Cards: Playoff Prestige 2009 Prestigious Picks, Upper Deck 2009 Icons (471/599) Acquired: IP 2018, Boot City See Also: Quan Cosby, Quan Cosby (2), Quan Cosby (3)
Quan Cosby was a bonus at the Boot City event in Bastrop. I always pack a couple of extra cards for whomever stops in and Quan had to come out to support Colt, Fozzy, and Jordan. The weekend before the XFL had announced that it was returning for 2020. I was pretty juiced about it and Quan and I talked about it for a few minutes. We agreed that it was important that the league actually put a team in Texas this time if they wanted to succeed, and they also needed to not be identified as a footnote in the ‘NFL’ section. Part of the problem is the NFL is so successful, no matter what happens in any other football league, the media just squeezes it in at the bottom of the NFL sports page. This is in part due to the fact that NFL has become synonymous with football.
A former baseball player in the minor leagues and a lover of the sport, Quan has added baseball to his announcing duties, along with sideline reporting at football games for the University of Texas.
Starting to run out of cards for Quan, but I guess that’s a good thing as he signs most things for fans. I liked the Upper Deck Icons card a lot. Its got a nice balance to it and the color is great. The Playoff Prestige? Meh. It’s okay, but the card seems a bit over designed.
It took Brad Kaaya only 3 years to become the Miami Hurricanes all-time leading passer with 9,968 yards. After the Hurricanes defeated West Virginia in the Russell Athletic Bowl in 2016, Brad opted to enter the NFL draft instead of staying for his Senior season. He’d be selected in the 6th round of the 2017 NFL Draft by Detroit, but didn’t make the Lions final roster. He was quickly scooped up by the Panthers, but after about a month long stint there, Brad was back on the Lions practice squad. The Colts signed Brad at the end of 2017, but he’d be placed on IR during 2018 before he could take a snap. He’d then take a brief pit stop with the Bengals in early 2019.
Brad is an interesting prospect. I think he’s just gotten lost in the numbers game, and given time to hone his skills perhaps in the XFL (2020), he might see some traction in the NFL down the line.
Malik Hooker came on strong and fast during his 2016 campaign playing for Ohio State. He tallied 74 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, and 7 interceptions for 181 yards, and count ’em 3… that’s 3 TDs. A Consensus All-American that year, he declared for the 2017 NFL Draft.
The 2017 Draft was an interesting one, as it was laden was defensive talent, especially in the secondary. Still Malik’s raw talent, range, and instincts carried him high into the first round, where he was selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the 15th overall pick. Despite fighting nagging injuries early in the year, Malik managed to record an interception in 3 straight contests, and tallied 22 total tackles, in 6 games before blowing out both his ACL and MCL. Rehabilitation went well for Hooker and he finished ahead of schedule for 2018.
Malik ended up starting 14 contests for the Colts in 18. He’d add another 44 tackles, 4 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
