Tag Archives: detroit lions

NFL

Carrier, Mark (DB-2)

Gameday 1992, #446
Action Packed All-Madden Team 1990, #45
Action Packed 1991, #24
Pro Set 1990, #800
Skybox 1992, #8
Action Packed 1992, #21

CARDS: Gameday 1992, Skybox 1992, Action Packed 1992, Action Packed All Madden Team 1990, Pro Set 1991
ACQUIRED: 2023, Paid Signing

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

I saw a cheap signing for Mark that I had to get in on, so I plunked down the cash and went all in. The Pro Set 1991 card, was actually a special edition #800 for the Defensive Rookie of the Year. It was released as part of the Pro Set 1990 Update. I hadn’t ever seen the All Madden card before. I had probably gone through nearly an entire box at 7-11, but never gotten one. Great pickups.

NFL, WLAF

Mandley, Pete (2)

Ultimate World League 1992, Montreal Machine Team Stats, #76
Fleer 1990, #204
Wild Card World League 1992, #2

CARDS: Fleer 1990, Ultimate World League 1992, Ultimate World League 1992 W-O-R-L-D, Ultimate World League 1992 Team Stats, Wild Card World League 1992
ACQUIRED: Paid Signing, 2023
FAILURE: TTM 2010, C/o Home

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

Ultimate World League 1992, #90
Ultimate World League 1992, Promo

NOTES:

At long last! Pete Mandley was one of the largest whales left that I still needed for my World League sets. I had spied out a private signing of his, and after being one of the many victims of his 0% signing rate TTM and hours of fruitless research online, I jumped at the chance to be in this signing, especially at such an affordable rate.

The promoter was more than accommodating with me, after I realized I sent my cards to them too late. So the promoter gave me their address to where they were going so that I could 2 day express more cards to them. I sweated it out a little bit, but it all worked out in the end. I got Pete’s autograph on all my remaining set needs.

The Ultimate World League set had 3 set needs. The base set card and the promo card are side by side above. The front of the cards vary very little as the promo uses a full helmet logo in the vertical marquee. On the back the promo spells out W-O-R-L-D. These cards were passed out during games as promotionals for the league, and although they had low volume, they also held very little demand in the secondary market, making them essentially worthless.

NFL

Morrall, Earl (1934-2014)

Upper Deck Legends 1997, #AU-143

CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2020

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Played QB and P for the Michigan State Spartans putting them on the map in the Big 10 in 1955.
  • On season completed 42 of 68 passes for 948 yards, and led the country with an average of 9.1 yards per play.
  • Had school record at the time-274 yards passing against Marquette, and snapped an 11 game winning streak by Notre Dame.
  • Finished 4th in Heisman ballot voting that year.
  • First round selection of the 49ers in 1956.
  • Started 4 contests for the ‘9ers that year completing 38 of 78 passes for 621 yards.
  • Traded to Pittsburgh in 1957 and passed for 1,900 yards, 11 TDs and (12 INT).
  • Played 2 games in Pittsburgh in ’58 before being traded to the Lions for Bobby Layne.
  • Played the next 6 seasons in Detroit, culminating in his 1963 effort when he threw for 2621 yards and 24 TDs (14 INT) on 174 of 328 passes.
  • Traded again, this time to the New York Giants in ’65.
  • Repeated his ’63 efforts throwing for 2446 yards and 22 TDs that year.
  • Broke wrist in ’66 and sat on the bench behind Fran Tarkenton before being dealt to Baltimore in 1968!
  • Came in for Johnny Unitas and guided team to Super Bowl III.
  • Had best season as pro throwing for 2,909 yards, 26 TDs, and led league with 8.2 yards per completion.
  • This would foreshadow his future with the Miami Dolphins- a team he’d join in 1970 after being claimed off of waivers for just $100.
  • In 1972, came in and replaced an injured Bob Griese, guiding the team to a 9-0 record (as part of the only fully undefeated NFL season).
  • The team would go on to win Super Bowl VII that year.
  • Played the next 4 seasons there, retiring at the age of 42, after the 1976 season.
  • Became a QB whisperer, working at the University of Miami, tutoring future QB titans Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, and Jim Kelly.

ACCOLADES:

  • NFL MVP 1968
  • NFL Comeback Player of the Year 1972
  • All-Pro 1968, ’72
  • Pro Bowl 1957, ’68
  • Dolphins Walk of Fame 2012
  • Florida Sports Hall of Fame
  • Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame (1992)
  • Michigan Sports Hall of Fame 1979

NOTES:

Earl Morrall is considered probably the best clutch backup QB of his generation -if not of all time. He played an undeniably long career in the league lasting some.. what 22 years? Although not considered for the HoF conversation, Morrall has been inducted into the ‘Hall of Very Good’. An excellent athlete, Morrall had also caught the eye of MLB playing SS in the College World Series for the Spartans, but opted to play football instead.

I had been eyeballing his autograph during the pandemic but thought it was too pricey. Once it hit about 10 bucks I pounced. It later got lost in the shuffle of incoming autographs and I had forgotten to scan it in.

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EPITAPH:

April 14th, 2014- Earl Morrall passed away at the age of 79 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. It was later discovered he suffered from Grade 4 CTE.