Tag Archives: Los Angeles Raiders

NFL

Craig, Roger (2)

pset89 craigudldg97 craigflr90 craigpset90 craigflrsi99 craigsco90 craigud91 craig
Cards: Fleer 1990, Upper Deck 1991, Pro Set 1989, Pro Set 1990, Upper Deck Legends 1997, Score 1990, Fleer Sports Illustrated Legends 1999.
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent: 1/2    Received:  1/7    (5 days)*
*signing fee $5 per card
See also: Roger Craig

Finally. Well the first line is cast and I already hooked a big one in the form of undervalued fullback/ runningback Roger Craig! Sending a check in excess of the fee request, netted me 2 extra autographs plus he was willing to answer the questions that I enclosed.

I’ve been trying to be a bit more wacky about what I ask players when I insert a question into a letter. First it makes me stick out, and second it might give them a good laugh. Roger disclosed to me that if he could’ve played for any other team besides the 49ers, Raiders, and Vikings he played for, he would have played for the Dallas Cowboys. Wow. Now that would’ve blown my mind to have seen him play in the silver and blue at the end of his career.  Back in his college days and his early playing days, Roger liked to sport a mean looking mustache. I asked him if he’d ever grow it back. To my surprise he answered that, “Yes, one day,” it will return and put a little smiley face next to it.  For my final question, I asked him what tree he would be, and he responded that, “He would’ve been an oak tree, because it is a very big and strong tree”.  – A great success in my books, and I was extremely surprised to have gotten it back so quickly. I knew that Roger had a very high response rate and that he was good to TTM fans, but this was a near legendary response from a player who should be in the Hall of Fame. Total class act. I was so jazzed about this one, I really am considering sending out 2nd shots to my favorite TTM successes at some point.

Some great cards here of Roger. It was very difficult to select which ones to send. I might have missed one or two cards, but overall these action shots really represent him well. Really have quickly grown fond of the 1997 Upper Deck Legends issue. The photos are great and they cover some really good players.  I vaguely remember that Roger’s Pro Set 1989 card/shot was so dynamic that it made the box. It’s too bad that Pro Set went up in smoke so quickly. It was the up close action shots like this that put Topps on the ropes early.

NFL, WLAF

Kennan, Larry

Cards: Pro Set 1991 First Game, Pro Set WLAF 1991
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Incarnate Word University
Sent: 11/12  Received: 12/5   (23 days)
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o NFL Coaches Assn.

After playing quarterback for the LaVerne Leos, Larry Kennan went right into the coaching ranks where he built an impressive resume as an offensive coordinator and positional coach even before I was born. He spent time with UNLV (73-75) and at SMU (76-78) as an OC before landing the head coaching gig at Lamar University, outside of Houston.  Kennan coached the Cardinals through 1981. During his stop there with the college, Kennan’s highlights were posting a 6-3-1 record in 1979, and knocking off the 20th ranked Baylor Bears 18-17 in 1981. Overall the attendance to games improved to record levels.

Larry made his first stop at the professional rank in 1982. He’d coach with the Los Angeles Raiders through 1988, -first as quality control and then later as a quarterbacks coach, where he had the privilege of working with players like Steve Beuerlein, Jay Schroeder, Jim Plunkett, Marc Wilson, and Rusty Hilger. Kennan spent the next two seasons with the Broncos (WR coach, 1989) and (quickly moved up to be) the Colts offensive coordinator for the 1990 season with head coach Ron Meyer working helping indoctrinate rookie Jeff George into the pro game, while at the same time trying to find an offensive balance for future HoF RB Eric Dickerson.

After the season the London Monarchs of the WLAF came calling and made him an offer to join their staff as head coach in 1991. The team ran away with the league title that year winning World Bowl I over the Barcelona Dragons 21-0. The Monarchs also won the first game in league history against the Frankfurt Galaxy. His team was outstanding through and through, with quarterback Stan Gelbaugh setting numerous passing records behind an incredible offensive line, and wide receiver Jon Horton. The defense was also equally good as well, and the team posted a 9-1 record. Plucked from the WLAF after the season, Larry returned stateside to the Seattle Seahawks for 1992 to become Tom Flores OC.

The Seahawks were not doing so well on offense. After jettisoning longtime quarterback Dave Krieg, the team was in flux between Dan McGwire and Kelly Stouffer. In fact, it got so bad that Kennan had to dial up Gelbaugh to help out. Rick Mirer was drafted to lead the offense in 1993, and Kennan did an admirable job of triage with him, but by 1994 with numbers slumping the the Seahawks still doing badly in the standings, the staff was released. Larry continued to find work in the NFL with the Saints (1995, TE’s), Raiders (1996, QB’s), and 1997 with the Patriots as offensive coordinator. He then moved up to the executive level working for the NFL Coaches Association from 1998-2011. As of 2012, Larry is the head coach of the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas.

WLAF:   W 9     L 1     T 0     Pct .900

 

NFL, WLAF

McKenzie, Reggie

Card: Wild Card WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM C/o The Green Bay Packers
Sent: 7/26  Received: 8/6   (11 days)

Reggie McKenzie played collegiality for the Tennessee Volunteers and was taken in the 10th round of the 1985 draft by the then Los Angeles Raiders. A long shot to make the team, he’d make the roster and in fact start at right inside linebacker for the Super Bowl squad, making a sack and a fumble recovery in a respectable rookie season.  Reggie would again start all 16 games in 1986, and 5 in the strike shortened 1987 season. After only starting 3 games in 1988, McKenzie would sign with the Phoenix Cardinals in 1989. He would remain with the franchise through the 1990 season.

After sitting out a season where he coached high school football in the interim, Reggie signed with the Montreal Machine of the WLAF in 1992 and started alongside Ray Savage at linebacker. He would have a strong season, making a sack and an interception, which he returned 29 yards for a touchdown, but despite the team’s strong defensive efforts, the Machine finished a distant 2-8 at the end of the season. The WLAF reorganized after the season, but Reggie was not without a home for long, signing with the San Fransisco 49ers.  He retired after that season.

It didn’t take long for McKenzie to find himself working again in football serving as an assistant at Tennessee in 1993. In 1994, Ron Wolf, (architect of the Packers’ rebirth during the 90’s), hired Reggie to work in the front office, where he has climbed to the rank of Director of Football Operations in 2008. His Raiders Superbowl ring was unfortunately stolen a few years ago, but the Packers replaced that with their 2010 championship.

One of the strategies I use is poaching the coaching and staff lists of professional franchises for players that are on my lists, as typically they receive less autograph requests than their current player counterparts. Reggie definitely fell under this category and was also a member of the WLAF to boot which always makes it extra special to me as I received his autograph in a short 11 days care of the Packers organization. Below are his WLAF statistics:

G 10    Tac  N/a     Sac  1.0    Fum 0    Int 1     Yds  29       Avg  29.o       Td   1    lg 29t

UPDATE- 1/6/12  The Oakland Raiders, (under a recommendation from Packers Architect Ron Wolf,) hired Reggie McKenzie to become general manager of the franchise. Reggie becomes only the second General Manager in the history of the Raiders franchise, replacing deceased owner/GM Al Davis.