Tag Archives: cleveland browns

Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL

Griffin, Robert ‘RGIII’

Cards: Upper Deck College Football Heroes 1991
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o The Baltimore Ravens
Sent:  4/19  Received: 10/19  (183  days)

I remembered two years ago when RGIII took a pitstop in Cleveland. I noted that he signed a few cards TTM for fans via the team facilities. I missed out on getting his autograph earlier in 2018 when he opened a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Waco-  and that one I was kicking myself over.  Spoodog gave me this giant box of cards, and in it was a set of College Football Heroes Robert Griffin cards. Since these beauties really stood out, I said, “Why not?” I decided to shoot out this beautiful card of his to Baltimore and give it a shot.

A few days before I got this back I started seeing some activity/ returns from him and was cautiously optimistic, so when I opened this letter and got this beautiful autograph, I was quite happy. This is a great looking card accented by a perfectly placed autograph.

Robert Griffin is the gem in the crown of the Baylor Bears sports program. He had a storied career playing in Waco, really putting the forgotten about sports program back on the map from 2008-2011. Under the tutelage of Art Briles, he matured as a passer, while displaying incredible speed slashing up defenses -and pulling rabbits out of his hat while in the pocket. Shattering many long held single, season, and career records for the school, it was his 2011 season that earned him the Heisman Trophy for his efforts. RGIII finished with 4293 yards, on 402/291 (72.4%), with 37 TDs to just 6 interceptions. He also rushed the ball 161 times for 699 yards and 10 TDs. 

Pushing himself into the conversation as the #1 overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft, Griffin was selected by the Washington Redskins (who traded away a king’s ransom to select him) at the #2 overall spot. Robert had an overall solid rookie season, leading the Redskins to the playoffs. He’d throw for 3200 yards flat with 20 TDs to 5 interceptions, but it’d be on the ground he’d carve up and frustrate opposing offenses. RGIII finished with a rookie QB record 815 yards on 120 carries- going in for 7 TDs including an improbable 76 yard long. His 815 yards, 76 yard long, and 7 TDs would all be rookie QB records. RGIII also led the NFL with a 6.8 yards per carry average. Robert won the Rookie of the Year Honors and was named to the Pro Bowl.

It’d be during the playoffs that he’d push himself a bit too much. Trying to heroically play through a  knee injury against the Seahawks Griffin ended up tearing both his LCL and ACL. He was able to recover in time for the 2013 season but experienced Sophomore jitters. Then he got caught in a QB controversy with Kirk Cousins in 2014 and by 2016, Griffin, was unceremoniously cut.

Snatched up by the Browns, it was expected he’d rejuvenate his career there with Cleveland, but with little tools to work with RGIII struggled in his lone season there. He’d win one game as starter, while posting a line of 87 completions (59.2%) for 886 yards, 2 TDs and 3 interceptions. Robert also rushed 31 times for 190 yards and 2 TDs. Again cut after the season, RGIII was eventually signed by the Baltimore Ravens after a long free agency period. By then RGIII was being treated as an afterthought.

But in the feel good NFL story of the 2018 year, Griffin forced his way into the conversation in Baltimore. After the franchise selected Lamar Thomas- the heir apparent to Joe Flacco, it was thought that the Ravens- a franchise notorious for carrying only 2 QBs would not keep RGIII. Griffin had a spectacular preseason and made the final roster for 2019. 

AAF, NFL

Richardson, Daryl

Card: Donruss Rookies & Stars 2013
Acquired: In Person 2018, AAF San Antonio Commanders Season Ticket Holders Party

I really had to scramble to find a Daryl Richardson card before I left for the season ticket holders party. Worried that the cards I ordered wouldn’t arrive in time, I went and dug through my card boxes twice before I left. I thought that I had at least one card of Daryl somewhere that had possibly been given to me by Spoodog. The night before I left I came across Daryl’s Rookies & Stars entry from 2013. It was a gem to start with. 

Overall it was a good event. Players were easy to talk to- almost shy being approached, but Daryl handled the spotlight magnificently with his trademark dreads and wife and kid in tow. When I showed him this card he got really animated, and we talked about being new fathers for a bit. He then welcomed me to follow him on Twitter, where I quickly found out that another fellow collector was a big fan. 

His Rookies & Stars entry is really nice. This set is a good departure from the terrible look of the 2012 set. If I had been a collector back then or this set was cheap enough, I’d probably try to plunk down enough change to pick it up. The foreground image of Richardson is strong. He looks heroic bursting from the canvas in front of the design. The background is smartly blurred, and although Daryl’s feet look cut off because they do not continue below the logos, it could still be considered a design decision. 

My silver sharpie dried out and the backup I had with me also dried up. Final lessons learned on sharpies: Stick to blue if you have to use a basic sharpie. Silver, black and just about any other color react badly to humidity and after a while will dry out… And- always pack a second sharpie in case the first one is dead. I tested the sharpies before I went inside the covered stadium, but I guess the humidity sapped them up immediately. I ran off to the entry table where the girls running the event let me borrow the- brown one. It worked in a cinch, but I couldn’t get them to let me use blue or black. 

Daryl was the second to last pick of the 2012 NFL Draft out of Abilene Christian. He’d beat out Isiah Pead in camp to become Steven Jackson‘s primary backup. A low to the ground, compact, elusive runner, Daryl ran for 475 yards his rookie year. He also displayed soft hands out of the backfield, catching 24 passes.  Injuries slowed him his final two seasons in St Louis.

He’d be released in 2014 and sign with the Jets where he was on and off the practice squad of the franchise through 2015. The Texans signed Daryl next, and then later in 2015 the Browns signed and waived him as well. The next year he spent nearly the entire year with the Steelers on their practice squad. Claimed off of waivers by the Jaguars in 2016, Daryl was released by both the Jags and Colts in 2017. 

With the advent of Spring football nearly upon the masses again in not only the XFL but the AAF, I decided to throw my hat in the ring with the San Antonio team when it was announced with the AAF. Richardson was one of my ‘big heart’ selections by the Commanders. He’s a ‘do it all’ kinda guy who fits what the team needs, especially in a 3rd down back. Unfortunately facing unusually stiff competition from Aaron Green, Trey Williams, Kenneth Farrow II, and David Cobb- left my fan favorite on the way out. Daryl was cut but hopefully his football dreams will continue with another shot elsewhere.

NFL, Pro Football HoF

Newsome, Ozzie (2)

Cards: ProSet 1991 Legends, Upper Deck Legends 1997, Action Packed 1990
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home
Sent:  Received:   (days)
See Also: Ozzie Newsome

When I first restarted the TTM hobby about 10 years ago, I truly didn’t know what to expect. I just thought I’d hit some of the most memorable players that I remembered. Ozzie was a thorn in the side of the Oilers ‘back then’, and while I only had the pleasure of witnessing the tail end of his career, Ozzie had earned my respect by the end of it all. I had a lot of cards of his, and when I started collecting again, I just fired the first two out I could find, not knowing that there were so many other cards out there in the dark corners of the web.

Ozzie has a lot of good cards. The ProSet 1991 Legends card was a gimme. I had to do that since this was a really nice Merv Corning illustration. I didn’t really respect these cards back then but now, being there and seeing the hard work involved, I really like how this one turned out. The autograph- well that’s another thing.

The Upper Deck 1997 Legends card was a set need. I had no clue he was in this set until much later. It’s a great card and photo. Each being immaculate. The backs of these cards- well they leave much to be desired and are stuffed with a bit too much busy information.  Again the autograph is just sorta… there… but I really can’t complain can I?

The 3rd entry is possibly my favorite of the bunch is Ozzie’s Action Packed 1990 entry. It is just a beautifully framed action shot, and it is one of these rare straight on photos, so you see him making the grab from the view of a quarterback. I had to get it signed and it was the first one on the list after I got him the last time.

His 1991 Action Packed card just barely missed the cut. Again, another amazing shot. Also I saw his Upper Deck 2011 College Legends card, but it was a bit too late to send that one out. Still I am happy that he spent the time to autograph these three cards for me- or did he?

Ozzie has been dogged on and off for a few years as a stamper. These are not stamped. If they were, pooling would occur on the cards, and be extremely obvious on the Action Packed one. When I opened the return envelope I was just entirely too suspicious. Something was just off about the autographs. After tediously overlaying them up in Photoshop, all of the signatures nearly matched. There were just some very small differences between the autographs, but the height, weight, angle, and length from card to card were consistent. While there were distinct difference between all the autographs, I just had a hard time believing that he could nail them so closely without consciously knowing he was.

Later when I discussed this was others on a message board, they informed me that Ozzie’s autograph has changed over the year due to a possible health issue. He went back to apparently hand signing after it happened- and he hand signs everything. The other collectors presented similar signatures that had passed JSA and other authentication benchmarks, so I guess I can not look these gift horses in the mouth.