After I got Bruce a few years ago, I remember opening up a box searching for another player and saying, “uggggghhhh…”, After I realized that I had a beautiful Skybox card of him that I wanted to have him sign. I set it aside and waited patiently hoping he’d still be a good signer when the time would come around again.
As the pandemic set in, I started really developing and formalizing a lot of set needs. I used to like to just pick and choose action shots and pretty cards to send to players, but now I’ve become more directed, as all four of these sets became set needs after COVID came and supposedly went.
Cards: Action Packed Whizzer White Award 1991, Topps Stadium Club 1992, Fleer 1990 Acquired: TTM 2019, C/o Home Sent: 3/8 Received: 4/2 (25 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Mike Kenn was a highly regarded lineman who played at Michigan from 1975-1977.
He was the Atlanta Falcons #1 pick in 1978, and was almost immediately slotted in at tackle.
He improved his overall strength and technique over the next few seasons.
By 1979, he went without penalty for the entire season, and earned numerous accolades.
Amazingly, Kenn went 26 in a row eventually without penalty.
Started 94 games in a row (including playoffs) before tearing up his knee in 1985.
Kenn retired after the 1994 season.
Over his career Mike was a part of an offensive line that set and broke team records for rushing yards and least sacks allowed in a season multiple times.
He played his entire career with the Atlanta Falcons: 17 seasons, 251 games started.
ACCOLADES:
All Rookie team 1978
First team AP 1980, ’83, ’91
Second team AP 1981, ’82
Pro Bowl 1980-’84
Polish Sports Hall of Fame
Byron Whizzer White Man of the Year 1990
Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor
Topps Stadium Club 1992, #157Fleer 1990, #380
NOTES:
Despite Mike’s utterly dominating resume, he’s rarely ever come up for consideration into the Pro Football Hall of Fame- An absolute injustice. It’s perhaps a side effect of playing for some absolutely terrible Falcons teams during long stretches of the 80’s that kept him under the radar, but in actual professional football circles, he’s considered one of the finest to play tackle in league history.
Great cards here. I wanted to get him on his Whizzer White Action Packed and Fleer cards, but the Stadium Club entry here is really well constructed. A simple design, but really good photography with just the right color.
I waited patiently to get AC on all of these and sent out to him in 2019, but failed out. After seeing he was signing again, I went ahead and gave him another shot with a little cash to grease the wheels. All of these are set needs, so I consider these successes a major coup.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
