Tag Archives: fantasy football sleeper

NFL

Goings, Nick

CARDS: Upper Deck MVP 2002, Topps Total 2005, Topps 2005 Draft Picks, Topps 2006
ACQUIRED: TTM 2024, C/o Home
SENT: 10/21 RECEIVED: 10/30 (9 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Nick Goings played college ball at both Ohio State (1996-’97) and Pitt (1999-’00).
  • A seldom used RB for the Buckeyes, Goings saw his best season as a Junior at Pitt, rushing for 469 yards and catching 14 passes.
  • He’d sign with the Carolina Panthers after the 2001 NFL Draft.
  • As the only UDFA to make the squad, he bode his time initially as a special teams player and occasional 3rd down back.
  • The Panthers OL at this time were a bunch of road maulers, and with injuries plaguing the RB corps in 2004- Nick stepped up.
  • Starting the last 7 contests of the year, he pounded out 821 yards on 217 carries, scoring 6 TDs, and catching 45 passes.
  • Although oft-seldom used the remainder of his career, Nick suffered a series of at least 4 concussions.
  • He’d retire after the 2008 campaign.

NOTES:

Nick Goings is partially responsible for one of the most improbable fantasy football championship runs I ever had.

The 2004 season, I was invited by my workplace mates to play fantasy football. I was having a rough season, but I scoured the waiver wire early and signed Nick to replace Chris Brown. He paid off and the rest was history.

At the end of the season I gutted my poor performing roster, after I backed into the playoffs. My league had their playoffs unusually late- so I gambled the best team in the league would have a bunch of stars who’d be sat, and I could gun for the players who’d be playing for next season’s pole positioning. It worked out insanely well for me. I upset the #1 seed and then dethroned the second seed in the championship to secure the win- thanks hugely in part to the contributions of Nick Goings.

I had been interested in writing him for sometime- since there was a duo card of him and Brad Hoover. Nobody had any luck with Nick in the last few years so I threw this up there and hoped for the best. I was not disappointed. He wrote me a very nice note and congratulated me on my victory.

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NFL

Walter, Kevin (2)

sco10 kwalter ud09 kwalter pac09 kwalter dor&s10 kwalter long

Cards: Score 2010, Upper Deck 2009, Pacific 2009, Donruss Rookies & Stars 2009
Acquired:  TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent:     Received:
Failure:  2012, C/o The Houston Texans
See Also: Kevin Walter

The previous one I had signed before, bubbled because of the finish on the card.  After my initial luck back in 2009/2010, I tried to go back to the well again to get Walter on some more cards. He’d be cut after the 2012 season, thus ending any chance on getting his autograph on anything else.

He posted two respectable seasons in 2011 (39 receptions for 474 yards and 3 TDs) and 2012 (41 receptions for 518 yards and 2 TDs) for the Texans.  The receiver needy Tennessee Titans signed Kevin that following season, but he didn’t take a snap due to injury. Kevin would retire after the 2013 season.  He was later named to the Houston Texans’ 10th Anniversary team.

I contacted Kevin at his home address in Texas where he signed these cards for me with his amazing signature. (The postmark on the return was from New York.) He also responded by wishing me and my family well, as well.

G/GS  152/93     REC 356     YDS 4379    AVG 12.3     TD 25   LG 61T

NFL

Schaub, Matt (2)

Cards:  Score 2010
Acquired: In Person 10/11/2011, Whataburger Texans Community Player of the Month
See Also: http://n8d.flywheelsites.com/2011/schaub-matt/

Well moving back to Texas has some benefits, placing me within decent striking distance of both the Cowboys and Texans marketing departments. As a fan of the Texans I was aware of the team’s Community Player of the Month efforts sponsored through Whataburger. At about 4 hours drive and 200 miles flat, I thought it was worth the time to get Schaub on a card or two. It was of great hassle to get there as my GPS hadn’t had an update since 2007, so after I missed my turn, -under its direction I ended up off-roading in a Mazda Miata. Amazingly I did not get stuck in the mud however it was a hairy experience that I do not wish to duplicate. After about an 2 and a half hour wait in the Whataburger parking lot, I got both Joel Dreessen and Matt Schaub’s autograph.

 

Matt has taken a lot of flak in the media, both from fanboys and armchair quarterbacks. As a traditional drop-back passer, Schaub is not a scrambler by nature and some people claim that he’s not an elite quarterback, but the thing is, you go out of Texas and the impression is much better. He has 10 comeback victories to his resume in his career and while people say that he’s only good because of Andre Johnson, I’d say that charge is unfair because he performed well enough for the Texans to grab him from the Falcons in the first place. Also other teams have those sort of connections but those charges are never leveled against guys like Matt Ryan, Matt Stafford, or Tony Romo for that matter. As 2011 continues, the pressure from a frustrated city and fan base continues to mount on Matt. Hopefully he will be able to deliver a playoff berth and at least a division title for the long suffering city of Houston.