Tag Archives: cincinnati bengals

Arena, NFL, ufl

Purify, Maurice

tntafl11 purifyCard: TNT AFL 2011 Promo
Acquired: IP 6/15/2014, San Antonio Talons vs. The Arizona Rattlers

Maurice earned Second Team All-Big 12 Hounrs as a senior after catching 57 passes for 814 yards and 9 touchdowns with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 2007.  Going undrafted, Purify signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2008 where he’d see time on special teams, recording 5 tackles in 2009.  He joined the Georgia Force in 2010 and was named Rookie of the Year and Breakout Player of the Year. Maurice also earned Second-Team All-Arena honors after leading the Georgia Force with 130 receptions and 46 TDs, while finishing second on the team with 1,653 yards receiving.  In 2011, Maurice decided to play for the UFL, but an injury landed him on injured reserve for the majority of the league season, so Maurice returned to the Arena leagues, this time signing with the powerful Arizona Rattlers. He’d go on to catch 126 balls for 1,932 yards and 46 touchdowns that season and earn First-Team All-Arena Honors. He’d be a key component in the Rattlers ArenaBowl XXV victory, as he’d be named Offensive Player of the Game for his seven touchdown performance. Maurice resigned with Arizona for the 2013 season, but was injured for much of the year. Still he’d post up  51 receptions for 740 yards and nine touchdowns in nine games, and two touchdowns in the team’s return to ArenaBowl XXVI.  Maurice was the last of the ‘big 3’ that I was after from the Rattlers that evening. He went over to sign autographs before the game, so I had to dart across the stands with pen in hand to get him. Still I ended up with his autograph on this sweet looking card of him from his days with the Force.

 

NFL

Oliver, Louis

sco93 oliversco91 CC Oliver
Cards: Score 1992 Crunch Crew, Score 90+ Club 1993
Acquired: Canton Acquisition, 2012

Louis Oliver was a hard hitting safety out of Florida. With their secondary aging rapidly and their defense becoming a liability, the Miami Dolphins drafted Oliver in the first round of the deep 1989 draft. After taking Sammie Smith at pick #9, the ‘Fins watched Steve Atwater and Donnell Woolford come off the board before grabbing Oliver with the 25th pick. Oliver was an imposing specimen at safety, weighing in at roughly 225 and had the height (6’2″) to cover receivers as well. Louis was very fortunate. Not only was he playing in his home state, but he was also paired up with his former team mate at Jarvis Williams who moved over to SS, while Louis fit right in at FS. The two made an imposing tandem and helped give some stability to the secondary.
Oliver in the meantime was becoming well known as a ball hawking defender for the Dolphins. Starting 13 games his rookie season, he notched 4 picks, 1 forced fumble, and 62 tackles. In 1990 Oliver made his first career sack against the Indianapolis Colts.  He recorded 5 interceptions that season, and repeated that in 1991 and 1992. 1992 was perhaps his finest season, with a career high 90 tackles and 5 interceptions, one of which he returned 103 yards against the Buffalo Bills. After an injury shortened 1993, in which he played in 11 games, Louis signed and played with the Bengals for one season at SS in 1994. He returned to the Dolphins in 1995 playing in 5 contests at FS that season. He completed his final season in Miami at SS  in 1996 where he recovered a career high 5 fumbles that year. Louis remains firmly entrenched in Florida and has made many business and sports inroads since retirement. At last glance he is working in the real estate market.

G/Gs 117/101    Tac  502    Sac   2.0     Fum  8      Int   27     Yds   605    Avg  22.4      Td  2    Lg  103t

NFL

Orlando, Bo

tosc92 orlandoCards: Topps 1992, Topps Stadium Club 1992
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent: 12/16   Received: 12/31   (15 days)

Bo Orlando was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the 6th round of the 1990 NFL draft. A co-captain of the West Virginia Mountaineer team that went undefeated and played for the National Championship in 1988, He made the squad primarily as a special teams guy and filled in a bit at safety for aging Terry Kinard. The team in 1991 made a concerted effort to draft defensive backs. Exposed in the playoffs and burned with regularity, the Oilers drafted Darryll Lewis, Mike Dumas, Steve Jackson, and Marcus Robertson that year, but it was Orlando surprisingly who made the biggest noise for the team in the secondary. After winning the starting free safety job in camp, he’d rack up 56 tackles and 4 interceptions in 1991. An injury shortened ’92, the emergence of Marcus Robertson at the position, and new defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan in 1993 meant Orlando wasn’t seeing much playing time, but still off the bench starting in 3 contests Bo still managed to make 3 interceptions.

to92 orlandoIn 1995, Bo was left unprotected and signed with the San Diego Chargers.  He’d step in and record 69 tackles and a forced fumble, in his first full season of action since 1991. Again left exposed, Orlando signed with Cincinnati in 1996 and recorded a career high 72 tackles playing for the Bengals. He’d finish his career in 1998 with his homestate Pittsburgh Steelers, retiring after the season.

Injury ravaged during his career, Orlando is a great example of one of the lesser unsung players who really layed their bodies on the line week in and week out for our entertainment. While he has enjoyed a career as a high school football coach in Bethlehem, Pa, and been inducted into the Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame, his body has certainly taken a toll from the abuse inflicted on it from his 9 seasons in the league.

G/Gs 129/55   Tac 267   Sac 2.0  Fum 4   Int  10  Yds 126  Avg 12.6  Td 1  Lg 38t