Tag Archives: indianapolis colts

Freeland, Blake

SAGE 2023, A-BF

CARD: SAGE 2023
ACQUIRED: 2023, Personal Break

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Blake Freeland played OT at BYU from 2019-2022.
  • A combine freak and athlete, he set the record for lineman with a 37″ verticle.
  • Blake was selected in the 4th round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts.
  • With a carousel of injuries to the OL, Freeland saw action in 10 games his rookie season primarily as a swing tackle.

NOTES:

The prevailing winds in Indianapolis are that Blake was sorta thrown into the fire his rookie campaign. He’s got the athleticism, but just needs to work on his technique.

Stribling, Channing (2)

CARDS: Topps AAF 2019, Topps AAF 2019 Future Stars, Topps XFL 2020, Upper Deck USFL 2023
ACQUIRED: In Person, 2024 San Antonio Brahmas v St. Louis Battlehawks
FAILURE: TTM 2020, TTM 2023

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • See Also Channing Stribling
  • Channing suited up for the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL in 2020.
  • After the league folded due to COVID, he returned to the CFL and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, whom he’d been with briefly before signing with the XFL.
  • In 2022, he played for the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL.
  • He’d intercept 7 passes for 121 yards and make 14 tackles.
  • Afterwards, briefly was on the offseason roster of the Washington Commanders.
  • Although drafted by the Battlehawks of the XFL 23, Stribling opted to resign with the Stars.
  • With the USFL and XFL merged, Stribling was drafted by the Birmingham Stallions in the 2024 player dispersal draft.
  • Ultimately ended up on the roster of the Battlehawks- but was cut during the regular season.

NOTES:

Channing was on a shortlist of players I really wanted since he was impossible to get TTM and he had… four(?) cards I was looking to get signed. Since players didn’t really pay any attention to me pregame, I decided to troll the Battlehawks players.

I yelled at Channing that he wasn’t fooling anyone, since he changed his number from 41 to 14. (Wikipedia even showed it as 41.) I then heckled him about his time with the Express. He smiled and after the game gladly came over and inked these 4 cards. When he looked at them, he called them ‘classic’.

Anderson, Willie ‘Flipper’

Fleer 1992, #182

CARDS: Score 1992, Fleer 1990
ACQUIRED: 2017, Future Considerations. 2023, EBay
FAILURE: TTM 2010, TTM 2020, Consignment 2015

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Devastating long bomb threat and speedy receiver, Flipper Anderson was a second round pick of the Los Angeles Rams out of UCLA in 1988.
  • In 1989, had a whopping 44 catches for 1146 yards and 5 TDs.
  • His 28 yards per catch was second in NFL history (behind Warren Wells) for a player with a minimum of 40 catches.
  • During 1990 season, when Henry Ellard was sidelined for a game, Flipper became QB Jim Everett‘s primary receiver against the Saints.
  • Set an NFL record by catching 15 passes for 336 yards in that game.
  • Had 51 catches for 1083 yards and 7 TDs (21.0 YPR) in 1990.
  • Played for the Rams through the 1994 season.
  • Went into the journeyman phase of his career quickly, playing for the Colts (’95), Redskins (’96), and Broncos (’97) but saw little action.
  • Lives in Georgia where he’s currently a high school basketball referee.

ACCOLADES:

  • NFL RECORD- Single game yards receiving (336)
  • NFL Leader Yards Per Reception (1989, ’90)
Fleer 1990, #33

NOTES:

I failed on Flipper so many times I pretty much gave up. TTM he didn’t respond to me twice, but responded randomly to others. Then I paid for a consignment and shipped my cards out to get him, but I wasn’t able to get him that way either- though I suspect the consigner more than anyone. (What a mess that was.) My buddy Brian got him on two cards and decided to send me one, so I held onto this Score 92 forever, thinking about these sour grapes. Finally in 2023, I was able to pick up a respectable Fleer 90 that I wanted, so I decided to go ahead and put this post together.

Flipper has like 4 other cards I still need him on. His Pro Set 1990 is an infamous photo of him scoring the final TD against the New York Giants eliminating them from the playoffs in ’89.

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