Brahmas kept DB Kameron Kelly on Jordan and Kelly kept him relatively in check. They attempted to try the same play later in the game, but unfortunately there was a miscommunication between QB Dormandy and Jordan resulting in an incompletion.

The following week against his former team Jordan had another highlight worthy play against his former team- the Battlehawks. He caught an 84 yard catch and run on a fake punt for a TD. On the season he had 8 receptions for 148 yards and 3 TDs.

At half time during the game against the Guardians he laughed as he walked toward me and I yelled at him, “I want your gloves man!” He laughed. As the game ended in a Brahmas win, Jordan was one of the last players off the field. The kids were screaming and yelling, harassing players for anything. As Jordan approached they went into overdrive. He laughed again, and said, “I promised my man here for these gloves, took off the sweaty 3XXX gloves and handed the pair to me.

I totally blew it and forgot to pack his Texans card I had, so I went ahead and bought a certified card off of EBay. I hope to see him next year, though at the same time, I’d love to see him return back to the NFL.

NFL

Mills, Ernie

Pacific 1991, #538

CARDS: Star Pics 1991, Action Packed Rookies 1991, Score Supplemental 1991, Pacific 1991, Pro Set 1991
ACQUIRED: TTM 2021, C/o Home. TTM 2016, C/o Home.
SENT: 4/22/21 RECEIVED: 1/19/22 (272 days)
SENT: 10/7/17 RECEIVED: 9/17/22 (1806 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Ernie Mills played WR for the Florida Gators from 1987-90.
  • Posted 81 receptions for 1585 yards, a whopping 19.6 yards per reception, and 15 TDs over 4 years in Gainesville.
  • Best year for the Gators came in his Senior year, when he had 41 receptions for 770 yards and 10 TDs.
  • Originally started as a DB but quickly transitioned to WR, hauling in his first career reception of 49 yards from Florida QB legend Kerwin Bell.
  • Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 3rd round of the 1991 NFL Draft.
  • Mills spent his time on special teams and started two games at WR his rookie year.
  • He’d finish first in special teams tackles, and scored his first TD on a punt that hit the opposing team’s blocking back. (See Eugene Lockhart)
  • But things never really materialized for Ernie in Pittsburgh, who had a nascent passing attack, and he was battling for a roster spot with other fresh WRs, Chris Calloway and Jeff Graham.
  • He had his best season in Pittsburgh in 1995, catching 39 passes for 679 yards and 8 TDs.
  • It was a titanic year actually for Ernie as he quietly put up 2,024 all-purpose yards, including 1,304 on kick returns.
  • He’d be injured during Super Bowl XXX, tearing his ACL and being lost for most of the following 1996 campaign.
  • In 1997, Ernie signed with the Carolina Panthers and played one season for them.
  • The final two years of his career were spent in Dallas, as a key roleplayer for the Dallas Cowboys under head coach Chan Gailey, whom he’d played for previously in Pittsbugh.
  • Mills was oft injured, but still managed to post solid numbers as a reliable #3 option behind Michael Irvin and Rocket Ismail.
  • After a brief hiatus from the sport, Mills was spotted at Jacksonville University coaching WRs with his former college QB Kerwin Bell, holding the position from 2007-2012.
  • Then he coached WRs at Florida A&M from 2013-2015.
Star Pics 1991, #66
Action Packed Rookies 1991, #58

NOTES:

Well, there’s Ernie Mills, with an incredibly long orbital trajectory. I had given up on Ernie basically on two separate occasions, but after noticing a few successes, I figured the one for 2021 was in the works to return to me. After some patient waiting, it indeed finally came through, and I added the Action Packed Rookies 1991 card finally to my collection.

Ernie frustrated me as he tended to sign in spurts, sometimes responding to people immediately, while on other occasions-such as mine, languished in wait. I was pretty happy to get the entry sent out in 2021 back early in 2022, but lo and behold, some 8 months after that, the original entry I sent from 2017, also arrived, rocketing up the longest wait charts officially to #5, at a cool 1806 days.

I don’t talk about Pacific 1991 enough right? To me the set was a bold design choice, but quite laughable. For some reason, it just stood out as being… simplistic, with the gradient and the 1970s style typeface. The back was again bold, but a bit wild, as the entire canvas of information was set at a 45 degree angle! I thought that the photo on this Pacific card really nailed it, so I thought it’d make a nice card to get autographed.

With these cards, I can firmly close the door on Ernie. I love his autograph. Well worth the wait and very original. A strong ‘E’, ‘M’, and ‘S’ punctuate his unique signature with great stroke, pen pressure, and placement.

Score Supplemental 1991, #56T
Pro Set 1991, #802
RECYDSAVGTDLG
196293415.02062
KRYDSAVGTDLG
80181822.7057
NFL, XFL

Williams, Jordan (LB- Baylor)

CARD: TNT XFL 2023 Custom
ACQUIRED: TTM 2023, C/o Home
SENT: 5/4 RECEIVED: 5/26 (22 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Over 4 years at Baylor, Paris, Tx native Jordan Williams started 26 games at LB for the Bears from 2016-2019.
  •  He finished his career in Waco with 208 tackles, 19.5 for a loss, 3.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and one recovery.
  • His best season for the Bears came in 2019, when he had 90 tackles, 9.5 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks.
  • He also picked off three passes, had 11 passes defended, and forced two fumbles. 
  • After the 2020 NFL draft, he signed with the Atlanta Falcons.
  • Jordan was selected by the San Antonio Brahmas in the XFL 2023 Supplemental Draft.
  • He had a banner year for the Brahmas stingy defense, leading the league with 89 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and a pick.
  • In 5 of the 10 contests he started for the team, he had 10 or more tackles.
  • After the 2023 season concluded he was invited to camp with the Carolina Panthers as an inside linebacker.

ACCOLADES:

  • All-XFL 2023

NOTES:

After the final game against the Defenders, I stayed in the stadium as long as I could to get autographs. I had all the customs I had designed, but only managed to get TJ Vasher. -Still before he left, I flagged down Jordan, who called me, “The card guy,” and said that, “He had to go into the locker room to change and would be back out later.”

Unfortunately that didn’t happen, but he responded to me on Twitter and offered to sign the card for me. I sent him a few to keep and crossed my fingers. It took him about a month but it was well worth it, as he apologized for the wait, signed the card and included a nice note that his mom really liked the cards as well!