Scott Fulhage punted for Kansas State from 1981-’84.
He punted 254 times for 10,284 yards.
Signed as a free agent by the Bills (1985) and the Redskins the following season (’86) , but did not make the opening day roster.
Signed by the Bengals in ’87, then the Packers, and then back to the Bengals that year.
He averaged 41.7 yards per punt (2,168 yards) on 52 attempts.
Joined the Falcons in 1989, where he pinned opponents 24 times inside their own 20- leading the NFC (on 84 punts).
After bouncing around between 5 teams from ’85-’89, Fulhage found consistency with the Falcons, whom he punted for through the 1992 season.
In 1991, punted 81 times for 3,470 yards and dropped 21 inside the 20.
He’d see career highs in net yards (2,963), Average (42.8), and net average (36.6) that season.
After a shaky start with 3 blocked punts in under three seasons, Scott punted successfully 192 times until the 1992 season.
At the time of his retirement, Scott was ranked second all time on the Falcons all-time list with a 41.8 yard average per punt.
NOTES:
I knew I’d be in for a wait for Scott. Consistent, yet slow, I wasn’t worried about these getting back to me. He was of special interest to me as he appears in 1991’s Tecmo Super Bowl on the NES with the Falcons. Scott also appears on two set needs so it was a no brainer to get these cards out the door to him.
Funny note, on many of his cards, it’s noted that Scott farms and harvests wheat when it’s not the football season. Makes sense since he’s from Beloit, KS.
CARD: Pro Set 1989, Pro Set 1990, Score 1990 ACQUIRED: TTM 2025, C/o Home SENT: 2/21 RECEIVED: 5/12 (80 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Carl Zander played LB for the Tennessee Vols from 1981-’84.
He led the team in tackles as a Senior with 167 and finished second on the team as a Junior.
A second round choice of the Bengals in 1985.
Became a starter in last 1/3rd of season and had 60 tackles, a sack and recovered fumble in his rookie season.
Fast and physical, Zander had 97 tackles and 3.5 sacks in ’86.
Followed that up with 61 tackles in 1987.
Continued to play with the Bengals through the 1991 season.
At last glance was on the off-season roster of the Colts in 1992.
NOTES:
Carl doesn’t get enough respect, and was the team’s defensive signal caller and captain for much of his career. Bengal fans remember him well for the game winning goal line stuff of Stump Mitchell during Cincinnati’s 1988 Super Bowl run.
Classy and great cards of Zander here. I was very happy to add him on these three cards.
Akili Smith was a two year starter for the Oregon Ducks from 1997-’98.
In 1998, He completed 191 of 325 passes for 3,307 yards and 30 TDs.
That season he led the PAC-10 in completion percentage (58.8), yards, TDs, Yards per attempt (10.2), yards per game (300.2) and Rating (170.4).
He’d declare for the 1999 draft and be the 3rd quarterback taken off the board with the 3rd overall pick, (behind Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb), by the Cincinnati Bengals.
He played four seasons for the Bengals from 1999-’02.
During his rookie season, he led the Bengals to an 18-17 win over the Browns, completing 25 of 42 passes for 221 yards and 2 TDs.
Dealing with a nagging toe injury, the Bengals opted to shut him down after week 8.
Akili returned for the 2000 campaign but struggled to find his footing as the starter and eventually was benched.
On the season, Smith finished 118 of 267 for 1253 yards and 3 TDs to 6 picks in 12 contests.
He saw action in two contests in 2001, but popped his hamstring in week 14 and didn’t return to action.
Released in 2003, he signed with the Packers but was unable to latch on with the team after camp.
After a more than a year off, Akili was allocated to the NFLE where he played for the Frankfurt Galaxy in 2005.
Smith completed 53 of 84 passes for 589 yards and 2 TDs to 2 interceptions, and ran for another TD as well.
Earned an audition with the Buccaneers but would be released before the preseason.
Joined the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL in 2006 but didn’t make the roster.
At last glance in 2025 was a high school football coach in California.
NOTES:
So WHY did the Bengals draft Akili knowing what they knew about his poor Wonderlic stats? Why did the Bengals draft Akili with Mike Ditka and the Saints attempting to trade everything in their draft to move up to 3 to select Ricky Williams? Why when both Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb just went off the board did the Bengals still bank on Akili?
Well, in 1998 Peyton Manning had just been drafted by the Colts out of Tennessee. Smith had an incredible breakout season by any regards for a quarterback in the 90s. He had an electric comeback against the Bruins where he just put the team on his shoulders and won the game, and his 1998 season was superior (dare I say) to Manning’s statistically, AND Smith could make teams pay with his running ability.
The Bengals franchise was obviously NOT the place he should’ve gone, and one wonders what would’ve happened if Culpepper or McNabb ended up at Riverfront and Smith somewhere else how that would’ve played out.
That being said not only did Smith hold out to start things off, he had a penchant for relying on his athleticism and not studying his playbook. We’ve seen this movie before, and it only ends in disaster.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
