Tag Archives: cleveland browns

NFL

Bowles, Todd

Card: ProSet 1991
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o The New York Jets
Sent: 10/1 Received: 12/31 (91 days)

Admittedly, it’s a bit grim when you get a player or coach’s autograph in the mail from them right after they get cut or fired. Case in point- Todd Bowles. He took over Gang Green after Rex Ryan was dismissed from the franchise in 2015. He posted a solid 10-6 record right out of the box that year, but the team did not make the playoffs. Over the next 3 seasons, the Jets failed to rally back into the AFC East race, finishing dead last each year with identical 5-11 records in 2016 and 2017, and a 4-12 mark in 2018.

The franchise hired a new GM and then couldn’t find a quarterback to hitch the team to until the 2018 season. In the meantime they constantly missed on draft choices or had a lack there of and in the 2018 season lost 6 games by less than a TD. Todd was released after the season, but not before he dropped this card in the mail – signing one of two for me. He was quickly snatched up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their open defensive coordinator position in 2019 reuniting him with Head Coach Bruce Arians.

Todd has a rich coaching history. Technically a disciple of the Al Groh coaching tree, Todd served at a variety of stops in college before hitting it big in the NFL with the Jets as a secondary coach in 2000. He served as a defensive coordinator and secondary coach in 1997 for Morehouse and in 1998 and 1999 in the same capacity for Grambing State. Bowles joined the Browns in 2001 and remained with the franchise through 2004, eventually becoming the franchise’s secondary coach. He then coached with the Cowboys under Bill Parcells from 2005-2007, again in the secondary, before working with the Dolphins in 2008, where he’d get a taste of head coaching in 2011 going 2-1 as the interim head coach. Todd spent a year with the Eagles, and then in 2013 was the defensive coordinator for the Cardinals, where he enjoyed the most success paired with head coach and offensive guru Bruce Arians. He earned AP Assistant Coach of the Year Honors before embarking on his whirlwind tour of New York.

Amazingly- Todd has a very long playing resume as well. Going undrafted out of Temple in 1986, he signed with the Redskins playing Free Safety with the franchise through 1990- earning one Super Bowl ring. Bowles hopped over the 49ers in 1991 spending one season with the team. He’d then return to the Redskins for two more seasons before heading into coaching.

G/GSTACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
117/82N/A2.071520813.8065
WLTPCT
26410.388
NFL, NFLE

Moore, Lance

Card: Score 2009, Score 2011
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent:  12/4     Received: 12/16   (12 days)

Lance Moore played college ball for the Toledo Rockets. The Rockets have become sort of a mid-school pipeline for really sneaky offensive talent over the years- and Moore was no different.  Posting strong numbers his Junior (103 receptions for 1194 yards and 9 TDs), and Senior years (90 receptions for 1189 yards and 14 TDs), Moore did not get selected in the 2005 NFL Draft.  Who knows why Lance wasn’t selected, but that didn’t stop him from signing with the Cleveland Browns.  After a quick stop there  he’d find himself signed to the Saints practice squad.

In 2006 the Saints elected to send Moore overseas to the NFL developmental league, the NFLE. He’d play for the Berlin Thunder and post a modest 12 receptions for 207 yards, a 68 yard long and 1 TD. He’d return stateside to the Saints and be active for 4 games, catching his first pass, a 10 yard reception from Drew Brees in a week 3 contest against the Carolina Panthers. Soon thereafter, Lance was sent back to the practice squad. 

Moore firmly established himself as a fan favorite and popular locker room presence. A consummate professional, Lance was continually working on perfecting his game. Maybe it helped that he was undrafted, but Lance is every man’s underdog story. 

Things finally stated paying off in 2007. As a situational starter, Lance played in all 16 games (starting 4) and posted 32 receptions for 302 yards and 2 TDs.  He topped those numbers in 2008 with a career high 121 targets that he converted into 79 receptions for 928 yards and 10 TDs.  Later in his career, Lance posted a career high 1041 yards in 2012, but he is perhaps best known for catching a two point conversion from Drew Brees cementing the team’s domination over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.  While experiencing some measure of success over the next few seasons, Lance was released by the Saints in 2014. 

He’d play the next two seasons for the Steelers (2014) and Lions (2015) before finally deciding to hang up the cleats. – He’d sign a  one day contract with the Saints, where Lance was most happy to retire.

Lance signed these two cards for me in a pretty quick snap. In 2018 he was inducted into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame alongside runningback Pierre Thomas. A key and unsung cog of the mighty Saints Super Bowl run, Moore posted 346 catches for 4281 yards an 38 TDs over his time with Who Dat Nation. Pretty good for an undrafted free agent.

Really love this Score 2009 edition of Lance. Can’t say more about the design of the card other than Panini had variants of this design across multiple sets. It forms a very nice diamond shape there in the center for the image canvas. It’s very subtle, because the design is masking it with the diagonal streaks across the corner, but regardless it is very strong. Lance’s autograph compliments it very well. Contradict this one with Score’s 2011 entry- a very plain and boring treatment. While it gets the message across of the player, his team, and a strong photo, the canvas design itself is very tired looking. Thankfully Lance’s strong autograph is there to rescue them both. 

NFL  G/GsRECYDSAVGTDLG
129/40389481612.44480T
KRYDSAVGTDLG
1835419.7036
PRYDSAVGTDLG
493887.9072
NFLERECYDSAVGTDLG
1220717.2168
CFL, NFL, ufl

Hairston, Carl ‘Big Daddy’

Cards: ProSet 1991 Legends, Score Supplemental 1989
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent: 10/20   Received: 10/27   (7 days)

During the Jurassic Period of football, there were some absolute beasts of defenders that took the league by storm in the 70s. One of them was Carl Hairston, a little known defensive lineman prospect out of UMES or (University of Maryland Eastern Shore). He played on some terrible teams during college, which allowed him to really hone his game. Hairston was named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team 3 times. In his final year with the team, he posted 147 tackles and 15 sacks, good enough to get noticed by the Philadelphia Eagles, who selected Carl in the 7th round of the 1976 draft. 

He’d make the squad and in fact lead the NFL in sacks in 1979 (unofficially) with 15. Then in 1980, he’d help champion the defense that got the Eagles to Super Bowl XV.  Injuries began to slow Hairston down in 1983, and soon thereafter he’d be traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he’d be a mainstay on the line until 1989. He’d finish his career in Phoenix the following season. 

Carl has an extensive coaching resume at the Pro level, and has seen stops in the NFL (Phoenix, KC, St Louis, and Green Bay), UFL (Florida, Omaha), and CFL (British Columbia). He earned a Super Bowl ring as the defensive line coach for the St. Louis Rams (Super Bowl XXXIV). 

Carl is another one of these players who should probably be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A dominant lineman during his time, unofficially he has 1,141 tackles and 94 sacks to his name in 184 starts. 

Both of these are really nice cards of Carl. I almost feel like they are nods to him out of respect- like these card companies knew he was long in the tooth but they still wanted to pay him respects with their brand of card. The ProSet Legends 1991 card is an absolute gem. Merv Corning can make a player standing on the sideline look exciting, and this highly detailed image is no different with its nicks and bumps. It’s a fine card with excellent minimal design- which screams classy. The Score Supplemental 1989 had always been floating around my doubles box, so I had been kicking around the idea of getting it autographed for sometime. It’s unique because it’s obviously a special teams shot, but he’s just sort of popping up in a sea of helmets.

G/GSTACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
224/184114194.0N/A14040.0040