Tag Archives: green bay packers

NFL

Thompson, Darrell

Cards: Action Packed Rookies 1990, Action Packed 1992
Acquired: TTM 1993, C/o The Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers (at least during the 1990s) were a really good organization with TTM requests.  Darrell Thompson is basically a Great Lakes legend where he went to school locally in Rochester, Minnesota and then at college at Minnesota playing for the Golden Gophers where he’d lead the team in rushing in 1986, 1989 and 1990. Thompson would finish with 40 rushing touchdowns and rank 4th on the college’s all time offensive yardage list with 4,518 yards rushing and 337 yards receiving, easily running away with the school’s rushing record. At 6 feet and 210 pounds, Thompson was an imposing force. The Green Bay Packers would make him the 19th pick of the 1990 draft and immediately pencil Darrell in at fullback. He would come in off the bench his rookie season while he was learning the system and do some spot duty at kick returning- even returning one for a touchdown. His second season would have him lead the Packers anemic rushing attack, chipping in 471 yards starting in 13 games. Thompson would suffer a series of setbacks from injuries starting only 4 games in 1992, but would rebound nicely in 1993 rushing for a career high 654 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Pack- but buried in the depth chart in 1994 Darrell and after only 8 games Thompson’s season would be over- and so would his career. He would work with at risk children and first time offenders in a Twin Cities project called Bolder Options which he expanded his involvement in after retirement. Thompson would also become a regular with the Minnesota Gophers athletic department and has gone into broadcasting, working radio for the Golden Gopher network.

G/Gs 60/28     Rush 464    Yds 1641    Avg 3.5    Td 7    Lg 60 |
Rec 41    Yds 330  Avg 8.0  Td 1   Lg 43

College Football HoF, IFL, NFL

McMahon, Jim “Jimmy Mac”

Card: Action Packed Rookies 1990
Acquired: In Person 1993, CGA Youth Golf Tournament

Jim McMahon was the strangest name ever to graduate from the college of BYU. Setting then passing records at the time at the religious institution, he’d be taken by Mike Ditka and the Chicago Bears run consumed offense. A practical joker and a guy who loved to goad authority with his free-spirited ways, Jim would be drafted in 1982 with the 5th pick overall and immediately clash with teammates, media, administration, coaches, and the commissioner’s office. Well his rookie season got fairly squealched by the NFL players strike, but he did accomplish a few things including being named starting quarterback of the Bears and NFC Offensive RoY. By 1985 the Chicago Bears juggernaut was rolling through the NFL finishing with a 15-1 record on the back of Jim’s improved play and its nightmarish defense. The team would march into the SuperBowl and crush the Patriots 45-10. They’d even make a commercial along the way called the “Superbowl Shuffle”. McMahon would do other comical things along the way such as moon the camera of a helicopter before the Superbowl while he was getting acupuncture treatment, and get into a heated commercial endorsement battle with commissioner Pete Rozelle over Jim’s headbands. Jim’s response to a fine he received for one of them was to put the word “Rozelle” on the next headband he wore. The commissioner was not amused and fined him again.

McMahon wore out his welcome in Chicago. In a way I always thought  he was beloved by the town of Chicago, but not necessarily by the Bears organization. McMahon was traded to the San Diego Chargers, who pegged him as their savior encouraging him to throw and throw often. Jim’s stint in San Diego did not last long, but it did last long enough for awkward cards to be made of him. 1989 and 1990 were the first major years that Action Packed, Score and Fleer made cards. All of them made cards of him in his San Diego dubs not his Chicago uniform. McMahon was reunited with his former defensive coordinator at Chicago, Buddy Ryan in 1990 when he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. By this point many fans regarded him as washed up and after his short stint in San Diego where he ostracized much of his teammates and coaches. McMahon was considered a pariah. Backing up Randall Cunningham was a perfect stint for him as he’d fit in great with the team culture there. His 1990 season was largely off the radar and out of the media spotlight. A season ending injury would sideline the previously invulnerable Cunningham in 1991, and in trotted Jim McMahon who performed admirably in 11 games, posting an 8-3 record and earning a tough as nails reputation for playing through injury. Jim won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors that season. In 1992 Jim played one more season for the Eagles, but was relegated to the bench. He’d then begin his career as a journeyman quarterback. Beginning his NFC Central tour, McMahon in 1993 would start for 12 games for the Minnesota Vikings, posting an 8-4 record and some of the best statistics of his career. In 1994 McMahon was again reunited with head coach Buddy Ryan (his 3rd such stop with him) where he’d back up Steve Beuerlein in Arizona. After that season Jim signed with the Browns in the offseason, but by the end of the preseason was on the roster of the Green Bay Packers in 1995- backing up Brett Favre. He’d end his career in the right way winning another SuperBowl ring with the Packers, beating ironically the New England Patriots for a second time -10 years after SuperBowl XX.

Along with Mike Cofer (LB Detroit), and Greg Lang (RB Atlanta), McMahon would be among the first players to wear a protective visor for his eyes (see card above). He was also trendy with those headbands and was among the first quarterbacks to regularly wear gloves. Although many would credit this as his legacy, I’d also point out his talented ability to market himself to both the media and commercially that enamored and ostracized fans alike. Notable is Jim’s starting record at quarterback- which was 67-30 (he only posted two losing career records on 6 stops) but in 15 seasons, never played a full season. I met him at the CGA Youth Golf Tourney, where his appearance was a last second add. I was happy to put him in my collection, on this Action Packed card.

McMahon has lost none of his color since his retirement. He owns a team in the IFL called the Chicago Slaughter with his coach (former teammate) Steve McMichael. He reprized his role as  from the infamous “Super Bowl Shuffle” video in 1985 in Boost Mobile’s Super Bowl halftime show in 2010. He plays some golf, makes regular USO appearances as a motivational speaker, and is attempting to finish his college degree from BYU as of 2010. Jim was inducted into the College Football HoF in 1999.

Below are his statistics, “The SuperBowl Shuffle”, a commerical endorsement he did for “Gotcha” Paintball guns, and his appearance on “The Late, Late Show with David Letterman”.

G/Gs  120/97   Att 2573   Comp 1492   Yds 18148  Pct 58.0%   Td 100 Int 90  Rat 78.2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFnbYW8MCXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUVsxwivkHA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EBrJCJJr_g&feature=related

NFL

Stephens, John (1966-2009)

Cards: Action Packed 1991, SkyBox 1992
Acquired: TTM 1992, Patriots Blitz

John Stephens was a bruising halfback drafted in the first round of the 1988 draft by the New England Patriots. A tough, relatively unknown competitor from a small Louisiana college, John would burst onto the scene and in his rookie season it would culminate with him taking the offensive rookie of the year award home rushing for 1168 yards and a Pro Bowl nod.   A relatively plain halfback with excellent quickness and relentless, churning legs, he would lead the Patriots in rushing the next two seasons, but never eclipse the 1,000 yard mark or return to the ProBowl with injuries beginning to slow him down. With Leonard Russell drafted in 1991, John would be relegated to backup- but refused to give up and moved to fullback where he refined himself as a tough blocker. He’d stay with the team through 1992. In 1993 he’d play in one final season splitting time with the Chiefs, Packers and Falcons before retiring. Since then, John had led a relatively quiet life in the Louisiana area, but tragically was killed in 2009 when his car slammed into a tree and he was thrown from the car. Below are his career statistics:

G/Gs 88/64    Att 945    Yds 3440   Avg 3.6   Td 18   Lg 52  |
Rec 105     Yds 812     Avg 7.7    Td 1    Lg 43