Tag Archives: frankfurt galaxy

NFL, WLAF

Baker, Tony (2)

pset91 baker LLultwlaf92 tbaker PromoCards: Pro Set 1991 WLAF League Leader, Ultimate WLAF 1992 Galaxy Team card, Ultimate WLAF 1992 Promo Card
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o home
Sent: 1/29    Received: 3/13
See also:  Tony Baker

ultwlaf92 galaxyOutside of Stan Gelbaugh, I think the card companies were betting early on that Tony Baker was going to be a star of the young WLAF. Counting all the ones I’ve had signed, I think Baker had 8 cards or so.

I had gotten the Ultimate WLAF promo card inside a copy of Gametime Magazine back during a game back in 1992. There was very little difference between this card and the regular issue card. The regular issue had the team flag in purple, not orange, and the back promoted their contest for a $1,000,000- (that I seriously question whether or not anybody actually won).  I had gotten Kerwin Bell previously in person, but otherwise there was Gelbaugh, Eric Wilkerson, Pete Mandley, and Peter Najarian that I was aware of.

I had gotten Tony back in 2010, and realized after I had dug up the lion’s share of my cards, that I had missed one or two. I threw in the Galaxy team card- since he symbolized the team most to me in those early years, and sent it out with an extra promo for him to keep. Much to Tony’s credit he signed these 3 cards for me in about 40 days.

NFL, WLAF

Carter, Jon

psetwlaf91 jcarterpset91 jcarter
Cards: ProSet 1991, Pro Set WLAF 1991
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o home
Sent: 1/27  Received: 3/17  (49 days)

The Skyhawks made Jon Carter their first selection (8th overall) among the defensive linemen in the innaugural 1991 WLAF draft.  He’d anchor down Raleigh-Durham’s 3-4 defense, finishing with 45 tackles, 3 sacks and a forced fumble. The Skyhawks finished a distant 0-10 in the standings though and were disbanded after the season, due to poor attendance. The remaining players from the team were placed back in the draft pool for the 1992 season. Thanks to Jon’s experience in the 3-4 defensive alignment, he easily fit well into the Franfurt Galaxy‘s defensive rotation.

Originally a 5th round pick of the New York Giants in the 1988 draft, he spent the whole year on IR with a back injury but was waived right before the beginning of the 1989 season. The Cowboys then signed him to their developmental roster, and he ended up contributing in 13 games that year.  At Pitt, Carter was a 4 year starter and co-captain his Senior year.

With 2 cards in the WLAF sets, it was a mighty struggle to locate Jon Carter due to the commonality of his name. It took a few years, but he resurfaced, and I took a stab in the dark at a resume I found online. I was surprised to say the least to get a response in under 2 months time.

Tac N/a       Sac 4.0       Fum 1       Int 0      Yds -.-    Avg -.-      Td 0      Lg -.-

NFL, WLAF

Elway Sr., John “Jack” (1931-2001)

pset91 jackelwaypsetwlaf91 jackelway

Card: ProSet 1991, ProSet WLAF 1991
Acquired: 2014, EBay

Jack had been just about everywhere and had been a coach at every position and level, before the Frankfurt Galaxy called on him to coach the team for the 1991 and 1992 seasons.

He had been coaching since 1953 when he took his first job at Port Angeles High School in Washington. Jack then moved to the college ranks in 1960 with Grays Harbor CC, and Montana in 1967. He’d return to Washington in 1972 and be an assistant with the Washington State Huskies through 1975, before taking over as head coach at Cal State Northridge in 1976. In 1979 Elway became head coach at San Jose State and guided the ’79 and ’81 teams respectively to Pacific Coast Athletic Association titles and top 20 recognition. His efforts culminated in a stint as Stanford’s head coach from 1984-1988.  Jack took his first stab at international football in the Italian league as head coach of the Milan team, and then returned to the United States to work for the New York Jets as a scout in 1990.

Elway was paired with GM Oliver Luck in Frankfurt and put together a strong team in 1991, fielding a 7-3 record and narrowly missing the playoffs. The team finished 3rd in offense and first in defense that season. 1992 saw a disappointing reversal of fortune for the Galaxy, plagued by injuries on offense and drained of talent to other leagues on defense, – Frankfurt plunged to a 3-7 record. The WLAF reorganized after the season, so Jack returned stateside joining the Denver Broncos in their scouting department, retiring after the 1999 season.

In 2001 he’d pass away of a heart attack in Palm Springs, California at the age of 70. Beyond his stints in college and the pro ranks, Elway is also known as father of All Pro Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway.

WLAF    W 10    L  10     T 0        Pct .500