Tag Archives: chicago bears

NFL

Walsh, Steve

Card: Score 1990
Acquired: In Person 1990, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

When Troy Aikman was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the overall #1 pick in 1989, it didn’t take them long to make waves by grabbing Steve Walsh with their supplemental #1 pick soon thereafter, as Walsh was Dallas’ head coach Jimmy Johnson‘s quarterback at Miami. Walsh and Aikman duked it out for much of the season with Walsh (,not Aikman,) winning the lone game for the team that year- a snoozer against the Washington Redskins. The victory however didn’t figure into the team’s decision to keep him, and Walsh ended up being traded for a few draft choices to the New Orleans Saints after training camp in 1990.  The Saints, were looking to play hardball with encumbent quarterback Bobby Herbert. As Herbert returned to the lineup, Walsh saw his time decrease, but Walsh ended up having the his best season of his career there playing for the Saints a year later in 1991, starting 7 games and throwing for 11 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. After a forgettable 1992 and 1993 though, Walsh was sent packing and signed with the Chicago Bears where he was reuntied with an old familiar coach- Dave Wannastedt, the former defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. He’d take over as backup quarterback under Erik Kramer (who happened to be replacing Jim Harbaugh). Kramer would be injured and Walsh would run the show, under a well-managed, albeit conservative game plan, helping shepherd the Bears into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. He’d throw for 2,000+ yards and 10 touchdowns starting 11 games that season for the Bears, but with the 1994 season out of the way, he inexplicably would not start another game in Chicago or throw for anymore touchdowns in his career. After a forgettable 1996 with the Rams, Walsh played 1997 and 1998 with the Buccaneers throwing 4 more picks, before closing out his career with the Colts in 1999 with 2 more and retire. Since football, Walsh has gotten involved at the high school level and coaches football in Florida.

G/Gs  80/38     Att 1317    Comp 713   Yds 7875   Pct 54.1%   Td 40   Int  50  Rat  66.4

NFL

McMurtry, Greg

Card: Action Packed Rookies 1990, Score 1990
Acquired: TTM 1992, 1993, Patriots Blitz

2 sport start Greg McMurtry was taken in the baseball amateur draft in 1986 by the Boston Red Sox, but decided to remain in school, attending Michigan at Ann Arbor. It was a huge coup for Michigan because McMurtry was offered a huge signing bonus to join the Red Sox. He’d go on to be an excellent player at wide receiver for the Wolverines, playing in the Rose Bowl and snagging All-American Honors. McMurtry would even be allowed to wear the hallowed #1 jersey for the team. He was selected in the 3rd round of the 1990 draft by the woeful New England Patriots, who were desperate to find a compliment to Irving Fryar.

In 1991 the Houston Oilers visited the New England Patriots and I had given a friend an immense spread to take the Patriots. The Patriots ended up winning the game with McMurtry catching the game winning toss from Hugh Millen 24-20. It was one of those really humbling moments being an Oiler fan. Greg’s 1991 season would be his best, with 614 yards and a 15 yard average. He’d play through 1993 for the Patriots, and then finish out his career with the Bears in 1994.

G/Gs  67/44   Rec 128   Yds  1631   Avg   12.7   Lg  65T   Td 5

NFL

Gault, Willie

Card: ProSet 1991
Acquired: In person, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1990

So Josh and I by the time the Raiders came to town were quite adept at finding ways to get autographs and Willie Gault is a great example of this. We had heard rumors while at camp that the Raiders stayed at a hotel just across the highway from St. Edwards. (Right across the highway meant a 45 minute walk.) Josh and I had a choice: Keep the primo spot in autograph alley and get some autographs from Cowboys and Raiders, or take a dice roll on the Raiders hotel and rake it in. We took a shot at the latter and started walking. Josh and I would arrive a few minutes before the bus would and stood out front salivating to get signatures. The streamliner pulled into the parking lot, but instead of pulling around front- it passed us to go to the back. In a panic, we started chasing the bus like little kids after school trying to get to the ice cream man. I managed to pull in front of the group surprisingly keeping up with the bus. Players looked out the tinted windows with amazement – pointed and laughed. When they pulled around back they dropped the players off at a shed in the parking lot to change. Willie didn’t bother. He got off the bus and walked straight up to me and proclaimed,”Wow man! We kept telling the bus driver to go faster and almost got it up to 30 before you started falling behind! You looked like a full on sprinter at the Olympics, with arms up and everything!” He signed our cards with a beaming smile and humorous zeal and truly this is one of my favorite football memories of all time.

A track and field speedster beast that  (NFL teams tried to duplicate the luck the Cowboys had with Bob Hayes-) the closest anybody got over the last 30 years was Willie Gault. In 1980 during the height of the Cold War, the United States boycotted the Olympics being hosted by the USSR. Instead the USA Olympic Committee decided to hold their own ‘Boycott Olympics’ in Philadelphia. Willie Gault would win a Gold in the 100 M and a Bronze 4×100 M relay. He would also win at the Helsinki Championships for hurdling (Bronze) and  the 4×100 again (Gold).  Drafted in the first round of the 1983 draft by the Chicago Bears, Willie would primarily be utilized to stretch defenses with his incredible speed.  In 1985, he would be a part of the “Super Bowl Shuffle” helping the team dominate the New England Patriots winning SuperBowl XX with 129 yards on 4 catches. After a successful career with the Bears, averaging a breathtaking 19.8 yards on 184 catches, Willie would be traded to the Los Angeles Raiders and Al Davis who loves that speed. Gault would have perhaps his best seasons there, averaging over 24.5 yards a catch his first two seasons in LA, and a career high 985 yards in 1990.

In 1993, Willie would retire and pursue his dream of acting. As of 2010 he’s been in 31 different productions both TV and film, and also been a producer and even a costume designer. Recently he also appeared in the 25th anniversary of the “Super Bowl Shuffle” hosted by Boost Mobile on the most recent SuperBowl half-time show. He remains incredibly in shape and has set numerous records at the Masters athletics championship.

G/Gs  170/141       Rec 333        Yds 6635        Avg  19.9      Td 44      Lg 87T