Card: Ultimate World League 1991 Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o Home Sent: 10/21 Received: 11/2 (12 days) Failure: TTM 2020, C/o Home
Mel was selected by the Denver Broncos during the 9th round of the 1988 draft, after playing for UCLA. During his senior season, Mel rushed 33 times for 145 yards and a TD. He also caught 12 passes for 122 yards and a TD. After a brief stop with the Broncos, he signed with the Rams in 1989. Mel joined the World League in 1991, drafted with the 6th pick of the 5th round by the Sacramento Surge. He’d catch 23 passes for 309 yards and a TD, while rushing for 10 more. His 23 receptions and 309 yards ranked second on the team.
This card technically lists Mel as a FB, but I’ve also seen him listed as a RB and a TE, so perhaps he was a novelty as an H-Back, or this is just a flat out uncorrected error card.
I had previously failed on an address I dug up for Mel, but thanks to my friend Bryan who has collaborated with me a lot recently, he had the address handy from talking to Mel on Facebook.
Mel Farr Jr signed this card beautifully in just 12 days from Georgia, and included a nice note saying that, the request made him feel good because he thought at first the autograph was for his father (who had passed away in 2015). Mel Jr. had just two cards produced of him over his time playing football (Ultimate 1992, American Airlines) but 2 are better than none as his autograph graces the canvas beautifully.
I had been wanting Justin Forsett for sometime on a few cards, but being that he doesn’t sign through the mail from what I saw, so I put him on my list to pick up a certified of when the price was right. With COVID in full swing, COMC ran an aggressive sale on their inventory, so I was able to get Justin with a stack of other autographs that I was after. -I just didn’t expect this gem of a Score 2010 to appear.
Not to mention that Justin was a hero to me for shoring up my lineup during his rookie year in my fantasy league. I grabbed him with two to three games left in the season, and he provided me with a win to help propel me towards the championship in 2009. Later as a brief member of the Houston Texans he blew past the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day in a very memorable game.
Justin had a pretty decent 4 years at Cal playing for the Golden Bears from 2004-2007. He rushed 567 times for 3220 yards and 26 TDs, and caught 41 passes for 386 yards and a TD. Despite his solid output at Cal, Forsett was not selected until the 7th round of the 2008 NFL Draft, and bounced on and off the roster of the Seahawks and Colts. Returning back to the Seahawks in 2009, he played in all 16 games, posting up 619 yards on 114 carries, scoring 4 times, and catching 41 passes. He’d spend the next two years with the team, as his playing time slowly dwindled. Eventually Forsett was allowed to walk after the 2011 season.
Justin signed with the Houston Texans in 2012. With Arian Foster the primary back in the lineup, Ben Tate and Forsett would fight over playing time as his backup. As a great change of pace, Forsett rushed 63 times for 374 yards and an 81 yard TD against the Lions. Disappointingly, he didn’t resign with the Texans after the season, electing to spend 2013 with the Jaguars.
Justin’s final act in the NFL was primarily with the Baltimore Ravens. He’d earn his only Pro Bowl nod in 2014 rushing 235 times for 1266 yards and 8 touchdowns, catching 44 passes for 263 yards as a replacement for Ray Rice. An injury plagued 2015 saw his numbers dip. In 10 games, his numbers dropped to 641 yards on 151 carries. He’d be released during the 2016 season, spending time with the Lions and the Broncos.
Forsett retired in 2017. An inventor, he’s come up with quite a few successful ideas, attracting former NFL players as investors.
Jeff Brohm played quarterback for his hometown Louisville Cardinals from 1989-1993. Early on he honed his game behind future NFL quarterback Browning Nagle. Brohm took over the starting gig in 1991. After an injury ended his season early on, Jeff returned with a vengeance in 1992 throwing for 2008 yards on 297 attempts (9 TD). He’d eclipse virtually all his personal season best passing statistics in his senior campaign, going 184/304 (60.9), for 2626 yards, and 20 TDs to just 9 picks and lead the Cardinals to a victory in the Liberty Bowl over Michigan State.
He’d not be selected in the 1994 NFL Draft, but signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Chargers, winning the 3rd string job. Jeff then saw free agent stops with the Washington Redskins (1995), and 49ers (1996-1997). With the ‘9ers, Jeff saw his only significant playing time in the NFL throwing for 353 yards and a TD over his stop with SF. Jeff then was on the rosters of the Bucs (1998), Broncos (1999) and Browns (2000).
Jeff’s football career took an unexpected turn in 2001, when he was selected to play in the upstart XFL by the Orlando Rage with the 4th overall pick. Although Jeff had a particularly successful season, going on to be the XFL’s best rated quarterback, and being named to the league’s first team squad, the offensive lines in the XFL were particularly bad, and Jeff like many other quarterbacks suffered from unnecessary sacks and quarterback hits.
During one of those games against the Maniax, he was brutally taken down, and knocked out. The hit was so brutal, his helmet was turned and he had to be taken to the hospital. Amazingly though he returned near the end of the game with a neck brace on and watched from the sidelines. He amazingly started 6 days later and was asked by a sideline reporter his reaction to playing that day. Brohm had an epic and fiery response.
Let me answer that question by asking you two questions – One, is this or is this not the XFL? Yes, it is. Two, do I or do I not currently have a pulse? Yes, I do. Let’s play football.
-Jeff Brohm
A shoulder injury however near the end of the season, ended his career and potentially a return to the NFL. After that lone season in the XFL concluded, Jeff moved into the coaching ranks, starting with his hometown Louisville Fire of the Arena Football League. He then quickly joined his Alma Mater the following season, staying with them through 2008 as a quarterbacks coach, and then later as a passing game coordinator, offensive coordinator, and assistant head coach. Jeff then honed his skills at various stops at Florida Atlantic (2009), Illinois (2010-2011), UAB (2012), and Western Kentucky (2013) – where he earned his first head coaching job from 2014 to 2016.
With his bang up job with the Hilltoppers in the books, Jeff left for greener pastures, and was hired as head coach of the Purdue Boilermakers in 2017. Jeff has been linked many times since then to more prestigious jobs with Tennessee and Nebraska, but going into 2021 remains the head coach at Purdue.
I had sorta given up on these cards after seeing some quick and recent returns, but in reality I was just probably at the bottom of Jeff’s mailbag.
G/GS NFL
ATT
CPD
YDS
PCT
TD
INT
RAT
8/0
58
37
353
63.8
1
1
79.2
G/GS XFL
ATT
CPD
YDS
PCT
TD
INT
RAT
7/7
119
68
993
58.0
9
3
99.9
Arena
W
L
PCT
2
14
0.125
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
