Tag Archives: classic 1992

NFL

Dotson, Santana ‘Sack-Tana’

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1992, Classic 1992
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent: 8/24/2012      Received: 5/24/2018   (2094 days)

Santana Dotson marks the new longest TTM wait ever for me, at 5 years, 8 months, and 24 days. To say that I had given up on these a long time ago is an understatement, but when I saw that he was responding to a few fans recently through some boards, it gave me a glimmer of hope. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like waiting years for autographs but this one tasted all the sweeter to get- and the older ones always bring back memories of what I was doing then and there at that time. I’d like to believe that Santana understands the TTM game in this respect, and with that I am glad to finally get his autograph on these two beautiful cards.

I loved the creamsickle orange Bucs uniform. I will always say that every time I get one signed. The Action Packed 1992 Rookies card is pretty nice. Santana is blowing by an offensive lineman, and off the canvas. The card does a pretty good job of showcasing his impressive wingspan. I wasn’t too huge a fan of the Classic brand. They went from absolutely garish cards, to the very plain, no frills 1992 edition shrouded in black. Still, it’s a pretty good looking card. Rarely anymore do you see cards that have a player setting up in stance and this card looks great adorned with his autograph. The unique Baylor paws on the shoulders remind me of the dying days of the SWC.

Santana was one of the last great dinosaurs coming out of Baylor during the final years of the SWC. Back in those days, Baylor almost always had a tenacious defense led by a powerful defensive line. Dotson clocked in at 6’5″, 265, and just wrecked havoc. A consensus All-American in 1991, Dotson had 6 tackles and 5 sacks in one game against Houston that year. Over 41 games at Baylor, he had 193 combined tackles, 30 TFL, 14 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and was a 3 time All-SWC selection. His quickness off the snap and versatility allowed Santana to play outside or kick inside on rushing downs.

1992 was not a particularly good draft for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While they did find some depth and some occasional starters, Dotson stands far and away as their best pick that year- selected in the 5th round.  The Bucs plugged him away at right defensive tackle immediately where he started all 16 games his rookie season. He’d finish the year with 71 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and 10 sacks- a club rookie record. In addition, Santana returned a 42 yard fumble for a TD against the Lions.  While he did not see the same measurement of success over the next 3 seasons in Tampa, Dotson was a nice free agent poach by the Green Bay Packers in 1996. Thus started the second phase of Sack-Tana’s career.

Dotson helped anchor a Green Bay defense that was retooled under the new free agency rules. Playing alongside Reggie White, Sean Jones, and Gilbert Brown, Dotson solidified an already formidable defensive front. He had 26 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 158 tackles playing RDT over the next 6 seasons. A fan favorite in Green Bay, he helped the team win Super Bowl XXXI and appear again in Super Bowl XXXII.

Retiring after 2001, Dotson has recently been working diligently to hone his skills as a broadcaster and appears from time to time on sports radio around Milwaukee.  In addition, he sits on the Board of Directors for the Texas Orthopedic Hospital, is a celebrity spokesperson, and has his own foundation to help challenged students succeed. (santanadotson.org)

G/GS  152/129         TAC 334        SAC 49.0        FUM 11
INT 0        YDS 0       AVG -.-     TD 0        LG -.-

CFL, NFL

Smith, Tony (RB)

 Cards: GameDay 1992, Action Packed Rookies 1992, Classic 1992
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent: 4/10      Received:  4/28  (18 days)

A speedy and dangerous all-purpose man while at Southern Mississippi, Tony Smith got to play alongside the likes of Brett Favre and Michael Jackson on offense. Over his career at the school he set school records, returning 2 kickoffs and 2 punts for touchdowns. In 1991 he ran for over 1,000 yards, (5.1 yards per carry) despite wearing a cast on his hand for half the season. Tony culminated his college career when he was named the Senior Bowl MVP after rushing for 72 yards on 12 carries.

The Falcons were in their 3rd year of the Glanville era. They traded away Brett Favre to the Packers, and cut future CFL career leading rusher Mike Pringle. The Falcons had an age purge at RB and the previous season they had failed to have any runningback reach 500 yards rushing. Steve Broussard and Erric Pegram would be the top backs out in the Red Gun offense. The team felt it still had a lot of needs, so Glanville was pretty unhappy when the team selected Tony Smith with the 1st round pick that they had gotten from the Brett Favre trade. You see Glanville didn’t have power over the draft and really thought the team should select a defensive back. (To put salt in the wound, Dale Carter, Darryl Williams, Ashley Ambrose, Darren Woodson, and Steve Israel all came off the board after this selection and had solid defensive back careers.) Much to Tony’s credit though- he was the highest rated tailback in the draft.

Smith was slow to get into camp- and was considered a holdout. He’d be the last first round pick to sign from the 1992 draft.  He was also the wrong style of back. Glanville liked smashmouth in-your-face backs, but Tony was a studder-step and make them miss back. He got out there his rookie season and started 6 games posting 87 carries for 329 yards and 2 TDs, but oddly enough, he’d never start another game again for the Falcons in the next two seasons.

Fans clamored to see more of Tony, and I am sure Tony was ready to show them what he had, so he put some time in on special teams where he demonstrated his capability as a dangerous return man. He finished 1993 with 38 kick returns for 948 yards and a 97 yard touchdown. Smith also returned punts- putting up a respectable 32 returns for 255 yards and a 51 yard long.  He saw even less activity in 1994- putting up only 408 total yards from scrimmage. Tony just couldn’t get out of Jerry Glanville’s doghouse.

It looked like a new start for Tony in 1995. The Falcons left him exposed in Free Agency and the expansion Carolina Panthers were providing him a new chance. While Tony had an impressive preseason, he suffered a gruesome injury against the Bears breaking both his tibia and fibia bones. He spent the entire ’95 season on IR. After rehabbing and spending a year away from football, Tony attempted a comeback with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 1998. He returned to the NFL in 1999 with the Philadelphia Eagles- but tore his hamstring in camp ending his career.

It is a shame that Tony’s career ended the way it did, but at least he is at peace with it. He had some great cards over that short run, with these 3 representing some of my favorites.

G/GS 33/6   RUSH 87      YDS 329        AVG 3.8      TD 2           LG 32
REC 2      YDS  14              AVG 7.0               TD 0          LG 8
KR 61      YDS 1453         AVG 23.8            TD 1          LG 97T
PR 56      YDS 485            AVG 8.7                TD 0         LG 51

Arena, CFL, NFL, XFL

Pawlawski, Mike

Cards: Topps XFL 2001, Classic Blister 1992, Gameday 1992
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent:  3/17     Received:  4/10  (24  days)

Mike Pawlawski has enjoyed nothing but one of the more curious professional football careers. It all started back in 1992 when the highly decorated signal caller from Cal was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 8th round. He spent one year with the team and the next two out of football.

Mike reignited his football career when he joined the Arena Football League. First with the SabreCats, and then later with the Miami Hooters in 1995. (- Yes named after the Hooters restaurant franchise.) He played one season with the team (66/133, 674 yards, and 6 TDs) in primarily relief duty. He also spent time in the CFL with their USA invasion as a member of the Shreveport Pirates. Mike jumped to the Albany Firebirds the following year- and really impressed (22/35, 296 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INT) in limited play.  It’d be in 1997 that Pawlawski came into his own as a starter. He’d throw for 4,272 yards and 69 TDs on 509 attempts. For the next 3 seasons he’d be the unquestioned starter of the Firebirds and threw for at least 70 touchdowns in each year.

He heard the siren call of the XFL in 2001 and joined the fledgling league and be the starting quarterback for the San Fransisco Demons. In the lone season for the league Pawlawski finished second to only Tommy Maddox in passing, while leading the team to the Million Dollar Game. With the XFL hemorrhaging money and with bad TV ratings, the league shut down after the lone season.

Mike retired due to injuries and followed his passions for the outdoors, working on the show Gridiron Outdoors. He also does color commentating for Cal games for a variety of networks.

Mike was kind enough to sign these three cards in about a month’s time, however I wish he actually had a sharpie handy as his autograph gets lost on these canvases.

ARENA    ATT 2045   CPD 1351   YDS  16673
TD  303    INT 45   RAT 118.98
R 93    YDS 181    TD 19

XFL   ATT  297    CPD  186   YDS 1659    TD 12   INT  4