Tag Archives: los angeles rams

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Taylor, Eugene “Gene”

psetwlaf91 gtaylorult92 gtaylor

Cards: ProSet WLAF 1991, Ultimate 1992, Ultimate WLAF Dragons card, Photo memorabilia
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o work
Sent:  8/1    Received: 8/19  (18 days)

Gene Taylor is a member of the ‘Fresno State connection’. Among the colleges that contributed players to the WLAF, the Bulldogs sent more than any other college to the young World League back in 1991. Head coach Jack Bicknell was looking for a long bomb specialist for the Barcelona Dragons. He’d select Gene near the top of  round 1 in the league’s positional draft. Gene didn’t disappoint, opening up the season with an electrifying 43 yard TD, en route to the team’s 19-7 thrashing of the New York-New Jersey Knights. Taylor saved his best game though for a contest against the Orlando Thunder however, when he caught 5 passes for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns, -including barn burners from 56 and 81 yards.  To put things in perspective: By season’s end, Taylor’s yards alone consisted of 35% of Scott Erney and Tony Rice‘s combined passing yardage totals. Gene finished the 1991 season 2nd in the league in YPR, and 4th in both receiving yards and touchdowns, helping the Dragons make an appearance in World Bowl I.  He’d be awarded with First Team 1991 All World Honors from the league, and was among the first WLAF players to sign a contract, after the season with the NFL.

ult92 dragonsGene was originally a 6th round draft choice of the New England Patriots in 1987, but not make the final roster. Instead he’d be signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he’d stay through the 1988 season, recording 7 receptions for 74 yards in 12 contests. He’d sign with the 49ers in 1989, but head up to the CFL to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders later that year. Gene returned to the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams in 1990, before being drafted by the Dragons in the WLAF. After his stop in the World League, Gene signed again with the team that originally drafted him, the New England Patriots in 1991. He’d suit up for 1 game that season but not see any significant game time.

mem gtaylorI was really happy to finally find Gene, thanks to a podcast by (a Raider faithful fan) RaiderGreg who did an interview with him about Taylor’s time in the leagues and also the player’s strike. RaiderGreg was more than happy to refer me to him, and after receiving my cards at the fire station where Taylor is a chief at, Gene was accommodating enough to sign the cards and also enclosing the additional piece of signed memorabilia. We chatted through email where amazingly, Taylor revealed that he had never seen his Ultimate WLAF card, probably since it was printed after his departure back to New England in 1991.  That’s 20+ years. I’ll probably buy and send out a few more to Gene to keep since he probably had given out the fair majority to his coworkers. I must admit, he was incredibly patient with me through our correspondence, considering I tend to ramble on about things I am excited to talk about, but it seems that after responses from guys like Gene and other players, 2013 is shaping up to be a great year TTM.

WLAF    Rec 35     Yds 745    Avg 21.3    Td 6   Lg 81t

Arena, NFL

Jaworski, Ron “Jaws”

udldg97 jaworskiCards:  Upper Deck Legends 1997, Score Supplemental 1989, Topps 1984
Acquired:  TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent:  1/2     Received: 1/23   (21 days)

Ron “Jaws” Jaworski, is a famous commentator and color man for the eponymous sports network ESPN, but before most of the recent generation of fans recall, he was a great quarterback story that unfolded in the City of Brotherly Love, – Philadelphia.

Well we have to go back even before that to where the tale of  ‘the crossroads of quarterbacks’, Ron Jaworski begins. Youngstown State isn’t exactly a household name when it comes to football – and in fact is more well known for the Ward Beecher Planetarium more than anything else.  The Penguins though played in a hybrid offense called the side-saddle T formation (where the quarterback stood off center and faces a sideline with two runningbacks and a wingback in motion). Ron played for them from 1969 through 1972 setting multiple records and ranking among the school’s leaders in 11 offensive categories.In his senior season Ron was ranked 5th in the country among college-division passers. He finished his career at Youngstown with 32 TDs, on 325 completions, and 4,612 yards.

to83 jaworskiThe Los Angeles Rams selected Ron in the second round of the 1973 draft. The draft proved to hold a bevvy of talent for the franchise, as Fred Dryer, Cullen Bryant, and Jim Youngblood were drafted alongside Jaworski. A young offensive backfield guy named Dick Vermeil noticed, “Ron’s raw talent and eagerness to learn,” and with the torch passed on from Roman Gabriel to John Hadl, there was room on the roster for Jaworski to be brought up to speed. He’d get some mop up duty in 1974 and start his first game in 1975, creating a frenzy when he led the team to a playoff win after the season. Handed the job in 1976, he went 2-0, but threw 1 TD to 5 picks. He’d lose the starting job to Pat Haden who went 5-1-1 the rest of the way. The Rams put Jaworski on the table for a trade, after Ron refused to sign.  You see the Rams ownership didn’t feel that Jaworski was an ‘LA kind of kid’ but Ron thought he could start. He just wasn’t in the ‘Hollywood cool’ image. The long suffering Philadelphia Eagles franchise decided to come to the trough and made the call in March. (The Rams later signed Hollywood friendly free agent quarterback Joe Namath in May.)

sco89supp jaworskiDick Vermeil liked what he saw out of ‘The Polish Rifle’ back when he was an assistant with the Rams, and now as head coach was more than happy to bring Ron on board in 1977 (where he’d ironically take the place of Roman Gabriel.) Mentored by guru Sid Gillman and Vermeil, Ron made titanic strides in 1978 and guided the Eagles into the playoffs with a 9-7 record. He’d beat his numbers in 1979 posting 18 TDs to only 12 picks, and the team surged to an 11-5 record as his exuberance, leadership, and fun-loving nature infected teammates and Eagles fans alike.  Jaworski bettered himself again in 1980, with a 12-4 record guiding the team to the Superbowl XV against the Oakland Raiders. After the season, ‘Jaws’ 27 TDs to 12 Ints and 3529 yards, was good enough to earn him the 1980 NFL MVP honor. Ron continued to prove his detractors wrong, winning more games as a quarterback from 1978-1981 (with the exception of Terry Bradshaw). After the Eagles slipped back under the playoff surface again in 1982, Dick Vermeil decided to quit coaching and handed the reins over to his longtime defensive coordinator Marion Campbell. By 1985 the writing was on the wall with the drafting of wonder quarterback Randall Cunningham who started 4 games that year. Still, Jaws managed to pop a memorable 99 yard touchdown to Mike Quick that season. In 1986, firey Buddy Ryan was brought in to right the ship in Philadelphia, and by the 11th game of the season decided that the era of Ron Jaworski was over for the Eagles.  Unceremoniously dumped after the season, Jaws headed over to Miami to back up Dan Marino where he’d play sparingly in 1988. Ron kept it up another year and closed out his career with the Chiefs as Steve DeBerg’s back up in 1989, at the grand old age of 38. (Bizarrely during the 1991 season, Jaworski had to turn down appeals from Eagles fans to return to Philadelphia after Cunningham and backup Jim McMahon were injured.)

For a guy who the Rams couldn’t stand because he didn’t fit their scene (4-0 record as a starter), the criticism he took for not being able to get to the big game (4 playoff wins, superbowl appearance), and the belief he’d never make it out of tiny Youngstown State (15 seasons in the NFL), Ron Jaworski is a great story about a kid who decided to chase his dreams so that he wouldn’t have to straighten metal bars in a factory and play a game he loved for the rest of his life. At the time of his retirement, Jaworski held the NFL record for most consecutive starts with 116, (since surpased by Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Eli Manning).

Ron is a popular name in the sport of American Football. He is a fixture at ESPN, spent 5 years on Monday Night Football, has been involved with youth football, expanding the sport for many years investing overseas in a variety of  football ventures, and is part owner of the AFL Philadelphia Soul. Jaws has been nominated for the NFL Hall of Fame, and in 1992 was inducted into the Eagles Honor Roll. You can visit him at ronjaworski.com.

Att 4117       Comp  2187         Yds  28190        Pct  53.1%     Td   179      Int  164      Rat 72.8
Rush  257     Yds  859      Avg  3.3      Td  16      Lg 44

 

 

AFL

Cannon, Billy “Legend”

udlg97 cannonCard: Upper Deck Legends 1997
Acquired: 11/23/2012, Fiterman Autograph Event
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Home

LSU’s sensational halfback and future Heisman Trophy winner, who led the Tigers to their first national championship, walked off the field of his final game for LSU to see a beaming madman in a prim suit standing in the end zone, named Bud Adams. With that Billy Cannon was signed with the AFL’s Houston Oilers in front of a televised national audience, effectively firing a warning shot towards the choppy waters the NFL was about to sail into. Before Cannon could get his legs under him in the upstart AFL, Pete Rozelle of the NFL and the Los Angeles Rams, (who drafted Cannon #1 overall in the NFL’s common draft,) sued him for breach of contract. You see Cannon had also signed a deal with the NFL in secret, but Adams, (who had arranged this whole scheme,) knew that if the NFL admitted that they had signed Cannon before his college eligibility had ended, would be essentially embarrassing themselves, based on the invalidity of their contract.

Billy Cannon gave the upstart league immediate viability and credibility as an alternative to the stodgy NFL. Along with quarterback George Blanda, and wide receivers Bill Groman, and Charlie Hennigan, Cannon led the Houston Oilers to the first two AFL championships in 1960, scoring on an 88 yard pass, in the team’s 24-16 victory over the LA Chargers. He’d then repeat again in 1961, scoring the only touchdown in the rematch between the two.  In that season he led the AFL in rushing with 948 yards (4.7 ypc), rushing for a team record 212 yards in one game, and overall with 2043 from scrimmage, but lost out to Blanda for the league MVP honors. In that season he set the league record for YFS in a game with 373 against the New York Titans, -a record that stood for almost 30 years, and had 5 TDs in that same game.  After the Oilers failed to win the championship game in 1963, Billy signed with the Oakland Raiders in 1964. It was there that Al Davis had the crazy idea of converting Cannon to a tight end. – And why not? With his soft hands, great speed, and size, Cannon was a perfect fit for the position and the downfield passing game that Davis employed. He played the next 5 seasons with the Raiders where he built an impressive resume at the position and won another title with the Raiders becoming one of the AFL’s greatest players at the position. Billy then played one final season with the Chiefs in 1970 and retired.  Cannon is one of only a handful (20) players who played the entire 10 year lifetime of the AFL in the league.

Billy has had some missteps since his career ended, and got in deep with the wrong people. In order to catch up he half-cooked up a counterfeiting scheme, and was sent to jail in 1983. After being released for good behavior, he went back to work in the medical field as a dentist, but had a difficult time finding work. Cannon was reviled now by the people who used to admire him who now would rather celebrate at seeing him fall further. It’d be in the most unlikeliest of places that Cannon, “The Legend” found his redemption. The prison system had need for a dentist, and Cannon came in and cleaned up the LSP dental department. In fact the Warden liked Billy’s work so much, that he promoted him to run the whole medical wing. It was in this perhaps, that Billy saw a glimmer of happiness in his work, and slowly over the next few years, took baby steps into the world again and began to make appearances at LSU functions. With time all wounds heal, and Billy was again praised for those svelte moves that earned him a place in school history for a play simply known as “The Punt Return”.  Cannon still works at the prison today and is referred to by the inmates simply as “Legend”.  He also enjoys raising and breeding horses.  Billy Cannon is the only player to have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame twice. He earned the recognition in 1983 but it was taken away due to his conviction, and then again was inducted in 2008. His number has also been retired by LSU.

G 133     Rush  602     Yds   2455     Avg   4.1    Td  17   Lg  64
Rec  236    Yds 3656   Avg  15.5     Td  47      Lg  88
Kr  67   Yds  1704      Avg  25.4    Td 1   Lg  88
Pr  14      Yds  178      Avg 12.7      Td 0   Lg  51

The punt return: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIHdlAg4Uic