Tag Archives: cincinnati bengals

NFL

Johnson, Larry

Cards: Upper Deck 2009, Pacific 2009, Score 2009
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent: 11/12 Received: 12/3 (21 days)
Failure: TTM 2012 , C/o Home

Larry Johnson was a star runningback for the Penn State Nittany Lions in 2002. He was a virtuoso out of the backfield, both catching and running for the team and truly was a man among the boys. He’d carry the ball 271 times for 2087 yards and 20 TDs- for a hefty 7.7 yards per carry clip. He’d also catch 41 passes for 349 yards and 3 more scores. He’d finish 3rd in Heisman voting that year behind Iowa QB Brad Banks and USC QB Carson Palmer.

In what was considered to be a weak runningback crop, Larry was selected 27th overall during the 2002 NFL Draft, and was the second RB off the board- after Willis McGahee.

The Chiefs have been going through a renaissance of sorts at runningback over the last 20 years or so. It pretty much started when Priest Holmes jumped into the lead role in Kansas City in 2001. After 3-4 years of solid production with a few games here and there, it was time for Larry to go from being the most solid injury insurance handcuff, to the lead back in KC.

Larry began to assert himself as the lead back in 2005. He’d earn his first of 2 Pro Bowl berths, with 336 carries for 1750 yards, and 20 TDs. Johnson also had 33 receptions for 343 yards and a TD. In 2006, Larry actually topped those numbers, leading the NFL in touches (457) and carries (416- an NFL record), run for 1789 yards and 17 TDs while catching 41 passes for 410 yards and 2 TDs. While Larry did not see the same heavy workload the rest of his career, he’d rush for 559 yards in an injury plagued campaign in 2007, and 874 yards in 2008.

After an acrimonious 2009, Larry was cut midway through the season and finished the year on the roster of the Cincinnati Bengals with 581 yards on 178 carries. During the journeyman phase of his career, Larry spent time on the rosters of the Redskins (2010) and the Miami Dolphins (2011), before finally deciding to retire.

After Curt Warner’s run for glory in Seattle, Penn State had a really bad run of backs come out in the first round who just didn’t make the cut. DJ Dozier, Blair Thomas, Ki-Jana Carter, and Curtis Enis come straight to mind. It wasn’t until 2005, when LJ had his first impact season, that the ‘Penn St Curse’ of runningbacks to come out of college to the pros was lifted.

Johnson has had multiple brushes with the law, possibly due to CTE, as he fits all the hallmarks for the disease. Larry’s done some articles and been interviewed about it- and I feel absolutely terrible for him. I wrote him back in 2014, but did not get a response. This time around he signed these cards pretty promptly.

These are some great cards of Larry that I really liked. The Pacific, while very plain looking is classy and elegant. Upper Deck assumed stewardship of the brand in its final days and really sent them out on a nice, high note. The Upper Deck 2009 has clear and strong photography. The framing and color feels like it was inspired by the Upper Deck Legends 1997 set. – And of course, I can never get enough of the Score 2009 set. It just could’ve used a little sports photo blur on the background, as the expression of that guy with the Patriots sweater on is a bit distracting.

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NFL

Price, Billy

Card: Panini Contenders 2018
Acquired: 2018, Box Breaker

A solid NFL prospect, and throwback to a road-grating hoss, Billy Price played center at Ohio State from 2014-2017. A 300 pound unshackled center who won the 2017 Rimington Award given collegially to the best center in football, Price was a lock to hear his name called early on. In the end he’d go 21st overall to the Cincinnati Bengals.  The Bengals were rebuilding their offensive line and Price fit exactly the mold of what they were looking for.
He started 8 games at center in 2018, missing a good part of the meat in the middle of the schedule due to a foot injury.

NFL

Savage, Tom

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Cards: Topps Finest 2015, Topps Prime 2015
Acquired: 2017, EBay

Tom Savage is a fierce competitor and a good study.  He started one season at Rutgers (2009) and put up solid numbers as a Freshman with 149 of 285 passing for 2211 yards and 14 TDs in 12 contests. He then lost the starting job after he busted up his hand in 2010 so Tom opted to transfer to Arizona and sat out a year. In the meantime the school fired its coach, so Tom transferred again- this time to Pitt where he was able to get one final year of eligibility in 2013. Savage posted 238 of 389 passing for 2958 yards and 21 touchdowns to only 9 interceptions. Scouts were intrigued. They felt that Savage was a nice sleeper for the right team. He has the right tools, build, a cannon for an arm, good football acumen, and is willing to just do whatever it takes.

Tom was projected to go in the 5th or 6th round of the 2014 Draft, and with a run on quarterbacks the Texans decided to pull the trigger selecting Savage in the 4th round. Pundits felt that Tom was the right fit, and Bill O’Brien the quarterback whisperer got his project to work on. He threw 19 passes his rookie year for 127 yards and an interception.

The Texans in the meantime continued to look at their quarterback options. 2015 went by and Tom didn’t throw a pass. It’d be in 2016 things got- well a bit crazy. The Texans decided to make a splash in free agency. Feeling that they were just a legitimate quarterback away from making that happen, Houston signed Denver backup signal caller Brock Osweiler to man the fort. Friction quickly grew between Bill O’Brien and Brock to the point the coach benched the erratic quarterback midway through a game against the Jaguars. Tom came in and lit a fire under the Texans guiding them to a win. For a second there fans thought that Savage was the answer at quarterback, but Tom would be concussed during a game against the Titans the following week ending his season.

During the offseason of 2017, Houston got rid of Osweiler while the Texans attempted to wait out the Cowboys for Tono Romo. Unable to make it happen the Texans named Savage the starter and then traded up and selected Clemson QB Deshaun Watson. Savage lasted all of 3 quarters into his first game against the new and improved Jaguars. It was really rough for Tom, but he was ever the team player. He’d return to the starting lineup again, after Watson tore his ACL, but suffer a vicious concussion against the 49ers ending his season. Highlights of his season included leading the Texans to a 31-21 win over the Cardinals on 22 of 32 passing for 230 yards and 2 TDs in Week 11, and in Week 13, when Tom threw for a career high 365 yards in a loss to the Titans. His final season numbers were 1412 yards on 125 of 223 passing and 5 TDs to 6 interceptions.

Moving into 2018 it really wasn’t known how the Texans would proceed further with the Tom Savage experience. It’s a shame really. I really like Tom and I still believe he can still ball in the league given the right situation. During the free agency period he signed with the New Orleans Saints where he lost a battle with Teddy Bridgewater to be Drew Brees backup.  He spent about a month on the roster of the 49ers, and as of the end of  2018 is a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.