Tag Archives: edmonton eskimos

CFL, NFL

LeFors, Stefan

spx_sleforsCard: SPX 2005 (#0197/1275)
Acquired: 2016, Target Autograph Memorabilia

A two year starter for the Cardinals of Louisville in 2003 and 2004, Stefan LeFors led the nation with a 73.5% completion percentage, 10.1 yards per pass attempt, and a 181.7 quarterback rating.  He finished his career at Louisville with 416 of 630 for 5853 yards, 38 TDs to 13 picks and a 159.8 quarterback rating.

He participated in the NFL combine and clocked a QB best 4.56 40 yard dash. NFL teams were abuzz, but felt that due to LeFors lack of size and bulk, he was more adept to being a halfback or safety at the pro level.  The Carolina Panthers drafted Stefan with the 121st pick (4th round) of the NFL draft. With Jake Delhomme firmly entrenched as the starter and Chris Weinke as his backup, LeFors was placed on the practice squad.  He did not see any action in 2005 and did not make the final cuts of the 2006 team.

Lefors signed with the CFL later that year, joining the Edmonton Eskimos, and was named the team’s backup quarterback.  In 2007 he was named the CFL’s offensive player of the week when he threw for 412 yards in his team’s 36-29 overtime loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He served as the Esk’s backup QB through the duration of the 2008 season.  He was traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2009 and threw for 459 yards and 2 TDs.

As of 2016, he is a coach in the Louisville area, and previously had served as a color analyst for his Alma Mater.

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Archer, David (2)

ultwlaf92 surgeCards: Ultimate WLAF 1992, Ultimate WLAF 1992 team card
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 5/23    Received: 8/8  (78 days)
See also: David Archer

I was kicking myself after getting David Archer’s autograph on some cards a few years ago. I realized that I didn’t get his Ultimate WLAF Sacramento Surge card signed. My general rule of thumb is to wait a few years before and if I contact a player again. I just feel like it is appropriate not to spam players with requests, so I put myself in my self-imposed penalty box and waited on this one. I sweated it out for a while but after a 3+ month wait he signed these two cards for me.

ultwlaf92 archerUltimate and ProSet went head to head during year two of the WLAF, with Wild Card showing up near the end. None of them found traction in the market, and today they are easily found in the secondary market. While ProSet focused on year one players, Ultimate was peppered with rookies and new names giving a nice blend to go along with ProSet. Wild Card showed up at the tail end of the 1992 season or had a weaker distribution network, so for autograph purposes it was completely out of the mix.

Archer was the quintessential journeyman quarterback, or one of the greatest third string QBs you’d ever seen. He played for no less than 7 teams during a 14 season football career spanning the NFL, WLAF, and CFL. He won World Bowl II with the Sacramento Surge in 1992, and later lost in the playoffs to the Jeff Garcia led Calgary Stampeders in his final game with the Edmonton Eskimos in 1998.

He still does radio today for the ACC in Atlanta and hosts an afternoon radio show.

Arena, CFL, NFL

Beavers, Larry Jr.

tntafl14 beaversCard: TNT AFL 2014
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 8/16    Received: 9/13     (27 days)

Larry Beavers is an outstanding talent in the Arena Football League. He attended a small Division III school, Wesley College in Delaware. There Beavers set the NCAA record for career kick return touchdows with a whopping 10.  He also demonstrated a knack for the ball, finishing second in school history with 2,366 yards.

He went undrafted in 2009 but was signed by the Carolina Panthers. Unfortunately Beavers was among the final cuts that preseason by the squad. The following year Larry was signed by the New Orleans Saints, but again was cut in the offseason. In 2011, he signed with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League, but quickly decided to take his talents to the CFL, landing on the roster of the Edmonton Eskimos.  Beavers returned to the Arena leagues the following year and was an offseason addition to the Pittsburgh Power.

It was in 2013 that Larry joined the New Orleans Voodoo, and that’s where he’s made an impressive impact. He’d earn second team All-Arena Team Honors in 2014 as a kick returner cracking the 1,000 yard barrier both as a receiver and as a kick returner. Larry was assigned to the expansion Las Vegas Outlaws for 2015, but ended up rubberbanding back to the Voodoo before the season was out, scoring 2 more TDs on kick returns.  The Voodoo (and the Outlaws) were taken over by the league before the conclusion of the season.

I had gotten a few customs I had made autographed by players in the league over Twitter. Impressed with Beaver’s play in the finale against San Antonio I created this custom of him and asked him if he’d like one, to which he gleefully signed this one for me in about 2 weeks.