Tag Archives: cleveland gladiators

Arena

Taylor, Collin

tntafl14 taylorCard: TNT AFL 2014
Acquired: Future considerations, 2014

A walk on at Indiana, Collin Taylor started out as a wide receiver but was converted to free safety during his junior season.  He made his biggest impact on special teams and was named the IU special team’s player of the week 10 times while appearing in 27 games.  Collin was also Indiana’s nominee for the 2009 Rudy Award, honoring Division I football players who demonstrate the exemplary values of inspirational football legend Daniel ‘Rudy’ Ruettiger.  He had an OK pro day at Indiana, but was not invited to the combine for the 2010 NFL draft.

Taylor has seen some serious playing time in the indoor leagues since making his debut in 2010 with the Oklahoma City Yard Dogs. Orignally slated at safety, he had an interception for a touchdown in his only appearance. He then played for the Tulsa Talons (2010) where they allowed Taylor to shift back to his natural position of wide receiver.  He later spent time with the Reading Express (2011), and the Iowa Barnstormers in 2012-2013, before becoming an integral part of the Cleveland Gladiator offense in 2014.

Collin along with a host of other Gladiators came signed to me care of a friend of mine who loves collecting my custom cards. They went over quite well with the players, but I was not able to make any more traction with the league on a contract.

 

Arena

Goodman, Dominick

tntafl14 goodmanCard: TNT AFL 2014
Acquired: 2014, Trade

Dominick has been with the Cleveland Gladiators his entire career in the AFL. In each season, he’s recorded at least 1,200 yards, including a career high 1,782 yards and 170 receptions in 2012. 2014 was nothing less than another blockbuster year for Goodman, who cleared 1,500+ yards and 34 TDs, helping power the Gladiators to their first Arena Bowl game (XXVII).

Previous to his time in the Arena league, Dominick played for the Cincinnati Commandos (CIFL) in 2010, and was on the offseason roster of the Northern Kentucky River Monsters briefly in 2011. Dominick racked up incredible numbers while with the Commandos and earned multiple honors from the CIFL including Offensive Player of the Year Honors, and was the statistical leader both in yards and receiving touchdowns.  Goodman has also played for the Dresden Monarchs (German Football League) and the Kings Comets (Mid-Continental Football League).  In college at Cincinnati, Dominick caught 204 passes for 2,512 yards and 22 touchdowns during his career with the Bearcats.

A fan of my work who was going to the Gladiators season finale contacted me and really wanted to get some cards made and signed. The problem was I hadn’t made any cards of the Gladiators. I had struck strictly to the Talons. I saw this as a challenge, a great marketing opportunity, and a chance to get a few of these signed. I put together the cards as quickly and professionally as possible. I was really pleased with how they turned out, and in the end, my contact was able to get 4 of the 6 players that I had made sent back to me.

Arena

Breen, Shannon

tnt14 sbreenCard: TNT AFL 2014
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent:  9/10   Received: 9/22  (12 days)

I had made a few cards for a client of mine who was a big Cleveland Gladiators friend, and decided to continue building out the AFL set on Twitter after the season had concluded. I expanded out most of the teams to at least 2 cards per set, and if I found the player I’d tweet them my art. Shannon saw what I had posted on one of the other player’s accounts and immediately hit me up for a copy of his own.  I always feel that the big men on the line get no love from card companies anymore. They are just not glamorous highlight reel stat building positions. Plus with the limited number of cards typically in sets, most of them rarely get around to the o-line.

Shannon was an All-Star tackle while playing for tiny West Virginia Wesleyan. Joining the ranks of the AFL in 2011 he played for the Green Bay Blizzard, and then in 2012, the Milwaukee Mustangs. He was a hotly pursued signee by no less than 4 AFL teams before choosing the Cleveland Gladiators. Since then he’s started 39 contests in 2 seasons for the club, and won Second Team All-Arena Honors in 2014 at Center.

A strong and well-conditioned lineman, he enjoys his offseason working and coaching at his Alma Mater.