Tag Archives: leaf rookies & stars 2005

NFL

Brunell, Mark

Cards: TNT Signature Select, Classic 1993, SP Game Used 2002, Leaf Rookies & Stars 2006
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Home
Sent: 9/12    Received: 10/11     (26 days)*
*donation enclosed

Mark Brunell was one of these ageless wonders. He put in 19 seasons under his belt of solid to workmanlike/ journeyman quality work. In the annals of pro football, he doesn’t get the respect he deserves, but his arrival in Jacksonville heralded an era of respectability in Jaguars football. The owner of all of the passing records in the franchise’s record books when he departed the Jaguars after the 2003 season, Mark earned 3 Pro Bowl nominations, including MVP honors of the 2000 Pro Bowl. 

Originally a 5th round pick out of Washington State by the Green Bay Packers in the 1993 draft, Brunell didn’t see much action playing for the Pack, sitting behind Brett Favre and Ty Detmer.  He’d be eventually traded to the Jaguars in 1995 for a 3rd and 5th round pick before the team’s inaugural season began. After his banner time in Jacksonville, Mark was traded to the Redskins and provided stability to the quarterback position in Washington from 2004 to 2007. During that period he’d break the NFL record for most consecutive completions in a game with 22. In 2008, he signed with the Saints- winning his lone Super Bowl Championship (XLIV) as Drew Brees’ backup. 

Brunell played 2 more seasons for the New York Jets (2010-2012), before retiring. Since that time Mark has gone into coaching starting at the High School level, and as of 2019 is coaching in the Jacksonville area. Mark has made the news otherwise for all the wrong reasons financially, and at one point needed to file for bankruptcy. Those are always the most humbling moments- so it was not a big deal to send him the requested donation.

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176/1514625275459.53207218410884.0
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NFL

Thomas, Sloan (3)

Card: Leaf Rookies & Stars 2005  (030/150)
Acquired: 2016, EBay
See Also: Sloan Thomas, Sloan Thomas (2)

I absolutely love this card of Sloan. Leaf had a habit of breaking the design grid with their Rookies & Stars set in such a unique way, but in a sense with such deliberation, and the autograph is showcased so well. About the only thing I don’t like is how tiny the Texans logo is, but overall it’s a quality design. Leaf continually and slowly tweaked the design of their Rookies & Stars set so professionally over the years, it felt like I was buying a Corvette every year.

Sloan finished out his degree at UT in Communication after his NFL career concluded. After helping UTSA put itself on the map in division one football, he moved on to the corporate world and as of 2017 is with Alamo Title Company working in their Commercial and Corporate Business Development department.