Tag Archives: green bay packers

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Williams, Byron

Cards: ProSet WLAF 1991 LL, ProSet WLAF 1991, ProSet WLAF TC 1991, Ultimate WLAF 1992, Wild Card WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Work
Sent: 4/8    Received: 4/14   (6 days)

Byron Williams is a player I’ve been trying to track down since the beginning of this insane project, so I was really happy to locate him and get in touch with him via email about signing these cards. In the end it worked out really nicely, as he signed these cards in a short 6 days. He also included information about his football camps “The Timeout Guys”.

After being taken out of Texas-Arlington in the 10th round of the 1983 draft by the Green Bay Packers, Byron would see time on the roster of the Eagles before finally getting some playing time with the New York Giants that season.  (Incredibly fast, Williams ran a 4.23 40 and 10.13 in the 100 during college.) Playing in 5 games he’d make 20 catches for 346 yards and a touchdown his rookie season.  In his sophomore campaign he’d make 24 receptions for 471 yardspset91wl by williams LL and 2 touchdowns, averaging a sizzling 19.6 yards a reception including a 65 yard grab.  In the season opener against the Eagles he pulled down a career high 5 catches for 167 yards and a touchdown to help the Giants win 28-27.  Given the opportunity to start 5 games in 1985, Williams would make 15 receptions for 280 yards.

He’d head North in 1987 to the CFL and play for the British Columbia Lions and the Ottawa Rough Riders in 1989.

Byron Williams would be drafted in the 3rd round of the supplemental draft by the Orlando Thunder of the WLAF in 1991. At 6’1″, 178, Byron provided a big and fast veteran target for quarterback Kerwin Bell in the spread/ run ‘n shoot offense of the Orlando Thunder. Byron would also provide a barometer of leadership for the team,- at 30 he was one of the oldest players in the league.

He’d split the scoring title in 1991 with Eric Wilkerson (Knights)ult92 by williams after he made 11 touchdown receptions on the season. I remember the league season opener when he made 3 touchdown grabs against a beleaguered San Antonio secondary.  He’d end up with 113 yards on 4 catches, with touchdown grabs of 23, 37, and 42 in the Thunder’s 35-34 win. Williams would make also 2 touchdown receptions against the Skyhawks the next week and the Machine in the final game of the season.  Byron in fact was the primary beneficiary of quarterback Kerwin Bell’s touchdown passes and finished second in the league in receiving yardage with 811 yards in 1991 after scoring in 7 out of 10 games.  He’d be named to first team All-World Honors following the season.

He’d return to the CFL after the 1991 season and play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders from 1991-1993, but playing his 1992 summer in the WLAF. Byron, like Stan Gelbaugh would be involved in a dispute over contract rights between the World League and the CFL /NFL (,much like the one involving the fees the UFL is requiring the NFL to pay for the conditional release of a player).

wcard92wl by williamsThe Thunder meanwhile would stock up on wide receivers in the off season and trade Williams to the New York New Jersey Knights. In limited action Byron would grab 11 receptions for 166 yards and a touchdown before the WLAF reorganized after the 1992 season. In the meantime Byron would play 1993 with the Roughriders.

In 1994 CFL expanded southward into the United states. Byron would sign with the Baltimore Colts that season and play through 1995 earning a Grey Cup championship and retiring after the season.

Byron has remained active in football, running his own business (BW Sports, TimeOut Guys) and is a big proponent of giving back through teaching and coaching young fans and athletes in football. Williams’ camps are considered amongst the elite for training young athletes and they not only provide training but venues for young athletes and fans to meet former and current players. Byron has also spent time working with the American Youth Football organization and gives an immense amount of time to charity. Below are his WLAF statistics.

G/Gs N/a    Rec  70    Yds   977    Avg 14.0    Td  12    Lg  46t

NFL

Noonan, Danny

Cards: ProSet 1989, Action Packed 1990
Acquired: In Person 1990,1991, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

A Home grown All-American defensive lineman at Nebraska, Danny Noonan was selected in the first round of the 1987 draft by the Tom Landry era Dallas Cowboys. He’d be the 4th DL off the board in the top 12 coming behind Reggie Rucker, Jerome Brown, and Shawn Knight.

Noonan had a difficult time living up to the team’s expectations, as he was frequently injured and had trouble keeping up with the speed of the game. He’d have a decent season in 1988, making 7.5 sacks and pulling in an interception for a touchdown, but as Jimmy Johnson took over as head coach in 1989, Danny by then had additional problems maintaining his playing weight. (It was then later revealed that Noonan had been a steroid user in his playing days at Nebraska and had tested positive before the combine- something the Cowboys had to have known before they drafted him.)

After his 1988 season, everything seemed to unravel, and by 1991 he had been cut by Dallas. Signed by the Packers, who needed defensive line depth, he’d play there for a season. He’d retire after a short 2 game stint with the Broncos in 1993.

A criminal justice major, Danny went back to school and got a business degree with a specialty in e- business. He also did some web management, helping to originate huskerpower.com and is now a financial advisor in the greater Omaha area. To stay in shape he does some jiu-jitsu and martial arts to keep up with his kids.

I got Danny’s autograph twice during training camp that first year during the first or second day, near the entry way of the St. Edwards campus building that they went into at the end of practice. At first this seemed like the primo place to get autographs, then we realized it was all about the fence line near the edge of the practice field that was the best spot to nab autographs.

G/Gs 73/41   Tac n/a     Sac 15   Fum n/a
Int  1  Yds 17   Avg 17.0   Td 1   Lg  17T

NFL

Bennett, Tony “Alligator”

Card: Score Supplemental 1990, Action Packed Rookies 1990
Acquired: TTM 1993, C/o The Green Bay Packers

A brutal hitter with good speed and excellent pass rusher- Tony Bennett was taken in the 1990 draft by the Green Bay Packers in the first round. (In retrospect the 1990 draft was a great linebacking class, led by Junior Seau, Chris Singleton, and James Francis.)  Bennett would be the 6th linebacker taken in the top 18. The knock on Alligator Bennett was that he didn’t respect the run enough.

After a slow 1990, Tony would take off, sacking opposing quarterbacks 13 times in 1991 and 13.5 times in 1992. After a 102 day holdout in 1993, Tony would make 6.5 sacks- he’d leave via free agency to the Indianapolis Colts in 1994 and record 28.5 sacks over the next 4 seasons for them retiring after an injury plagued 1997. All in all a respectable career for 8 seasons logged. I got these two cards autographed by Tony after I had really good results mailing the Packers back in the early 90s for players like Darrell Thompson, Brett Favre, Reggie White, and Sterling Sharpe.

G/Gs  108/89   Sac 64.5     Tac 397   Fum 19       Int 0  Yds 0  Td -.-  Lg -.-