CARDS: Pro Set 1990, Pro Set 1991 ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home SENT: 5/23 RECEIVED: 6/6 (14 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Played TE at the University of the Pacific from 1965-’67.
Went undrafted and signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1969.
Played the next 8 seasons for the franchise,
Best season came in 1971, catching 21 passes for 356 yards and 4 TDs, including a 71 yard long.
Joined the 49ers coaching staff in ’80 as a TE coach.
Returned to the Bengals in ’81 where he coached WRs through ’84.
Sam Wyche moved Coslet to offensive coordinator the following season, where he took the WCO to the next level setting franchise offensive records over the next few seasons.
Was hired by the Jets after the 1989 season concluded.
Served as HC in NY through the 1993 season.
Jets got to the playoffs after the ’91 season, losing to the Houston Oilers in the Wild Card round.
Returned in 1994 to Cincinnati, serving again as OC- this time under HC Dave Shula.
During a chaotic ’96 season Shula resigned as HC after a disastrous 1-6 start.
Coslet stepped in and led the team to a 7-2 finish, and some level of respectability.
After the franchise decided to overhaul the roster in 2000, Coslet resigned 3 games into the season.
Spent a final season in 2002 as OC of the Dallas Cowboys.
Playaction 16 Boss Z Post
ACCOLADES:
Pacific Tigers Hall of Fame 1985
NOTES:
I mean I took a shot in the dark on Coslet that he’d pen a play for me and I was absolutely tickled with what he drew up. I’m always curious about an offensive minded coach’s DNA, but especially what and why they chose the play they chose to draw up, and as a member of the Walsh coaching tree- WCO, this one is an absolute treasure.
CARDS: Score 1990, Fleer 1990 Update, Pro Set 1990 ACQUIRED: TTM 2023, C/o Home SENT: 3/23 RECEIVED: 4/5 (13 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Big LB Fred Strickland played 3 years at Purdue where he had a motor for the ball, leading the team in tackles for 3 straight years (1985-’87).
A second round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1988.
It took him a season but by ’89, Strickland was a starter for the team at Middle Linebacker.
Loving his skillset and versatility, the Rams created a new defensive hybrid position for Strickland that was a combination between nosetackle and middle linebacker.
Injuries quickly caught up with Fred, and that combined with a coaching change in ’92 and being passed up by Larry Kelm on the depth chart, led to his departure in 1993.
Fred’s career was rejuvenated with the Minnesota Vikings, where at weakside LB he posted 137 tackles and 4 fumble recoveries.
Taking advantage of his bargaining position, and the Packers need at LB, Fred joined Green Bay that season.
He spent the 1994 and 1995 season with the team providing solid play.
A force in the middle, Fred posted 103 combined tackles in ’96, 95 in ’97, and 81 in 1998.
Strickland entered the twilight of his career in 1999 playing for the Redskins.
He’d be a backup for the team that season, and retire before the start of the 2000 season.
NOTES:
Fred had a somewhat rocky start, but after leaving the Rams and finding his sea legs, he really showed the versatility that defensive coaches prized. In addition his ability to come in and start in a pinch and then pull down 90 plus tackles on stacked defenses really can not be understated. His Fleer 1990 card you can really see his showcased size that allowed him to hybridize out from linebacker to nose.
CARDS: Topps 1992, Topps 1991, Topps Stadium Club 1992 ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home SENT: 8/22 RECEIVED: 8/27 (5 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Roger Ruzek played K at tiny Weber State (’79-’82), where he set NCAA Division I-AA records for field goal accuracy (84.2), and school career records in FG (46), FG in a game (4), and consecutive XP (30).
Unable to beat out Matt Bahr in Cleveland as an UDFA in 1983, Ruzek joined the New Jersey Generals in 1984.
He played 2 seasons for the franchise before the league folded.
In ’86 he got a tryout with the Cowboys but didn’t latch onto the team until the following season after a few bumps.
Ruzek ended up posting 22 of 25 on FGs, scoring 92 points.
Tied NFL record with 4 FG in 1 quarter against the New York Giants that year.
Set franchise mark with 5 FGs made against the Rams that year.
In ’88 had a contract holdout, but had a rough year- and was eventually cut during the ’89 season in favor of Luis Zendejas.
Quickly found a home with the rival Eagles that year, and returned to solid form.
The Eagles opted to keep Ruzek and he’d kick with the team through 1993.
During the ’93 season, the Eagles signed Matt Bahr after Ruzek strained a hamstring.
Ruzek again replaced Bahr, later in that season, and then again was released in ’94 as the Eagles opted to go with Eddie Murray.
With a cup of coffee out of the way with the ‘9ers in ’94, Ruzek played Arena ball with the San Jose Sabrecats in 1995.
He then hopped over to London to play in his final season for the Monarchs of the World League in 1996- making 8 of 11 FGs.
NOTES:
Back when I was a kid, I played a lot of soccer. When I started watching football I was all about the kicker. I was surprised, the guy who scored the most points, who had the most pressure on them to win games, didn’t get more love. On the Cowboys, (since that’s all we got here,) I really liked Ruzek, and was surprised the team didn’t stick by him longer during his later struggles with the team. He also made an appearance on the original Tecmo Bowl as a member of the Dallas ‘Wings’.
I had no clue that Ruzek had played for the World League. If I had known that I would have written him sooner. It’s just too bad all he had to sign with was a ball point pen. Regardless he was the shortest wait of 2022 coming in at a breakneck 5 days.
XPA
XPM
PCT
FGA
FGM
PCT
LG
105
100
95.2
48
34
70.8
N/a
USFL
XPA
XPM
PCT
FGA
FGM
PCT
LG
219
206
94.1
166
120
72.3
53
NFL
XPA
XPM
PCT
FGA
FGM
PCT
LG
12
11
91.6
8
3
37.5
N/a
Arena
XPA
XPM
PCT
FGA
FGM
PCT
LG
0
0
-.-
11
8
72.3
39
WL
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