Tag Archives: Houston Texans

NFL

Watt, J.J.

Card: Sage Hit 2011
Acquired:  In Person 12/6/11, Whataburger Community Player of the Month

So I nailed down the Houston Texans #1 pick from 2011 along with Mario Williams at a freezing player of the month event at Whataburger in Sugarland. Despite the fact that I earned a migraine from the event and drove some 400 miles today round trip, it was totally worth it, even if this card was probably one of the worst I have seen in a while.  SaGe 2011 lacks any logos of any sort, or even players in pads for that matter and marks a painful fall from grace for this product. Of course the day after I open a box of Score 2011 and find a JJ Watt rookie card among the set which far and above would’ve been better to autograph than this one.

JJ Watt played tight end at Central Michigan before transferring to Wisconsin in 2008. After redshirting for a season, Watt came into his own and won the Ronnie Lott award in 2010. His career totals at Wisconsin included 106 tackles, a whopping 36.5 TFL, 11.5 sacks, and 4 FF. Watt was pegged early on as being targed by the Houston Texans as their #1 pick. A sound fundamentalist with a motor that doesn’t quit, JJ was tabbed at #11 by the Texans after an impressive combine that saw him finish in the top 5 in every category for his position.

New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips had plans for the Texans. After shifting the team to a 3-4 defense, he’d add Watt, and move incumbent defensive end Mario Williams to outside linebacker. The move paid off and Watt became an immediate starter. With a near 6’6″, 290 frame JJ was a threat right out of the gate recording 5 tackles in his first contest against Indianapolis. He’d block his first field goal against the Dolphins in Week 2, and his first sack on Drew Brees (NO) in Week 3. In Week 12, JJ recorded a career high 7 tackles versus the Jaguars, and sacked Blaine Gabbert twice. As Watt’s 2011 season continues, it appears that the young rookie is already beginning to pay dividends on the selection with the Texans sitting amongst the top 5 in defense.

NFL

Williams, “Super” Mario (2)

Card: Score 2010
Acquired: In Person 12/6/2011, Whataburger Community Player of the Month
See Also: Williams, “Super” Mario

I visited Houston again earlier this month. With multiple appearances and big names on the same day, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet Williams, and JJ Watt at the same location. Whataburger was again hosting the Community Player of the Month event, and after getting lost on Highway 6 N as opposed to Highway 6 S, I was able to find the correct location. Arriving a bit before 2pm, I saddled up to a group around front and talked to them. As I did the community relations team of the Texans came out and strapped wristbands on us. I was #14, but there was probably close to 100 people there. When the event began, they quickly ran out of wristbands and then gave the next 15 stand by cards, and turned the excess out above that away. There was greater than 250 people there for autographs, and while Mario was accommodating, his introverted and shy nature especially when dealing with the giant crowd came off as dismissive.  When he signed my card I asked him what his tattoo was on his hand, to which he bashfully replied that it was a football.

With the Texans drafting of JJ Watt, Mario Williams immediately became the largest outside linebacker in the league. Combining a devastating upfield bull rush with a 2 point stance, Mario was off to a fast start in 2011, much to the dismay of pundits and the media who hoped for his failure.  While he was learning the job on the fly, Mario made 5 sacks, 11 tackles, 1 forced fumble and a pass defensed before tearing his pectoral muscle, ending his season after only 5 games. Going into a contract year for 2012, it is thought that the Texans may franchise Williams at OLB, effectively dropping his salary from its high perch among defensive ends, or allow him to test the free agent waters with the emergence of young LB Brooks Reed.

UPDATE: 8/27/12 As theorized the Texans did indeed allow Williams to test the free agent waters where he signed with the Buffalo Bills and a $100 million dollar contract.

NFL, NFLE, ufl

Gray, Quinn


Cards:  UD MVP 2003, Topps 2008
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Florida A&M Rattlers
Sent: 11/8   Received:  11/21   (13 days)

A strong armed quarterback that resembled Daunte Culpepper, (6’3″, 246) Quinn Gray set benchmarks at Florida A&M with 7368 yards passing and 57 touchdowns. Undrafted, Gray would be signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2002, and then be allocated to NFL Europe to play for the Frankfurt Galaxy in 2003. While with the Galaxy, Quinn would have a good season (58/131, 1099 yards, and 11 tds to only 5 picks) playing alongside former Texas Terminator and Texas Longhorn James Brown, leading the Galaxy to a World Bowl victory (XI). He’d return stateside, and not throw a pass in the NFL through the 2004 season.

Gray in 2005 saw some cleanup action, and again in 2006, earning a reputation as a solid backup. With the Jaguars jettisoning Byron Leftwich, Gray slid into the backup position behind incumbent David Garrard in 2007. He’d hop into the starting role near the end of the season as the injury bug would sideline Garrard. Quinn started 4 games, completing 80 of 144 passes for 966 yards and 10 touchdowns, including a head stomping of the Houston Texans. At the end of the season, Gray became a free agent and ironically signed with the Texans. Facing stiff competition, Gray would lose out on the backup job to Matt Schaub against Sage Rosenfels. Quinn later saw time also on the rosters of the Colts and Chiefs before being named the starting quarterback of the New York Sentinels of the UFL in 2009. The team would finish a woeful 0-10 and relocated to Hartford. In the meantime, Quinn has gone into coaching in what he calls, “A dream come true,” with his former Alma Mater, Florida A&M where I got his autograph in under two weeks via the school.

This Upper Deck MVP card is one of the ugliest I’ve seen and lacks any subtly to its design and texturing. The flagrant abuse of the jersey stock, not only on the front but the back as well, renders much of the type distracting and illegible, especially when there is use of thin black 6pt type on a gray backdrop. How did this get past QC? The Topps card, -probably the only one of Quinn in a Texans uniform, is a conservative yawner attempting to capture a look from years past in the use of the type. The framing and insistence of having the Topps logo front and center is ugly and makes me feel like I am looking at a one toothed monster, but I digress. I am none the less happy to add Quinn to the collection with his illustrious NFLE, NFL, and UFL careers behind him. Below are Quinn’s shockingly good limited NFL statistics:

G/Gs  12/4    Att  188     Comp   108      Yds 1328      Pct   57.4     Td  13      Int   5      Rat  91.4
Rush 25    Yds  111   Avg  4.4    Td  2    Lg 27