Tag Archives: cleveland browns

NFL, University of Texas

McCoy, Colt

udut11 mccoyCard: University of Texas Upper Deck 2011, “The Real Win” book
Acquired: In Person 6/15/2013, H-E-B Book Signing
See Also: McCoy, Colt (2)

Colt McCoy is considered a Longhorn Legend. During his reign at quarterback under the stewardship of head coach Mack Brown at the University of Texas, McCoy set multiple passing and NCAA records. The starting quarterback for the Longhorns from 2006-2009, Colt had big shoes to fill after the departure of Vince Young.

Starting as a true Freshman, McCoy was 217 of 318 for 2,570 yards, 29 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. Accolades begun with being named College Football News Big 12 PotY and also as QB of the “All Freshman Team”.  With his role as starting quarterback firmly established, he’d throw for 3,303 yards and 22 touchdowns his Sophomore year in 2007. Finally back to the National stage in 2008, Colt threw for 3,859 yards, competing a national high 76.7% of his passes, for 34 touchdowns, to only 8 interceptions. The team cruised to wins over 3 ranked opponents, included #1 ranked Oklahoma, but UT finished 3rd in the national rankings. McCoy set many school records including: most career wins, most career passing yards, and most career touchdowns. The AP named Colt Big 12 PotY, he finished as a runner up (to Sam Bradford) for the Heisman that season, and won the Walter Camp, Davey O’Brien, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm, Manning, Maxwell Awards. Angered over their snub for the National Championship, the Longhorns channeled their frustration into a 24-21 victory over Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. Colt threw for over 400 yards and won the Offensive Player of the Game Award. In 2009, McCoy matured as the true leader of the Horns offense. He threw for 27 TD to 12 picks, and again led the nation with a 70.6 completion percentage as the team went 12-0.  With a date against Alabama for the National Championship, the Longhorns looked to challenge the Crimson Tide. Unfortunately Colt pinched a nerve in his throwing shoulder early on and watched from the sidelines as the team fell to the Tide, 37-21. I still feel that if McCoy had not been injured the season would’ve ended with a different National Champion, but I digress. Subsequently, the school has retired Colt’s number 12 from use. He set the NCAA record for most career wins at 45 and finished with 13,253 yards and 112 TDs.

mcoyBecause of his injury, Colt did not participate in the 2010 NFL Combine. He spent much of his time rehabbing with a target date set for the UT Pro Day workout. The responses were generally mixed with coaches being impressed by his general footwork, his ability to hit targets, and taking on all the various challenges and throws that QB prospects are required to make successfully. Many scouts though did not like his ‘average size’ and felt that his arm strength was not well measured. At some point before the draft, the Cleveland Browns under then head coach Eric Mangini, and GM Mike Holmgren became enamored with the signal caller.   The fans were even more enthusiastic about Colt, and desperately wanted him as their quarterback of the future. As both Bradford and Tebow went off the board early, Browns fans bit their nails feverishly until the Browns finally pulled the trigger in the 3rd round (#85). The franchise was ecstatic to have him.

He’d go in as the #3 behind newly signed Jake Delhomme and career backup Seneca Wallace. The Browns immediately had problems at quarterback with both injury and ineffectiveness limiting both Wallace and Delhomme. Colt would be forced into the lineup by week 6. After a trial by fire against the Pittsburgh Steelers where he threw for 281 yards and a touchdown, in a 28-10 loss, Colt showed what he could do by racking up wins in the next two weeks versus the New Orleans Saints 30-17 and the dominant New England Patriots 34-14. In both games, Colt ran a efficient, yet unspectacular offense, minimizing his mistakes, and completing high % passes. He’d share time with the two quarterbacks throughout the 2010 season with perhaps his best game coming against the Cincinatti Bengals in a 19-17 loss, where Colt finished 19 of 25 for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns.

2011, was a year of immense highs and lows for Colt. Handed the keys to the franchise, Colt came out and started right away for the Browns. A lot of excitement surrounded the team after they got off to a 2-1 start, but the team then dropped 5 of the next 7 games. While the team was competitive in quite a few of the games- losing contests against the Rams by 1, the Bengals by 3, Jacksonville by 4, and the Raiders by 6, it was in week 13 of that season that McCoy’s future with the franchise took an odd detour.

mem13 mccoy bookDuring a 14-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Colt suffered a monster hit from linebacker James Harrison. Colt- visibly shaken, returned to the sideline and then back out onto the field to throw 2 errant interceptions. It was later revealed that he had suffered a severe concussion, and played the majority of the game in a fog. Things got even more complicated when McCoy suffered the indignation of sports pundits, and then his family jumped into the fray to Colt’s defense. Colt spent the rest of the season on the bench, but his response was a lightning rod on team, league, and medical staff’s, underwhelming response to the severity of concussion risks.  On top of that, former players had recently sued the league about their response to concussions, making the NFL and the Browns look stupid. McCoy spent the rest of the season on the bench. He finished the season 4-9 with 14 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

In the offseason, Eric Mangini was fired by the franchise. Hand picked offensive minded Pat Shurmur was brought in to coach the team in 2012. Making a quick read, Shurmur decided to draft 29 year old quarterback Brandon Weeden in the first round. While the team tried to make it appear that there was a quarterback competition between Colt and Weeden, it was obvious to all they had already handed the starting job to Brandon. Colt still put on a good show and supported Brandon, despite Colt’s superior preseason. McCoy got little playing time in 2012. He played during a 34-12 loss to Denver in largely mop up duty, throwing for 79 yards and a touchdown.

With new ownership in hand for the Browns, Pat Shurmur was one and done. Also gone was GM Mike Holmgren. The Browns hired Rod Chudzinski, and signed veteran Jason Campbell to back up Weeden.  After debating on what to do, it was obvious that McCoy was now expendable to the team, so the Browns opted to trade him to the 49ers for a few late round draft choices, where as of 2013 he backs up Colin Kapernick.

I had gotten wind through the Texas Autograph Club’s message board system of an appearance by Colt at a local grocery store to sign copies of his book “The Real Win”, that he co-wrote with his Pastor. Getting there about 30 minutes early, I was surprised to find the line was already fairly long, and a message on the posters there stating “COLT MCCOY WILL NOT SIGN OUTSIDE ITEMS”. I got a bit panicked and a bit annoyed, -because I really hate that mentality, but in the end Colt was more than happy to sign his UT card (and a book that I gave to my friend Josh) after we had missed out at his football camp last year. I still have a UT card or two more that I’ll need to track him down for, but in the meantime, I am quite happy with this addition to the HoF.

The verse selected by Colt is from Colossians 3:23- “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,”.  Colt is religious, and his book represents that, but he doesn’t wear it like a badge, and I respect that.  Considering that guys like Tim Tebow have this entourage following them around, Colt does it without the controversy, and I consider this more ‘securely Christian’ than preaching the word at everybody in everything you do.

NFL

Berry, Latin

sclub91 berryCard: Topps Stadium Club 1991
Acquired: TTM 10/19/13, Gift

I recently went to the GMC NFL Texas Tour event and on a whim since I had a few more free autograph vouchers than cards decided to get a few of my friends some autographed photos. A true gift to me is one that somebody doesn’t expect, so I didn’t bother telling anybody until after I had already done it.  On a whim I got on of my friends from Fanmail and Houston Fan Fest a Priest Holmes autograph, so he in return was so touched, he sent me back this sweet looking card.

Latin Berry was a dual threat man who played both football and track for the Oregon Ducks. Following his redshirt year in 1985, Latin began his career at tailback, before shifting fulltime to become the team’s starting fullback, blocking for quarterback Bill Musgrave.  He finished fourth on the school’s career rushing list with 1,548 yards and 11 touchdowns. With incredible speed,  and prowess at the long and triple jumps, scouts were eager to see the 5’10”, 196 Berry make a shift to a position more suited to his athletic talent and size at the professional level. The Los Angeles Rams drafted Berry with their 3rd round selection 1990, and tabbed him to be a defensive back. He’d make the squad that year and spell time with fellow returners Gaston Green and Robert Delpino on returns. The next season with Darryl Henley ailing from a hamstring injury and rookie Todd Lyght holding out, Berry got his shot to crack the starting lineup. He’d get some valuable preseason time, but as soon as Lyght signed and Henley was back, Berry went to odd man out among the final cuts. He’d quickly find a home in Cleveland in 1991, and remain with the team the next 3 seasons before retiring.  In 2013, he was honored with an induction into the Oregon Ducks Hall of Fame for his 4 time All-American Honors in Track & Field.  Latin lives in the Sulphur, LA area where my friend found Berry at his son’s high school football game. Latin was quite flattered by the cards and autograph request after all these years.

G/Gs 32/0    Ret  17    Yds 315    Avg   18.5     Lg 29   Td 0

 

 

NFL

Miller, Billy

sco03 millerCards: Topps 2004, Score 2003, Score 2004
Acquired: 2013, C/o Elite Performance Factory
Sent: 6/1   Received: 7/8   (37 days)

Billy Miller is best remembered by Texans fans for scoring the franchise’s first TD against the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. His reaching grab on the opening drive of the game, (an eventual 19-10 victory) served notice of Miller’s determination to be accepted as a football player on the pro stage. It also was the first touchdown scored at Houston’s Reliant Stadium. Miller was originally drafted by the Denver Broncos as a wide receiver out of USC in 1999. The 7th round choice did not see any playing time through 2001, and was so upset about being cut that season by the Broncos that he used his ‘turk buckslip’ as motivation, taping it to the inside of his locker.

Basically adopting a “Will do anything mentality”, Miller arrived in Houston before the team took the field its inaugural season, not even really registering a blip on the free agent signee radar. sco04 millerShifting to TE, Billy supplanted Rod Rutledge in the lineup and quickly developed a rapport with quarterback David Carr as his safety valve. With his soft hands and speed, he provided a mismatch against nearly all opposing linebackers and defensive linemen that might shift into coverage to stop him, forcing most teams to deploy a DB in coverage when he released out into the flat. Billy became the team’s first receptions leader, finishing the 2002 season with 51 catches (for 613 yards and 3 TDs), in 7 starts. In 2003, he added another 40 receptions to his team leading total, but already with the emergence of Andre Johnson by 2004, Miller’s reception accomplishment has been rendered to an interesting footnote.  An injury riddled 2004 limited Billy to 17 receptions and a touchdown. He’d score that final touchdown with the Texans, in a 31-21 rout of the Tennessee Titans, as the franchise finished 7-9.

The Texans in 2005 decided they were ready for primetime football with the big boys, after their impressive 2004 season. To further this theory they decided to purge their roster of many of their expansion draft players. Billy in the meantime signed with the Cleveland to04 millerBrowns, suiting up for only 3 games but getting no play time.  In 2006 he’d join the roster of the New Orleans Saints and his statistics saw a slow but strong rebound. Over the next 3 seasons, he’d record 86 receptions for 1036 yards and 3 touchdowns. Resigning with the team in 2009, Miller blew out his Achilles in training camp. While he’d win a Super Bowl ring for the Saints victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Billy decided that it was fine time to retire.

Miller currently runs Elite Performance Factory, a strength and conditioning facility gym in California. In 2013, Miller was named the strength and conditioning coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

G/Gs  114/36      Rec 200     Yds 2248    Avg 11.2   Td 10    Lg 57