Tag Archives: Denver Broncos

NFL

Gray, Cyrus

Card: Topps Triple Threads 2012 (59/75)
Acquired: 2017, Walmart Autographed Memorabilia

Cyrus Gray had back to back 1,000 yard seasons at Texas A&M in 2010 and 2011. He finished with 632 carries for 3298 yards and 30 TDs.  He also displayed nice hands, with 103 receptions for 776 yards and 6 TDs receiving.   The knock on Gray was his size (5’10”) sometimes allowed him to get overwhelmed in pass protection and he wasn’t the speediest back. He was selected in the 6th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs.

He played from 2012 to 2014 for the Chiefs. With an already established backfield led by Jamaal Charles, Cyrus did not see the rock much.  He scored his first NFL touchdown in week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, but tore his ACL late in the season.  He was not retained by the franchise. Cyrus finished his 3 years in KC with 24 carries for 99 yards and a TD. He also caught 9 balls for 64 yards.

In 2016 he spent time on both the preseason rosters of both the Broncos and the Falcons- with the latter giving him an injury settlement. As of 2017 he is a free agent.

NFL

Romanowski, Bill ‘Romo’

Cards: ProSet 1990, Action Packed 1992, GameDay 1992
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Work
Sent: 11/14/16  Received: 2/18/17   (96 days)
Failure: 2014, C/o Home

Ah now Bill Romanowski had some awesome cards. I mean he looked like a mean caveman who just had survived a knife fight. With tattered taped gloves and that war paint, he went from just being a linebacker to being a mean and nasty linebacker pretty quickly. His ProSet 1990 entry and Action Packed 1992 are among some of my favorites, and his GameDay card showcases his athletic ability as he gets up in the air, perfect for that tallboy card.

I really didn’t know who Bill Romanowski was at first when he popped onto the scene for the 49ers. Initially- you didn’t hear much about Bill. He was considered, I guess, a model citizen until he started having altercations on the Eagles- a clear 7 years into his career.  It’s not really clear about when he started abusing steroids while playing, but he admitted during a 60 Minutes interview that he was always cutting edge and staying one step ahead of the league.

As of 2017 he owns Nutrition 53 and also is involved in NASCAR.  Bill is a very outspoken and unfiltered guy, and his sometimes, lack of political correctness, has gotten him in trouble on social media. He also appeared on the cover of Midway Games’  Blitz: The League and as a prison guard in the remake of the movie The Longest Yard. In addition he’s done some coaching, and has expressed interest in returning to the NFL in that capacity.

During his career he was an easy plug-and-play linebacker. Instinctual, intelligent, and with solid coverage skills, by the time he hit his stride, Romanowski was not only one of the better linebackers in the league, he was a throwback to the gladiators of old, with that nasty streak.  He is also listed as the 5th dirtiest player in sports history by ESPN.

After playing for the 49ers through 1993 and winning 2 Superbowls, Bill joined the Eagles for the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He’d then head over to the Broncos and earn 2 more rings playing for them from 1996-2001. Afterwards he’d play 2 more seasons in the Raiders organization.  He earned 2 Pro Bowl nominations (1996, 1998) and posted a career high 104 tackles in 1993.

G/Gs  243/222         TAC  1116          SAC 39.5          FUM  16
INT 18       YDS  98       AVG  5.4         TD   1        LG   18

FXFL, NFL

Duncan, Joe Don


Card: Sage 2014 (102/250)
Acquired:  2016, Box Breaker

Joe Don Duncan went to school at tiny Dixie State finishing second in school history with 1,994 yards.  He was an intriguing prospect to scouts, but bad timing (broke his foot before the Senior Bowl) did not allow them to validate his standing against his larger school peers.  An intelligent receiver who has a natural knack to find the soft spot in a defense to sit in and make the catch, Duncan was quite an athlete and could be counted on to be a kicker and a long snapper if needed in a pinch.

Joe Don was not selected in the 2014 NFL draft. In fact it wasn’t until 2015 that he  was signed as a free agent by the Denver Broncos where they kicked the tires on converting him to fullback/ H-back. Duncan surprisingly lost out in training camp to James Casey and was cut. He later had a tryout with the Patriots, but eventually ended up playing for the Brooklyn Bolts of the FXFL where he scored a TD on a run and also on an onside playing fullback. After the league folded Joe Don decided to hang up his cleats for good, but hopes to go into coaching in the near future.