Tag Archives: Dancing With the Stars

NFL

Driver, Donald

Score 2010, #105
Panini Prestige 2010, #72

CARDS: Score 2009, Panini Prestige 2010
ACQUIRED: TTM 2020, C/o Home
SENT: 12/22 RECEIVED: 1/23 (32 days)*
FAILURE: TTM 2015, C/o The Packers
* Fee Enclosed

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Donald Driver played WR at Alcorn State catching  88 receptions for 1993 yards over his college career.
  • Late 7th round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 1999 NFL Draft.
  • Stuck behind Antonio Freeman and Corey Bradford early in his career, but with Bradford’s departure to Houston in 2002, things quickly changed.
  • He’d start all 16 games in 2002, and go over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career on 70 catches.
  • After a down year in 2003, Driver went on a very improbable run, going over 1.2K yards the next 3 seasons, and over 1K yards the following 3 seasons after that.
  • In 2009, Donald became the Packers all-time leading receiver, finishing eventually with 743 catches when he retired following the 2012 season.

ACCOLADES:

  • Pro Bowl 2002, 2006-08, 2010.
  • Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame

NOTES:

I really wanted Donald’s autograph, but after missing out on him back in 2015, I didn’t really expect to get another shot, so I never reloaded. When he started signing, about the same time of year as he did back in 2015, I just grabbed what I could and sent it out as soon as I could with a small donation to grease the wheels.

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NFL

Johnson, Keyshawn

mem johnson SIItem: Sports Illustrated, January 19, 1999
Acquired: Future Considerations, 2015

Lance came through with this one and gave me a copy of a Sports Illustrated autographed by none other than Keyshawn Johnson. I am neither a fan of EBay purchases or autographed magazines, but I won’t look this gift horse in the mouth. At the time he also gave me a certified Billy Sims autographed card as well. I always give extras whenever I can to friends in a pay it forward maneuver, so it’s always nice to get something back in return.

Keshawn Johnson came off the board #1 overall (first time since Irving Fryar, 1987) in the wide receiver deep 1996 draft. Selected by the New York Jets, Johnson recorded his first two 1,000+ yard seasons in 1998 and 1999, earning him ProBowl berths in both years. He’d be traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2000, and have the best season of his career in 2001, when he posted 106 receptions for 1266 yards, earning his 3rd and final Pro Bowl berth. Keshawn posted his last 1,000 yard season and won the Super Bowl in 2002.  He was traded to the Cowboys in 2004, narrowly missing the 1,000 yard mark at the end of the year.  Johnson played one final season in 2006 with the Panthers, retiring after the season.

Post playing days, Keshawn has been an in studio analyst and was the first celebrity voted out of Dancing With the Stars -17th Season.

G/Gs 167/162    Rec 814    Yds 10571      Avg 13.0      TD 64      LG 76

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Taylor, Lawrence

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1992, SkyBox 1992
Acquired: TTM 2010, c/o home
Sent: 4/27   Received: 6/1   (34 days)

Lawrence Taylor is without a doubt the greatest football player to come from North Carolina and one of the most dominant linebackers of all time redefining the position during the 1980s and 1990s. He was drafted as the second overall pick of the 1981 draft (after George Rogers was taken by the New Orleans Saints) by the New York Giants after an All American career with the University of North Carolina. He’d would go on to win Defensive Rookie of the Year honors that year en route to his first multi-sack season. Lawrence was a character on and off the field, and this has led to a great deal of controversy with multiple run ins with the law. Regardless, Taylor has left a sizable footprint on the NFL landscape. He was named a 10 time Pro Bowler, and an 8 time all pro notching 7 straight 10+ sack seasons including a high 20.5 in 1986 and in 1991 he crossed the 1000 tackle mark. Taylor has hoisted awards for 1982 Defensive Player of the Year, 1986 NFL MVP and Defensive player of the year award, and multiple yearly awards from 1981-1990. He played for the Giants during their victories in Super Bowl XXI and XXV as part of the “Big Blue Wrecking Crew”. At retirement he was second on the NFL all time sack list and was named to the league’s 75th anniversary team.

Since retirement, Lawrence has continued to struggle with his inner demons, writing two books about his life and drugs, pursued a variety of interests including, acting, commercials for Weight Watchers, and most passionately golf. Nicknamed ‘LT’ he also worked as a commentator on games and also appeared as a wrestler in the WWE.  Despite his hard partying lifestyle Taylor was named to the NFL Hall of Fame on his first ballot in 1999. Recently he appeared on “Dancing With the Stars” and has invested in a variety of different capital ventures.

I met LT in 1993 at the CGA Youth Golf Tournament. He was taking his golf game very seriously, and broodingly instructed myself and the other fans to: “WAIT FOR ME AT THE CLUBHOUSE AND I WILL SIGN ALL YOUR AUTOGRAPHS.” Scared out of my gourd, I complied, but never got it since he was only on hole 3 at the time. It was one of the few autographs I kicked myself for never getting. I sent for his autograph in 2010, ironically the day before his most recent run in with the law, through the NFL HoF. I was surprised that he gave me his autograph in a bit under a month.  Since this post he plead guilty to the charges and has received probation.

Games 184    Sac 142     Tac  n/a     FF 11
Int 9     Yds 134      Td 2