Tag Archives: Houston Oilers

College Football HoF, NFL

Nielsen, Gifford ‘Giff’

CARDS: Topps 1982, Topps 1983
ACQUIRED: TTM 2025, C/o Home
SENT: 5/27 RECEIVED: 7/5 (39 days)
FAILURE: TTM 2022, C/o Home

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Gifford Nielsen played QB at BYU from 1975-’77.
  • In 1976 he finished 6th in Heisman Trophy voting, leading the WAC in nearly every statistical category.
  • He completed 207 of 372 passes for 3192 yards with 29 TDs to 19 picks that year- which were considered titanic numbers for that era of football.
  • 3rd round pick in 1978 of the Houston Oilers.
  • Was backup quarterback nearly his entire career, first to Dan Pastorini, then to Ken Stabler, and then later shared QB duties with Oliver Luck and Archie Manning.
  • After retirement, he worked as a color broadcaster for the Oilers radio network, and as the Sports Director of KHOU in Houston.

ACCOLADES:

  • College Football Hall of Fame 1984

NOTES:

I had been oddly after Giff for a while. Back when I was a kid, I’d go to Oilers training camp here and there when the team practiced at San Marcos and later in San Antonio. Giff was a sports reporter for one of the Houston stations. He was very engaging with fans, but I didn’t make the connection the first time I went to camp he was a former player or that he had a card. (Remember this is the dark times- before the internet.) After being told he was a former Oiler, I tracked down a card, but never saw him again at camp close enough that I could flag him down for an autograph.

I held onto that Topps ’83 and tried him TTM back in 2022 but didn’t hear back. I reloaded and added the Topps 1982, waiting for another shot that finally came. He’s got a great autograph and signed these two cards from Utah in a bit over a month.

AFL, NFL

Garrison, Gary

CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: Ebay, 2020

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Gary Garrison played WR at San Diego State, and was the record holder in career touchdown receptions with 26 and with 1,272 receiving yards in a season at the time of his departure from the school.
  • Drafted by the Chargers in the first round of the 1965 AFL draft and the 6th round of the NFL Draft by the Eagles.
  • In ’68 caught 52 passes for 1,103 yards and 10 TDs including an 84 yarder.
  • Caught 44 passes for 1,006 yards and 12 TDs in 1970.
  • Tied a career high in 1972 with 52 receptions.
  • Played with the Chargers through the 1976 season, totaling 7,553 yards and 58 TDs with the team.
  • Had one final season in 1977 with the Houston Oilers and retired.

ACCOLADES:

  • Chargers Hall of Fame 1985
  • AFL All-Star 1968
  • Pro Bowl 1970-’72
  • Chargers 50th Anniversary Team

NOTES:

I couldn’t understand why the price on this card had inflated so much at the time but obviously it had to do with the demand placed on it because of COVID. I waited it out and eventually got it at a fair price of about $8.00.

College Football HoF, NFL

Jefferson, John ‘Space Age Receiver’

CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: TTM 2021, C/o Home
SENT: 9/18 RECEIVED: 9/27 (9 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • John Jefferson played WR at Arizona State from 1974-’77.
  • In his Senior campaign he logged 53 receptions for 912 yards and 8 TDs.
  • Over 45 games, John caught 175 passes for 2824 yards and 19 TDs.
  • Selected in the first round (14th overall) by the San Diego Chargers in 1978.
  • A member of the famous Air Coryell Offense that included Kellen Winslow and Charlie Joiner.
  • In 1978 campaign tied NFL record for most receiving touchdowns for a rookie with 13- to lead the NFL.
  • Led the NFL in receptions (82) , yards (1,340) and TDs (13) in 1980.
  • Held out in a salary dispute in 1981 and was promptly traded to the Packers.
  • Caught 149 passes for 2253 yards and 11 TDs over 4 years in Green Bay.
  • Held out in 1985- and was traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he played his final season, catching 3 passes for 30 yards in 2 starts.
  • Signed with the Houston Oilers for the 1986 season- but did not make the squad, retiring at the age of 29.
  • Went into coaching briefly and then was the Director of Player Development for the Washington Redskins from 2008-’09.

ACCOLADES:

  • College Football Hall of Fame 2002
  • Arizona State Hall of Fame 1979
  • All Pro 1979, ’80
  • Pro Bowl 1978-’80, ’82
  • All Rookie Team 1978
  • San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team

NOTES:

Well before Eric Dickerson and long before Rodrigo Blankenship, John Jefferson really popularized the goggle glasses. He’s got a great autograph, that matched his playing style and willingness to dive out for those acrobatic catches.

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