Tag Archives: Dallas Cowboys

NFL

Haley, Charles

Card: Action Packed 1992
Acquired: In Person, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1994.

Charles Haley is perhaps one of the craziest players I’ve had the pleasure of getting an autograph from and unfortunately this reputation has denied him from entry into the Pro Football HoF.

There’s always that guy you hear ‘stories’  and rumors about- The one who pulls out his manhood and runs down the hall peeing on Carmen Policy’s office wall. The guy who masturbated during team meetings and talked about other player’s wives while he did it.  The guy who attacked head coaches (George Seifert) and had a wonderful vocabulary that he loved to share with the media but they couldn’t print it. The guy who was so crazy it was rumored that Ronnie Lott was assigned to keep him in line. A guy who nicknamed himself “The Last Naked Warrior” -but it wasn’t his fantasy football team.  The guy who once received bananas in his locker as a joke because of his Neanderthal-like ways.  That’s what I heard.

But there’s the guy who you hear the straight up truth about what he left on the field as a player and father. He’s also the guy who suffered from Bi-Polar disorder, was manic, and was only diagnosed with it a few years after football. He’s the only guy who’s won 5 SuperBowl rings (49ers and Cowboys) and is modest enough not to wear one. He’s the guy who’s daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia and decided to retire. He’s the guy who came back for a final season despite injuries ‘for the love of the game’. He’s the guy who racked up 100.5 sacks over his career as a budding situational pass-rusher and then later defensive end. He’s the guy who wrote his wife poetry when they dated at James-Madison. He’s the guy who loved to go on shopping sprees- for his mother. He’s the guy who walks with a slight bend after constant back surgeries and through therapy, self-discovery and medication has come to understand what he’s done.  He’s the guy who with a committee that values winning over statistical performance, both which he’s demonstrated- still has not gotten into the NFL HoF.

The latter is Charles Haley today and that’s how I choose to remember him, and despite my penchant for hating on Cowboys- I really liked him.

In 2011, although drafted by the San Fransisco 49ers, Charles was honored by the Dallas Cowboys who selected him to announce their 2nd round pick during the NFL draft, and also with an induction into the Cowboys Ring of Honor along with Larry Allen and Drew Pearson.

G/Gs 169/109     Tac  485     Sac 100.5      Fum 26        Int 2    Yds 9   Avg 4.5      Td 0     Lg  8

NFL

Cornish IV, Frank (1968-2008)

Card: ProSet 1990
Acquired: In Person 1992, Dallas Cowboys training camp

Following an outstanding career at UCLA, the Chargers in the 1990 draft took Frank Cornish in the 6th round. A well rounded blocker and great locker room presence, Cornish would play with the Chargers through the 1991 season, before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys in 1992. I had literally heard he was traded and remembered that I had a card of him and just stuffed it into my assortment. From what I remember he was there the next day. Cornish would then block for Cowboys runningback Emmitt Smith over the next season or two providing valuable depth for two seasons earning rings in SuperBowl XXVII and XXVIII. Frank would then head over to the Minnesota Vikings for 7 games after being relased in 1994 and then would then sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars during their innaugural season and play in 3 games in 1995, -finally finishing with the Eagles in 2 final games in 1996 before retiring. He’d appear in a grand total of 69 regular season games.

In his post NFL career Cornish had become a stockbroker working for Wachovia Securities in Southlake, Tx and was involved in numerous charities. Frank had some financial issues after his playing career ended, but still managed to persevere through it all.  Sadly and suddenly on August 22 of 2008, Frank passed away in his sleep of heart disease at the age of 40. He is survived by his wife and 5 children and the city dedicated a park to his honor at Town Square.

NFL

Walsh, Steve

Card: Score 1990
Acquired: In Person 1990, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

When Troy Aikman was selected by the Dallas Cowboys with the overall #1 pick in 1989, it didn’t take them long to make waves by grabbing Steve Walsh with their supplemental #1 pick soon thereafter, as Walsh was Dallas’ head coach Jimmy Johnson‘s quarterback at Miami. Walsh and Aikman duked it out for much of the season with Walsh (,not Aikman,) winning the lone game for the team that year- a snoozer against the Washington Redskins. The victory however didn’t figure into the team’s decision to keep him, and Walsh ended up being traded for a few draft choices to the New Orleans Saints after training camp in 1990.  The Saints, were looking to play hardball with encumbent quarterback Bobby Herbert. As Herbert returned to the lineup, Walsh saw his time decrease, but Walsh ended up having the his best season of his career there playing for the Saints a year later in 1991, starting 7 games and throwing for 11 touchdowns to 6 interceptions. After a forgettable 1992 and 1993 though, Walsh was sent packing and signed with the Chicago Bears where he was reuntied with an old familiar coach- Dave Wannastedt, the former defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys. He’d take over as backup quarterback under Erik Kramer (who happened to be replacing Jim Harbaugh). Kramer would be injured and Walsh would run the show, under a well-managed, albeit conservative game plan, helping shepherd the Bears into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. He’d throw for 2,000+ yards and 10 touchdowns starting 11 games that season for the Bears, but with the 1994 season out of the way, he inexplicably would not start another game in Chicago or throw for anymore touchdowns in his career. After a forgettable 1996 with the Rams, Walsh played 1997 and 1998 with the Buccaneers throwing 4 more picks, before closing out his career with the Colts in 1999 with 2 more and retire. Since football, Walsh has gotten involved at the high school level and coaches football in Florida.

G/Gs  80/38     Att 1317    Comp 713   Yds 7875   Pct 54.1%   Td 40   Int  50  Rat  66.4