CARDS: Topps AAF Now 2019, Topps AAF 2019, Topps XFL 2020 ACQUIRED: In Person 2023, Houston Roughnecks v. San Antonio Brahmas FAILURE: TTM 2019, C/o New York Jets. TTM 2020, C/o Home
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Brandon Silvers played QB at Troy from 2014-2017.
Threw for 10,677 yards, 71 TDs, 29 picks, and 64.4% completions, with a 135.8 passer rating.
Finished second in school history in TDs and yards.
Had a tryout with the Saints following the 2018 NFL Draft but was not signed.
Was selected in the 3rd round by the Memphis Express during the AAF Quarterback Protect or Pick Draft in 2019.
Silvers faced an uphill battle behind Troy Cook, Christian Hackenberg, and Zach Mettenberger.
Cook was quickly out of the picture, with Hack taking over as starter and Silvers sliding in behind him.
Supplanted due to ineffectiveness, Silvers took over as starter but was quickly injured.
Mettenberg competently guided the Apollos until he was injured against the Stallions.
Silvers returned to the lineup with a vengeance in Week 6.
The Express in the meantime signed former NFL QB Johnny Manziel, who was chomping at the bit to take the reins from Brandon.
Silvers refused to relinquish his starting role, leading the team to an exciting win in OT over the Birmingham Iron in Week 7.
He’d then give the Apollos all they could handle in a 34-31 loss, before the league collapsed after their week 8 matchup.
Silvers briefly was on the radar of the Jets, seeing some off season time with them later that year.
In 2020, Brandon joined the XFL, playing for the Seattle Dragons under head coach Jim Zorn.
He’d throw for 539 yards and 6 TDs on 102 attempts.
2021 saw him play for the Conquers of The Spring League, and then went unselected in the 2022 USFL Supplemental Player Draft.
Silvers returned to the XFL for 2023, as a member of the Houston Roughnecks.
He threw for 13 TDs and 1551 yards on 156 completions (262 passes) leading the Roughnecks to the playoffs.
The Roughnecks XFL roster was dispersed into the UFL draft pool for 2024.
Eventually Silvers made his way to St Louis where he backs up AJ McCarron.
ACCOLADES:
NCAA QB Freshman Record (70.5% completion rate- min. 250 passes)
Topps XFL 2020, #17Topps AAF 2019, #11
NOTES:
I have been trying to get Brandon for sometime since he had 3 cards that I wanted signed. When the Roughnecks were around in 2020 I was a big fan, but when they returned in ’23, I switched over to the Brahmas because they were closer. I was hoping that the Brahmas would grab Silvers as their quarterback but he ended up in H-Town with Wade Phillips instead.
By the time the Roughnecks came to SA, I had figured out the best spot to get autographs from which was right next to the visitors end zone where the players were coming in and going out.
After the Roughnecks defeated the Brahmas in OT, he came over and kindly signed these 3 cards for me. Like many players he really loved those times in the AAF.
Zach Mettenberg was a prototypical pocket passer with a strong arm who played at Butler Community College (2010) and LSU (2011-13).
Over time with Tigers, threw for 35 TDs and 5783 yards on 407 completions.
Selected by the Tennessee Titans in the 6th round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
Mettenberger played at an interesting transitional time for the Titans, at the tail end of the short Jake Locker epoch and the beginning of the Marcus Mariota era in Tennesssee.
During his rookie year, Zach took over for Locker at QB throwing for 8 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and 1,412 passing yards.
Most memorably, Mettenberger had a short running feud with Houston Texans DE JJ Watt.
Mettenberger spent his second season backing up new starter Marcus Mariota.
Again stepping into the starting lineup in injury relief for Mariota, Zach threw for 4 TDs to 7 INT.
Spent 2016 on the rosters of the Chargers and Steelers but didn’t see any action.
After a year off from football, played in the Spring League in 2018 during their Austin showcase.
Later during the league’s QB draft in 2019, was the final selection off the board by the Express.
Joined a crowded QB room, but made the roster behind Christian Hackenberg and Brandon Silvers.
Started 4th game of the season against the San Diego Fleet, completing 18 of 25 passes for 174 yards, leading the team to its first win of the year.
The next week, was sacked multiple times and injured during the contest against the Salt Lake City Stallions.
Wasn’t selected in the 2020 XFL draft and returned to the Spring League.
Went into coaching and in 2022, joined the staff of Alabama as an analyst.
NOTES:
I had been waiting to pounce on Zach for sometime since his days in The Spring League. During that game that I saw him play in, a cold front came in dropping the temperatures at the outdoor event by 30-40 degrees. It was bitterly cold. The crowd treated the game more like a scrimmage. Hardcore fans like myself enjoyed the experience, but the majority of the crowd was dead silent and Mettenberger made sure to make a show of it screaming and yelling and having an insanely good time. I was too intimidated to ask him for his autograph. Also of note, sitting nearby and incognito was former Dallas Cowboys’ QB Babe Laufenberg that I missed out on. -I’m still kicking myself about that one.
Ran for 317 yards on 100 carries, scoring 3 TDs, to go along with 18 catches for 138 yards and another TD.
ACCOLADES:
First 100 yard rusher in AAF history.
NOTES:
I tried to get Zac’s autograph on his two remaining cards (Topps AAF 2019, Topps AAF NOW 2019) but at this point they’re basically flushed.
On the now defunct AAF website, soon before it shut down, the league touted Zac Stacy as one of their up and coming stars and had a feature on him and his brother, who has down syndrome.
In 2022, Stacy was caught on tape gruesomely attacking his ex-girlfriend in the presence of his child. He maintains that his ex manipulated and entrapped him into behaving that way.
In general, everything about Zac’s rise and fall makes me extremely sad.
RUSH
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
357
1355
3.8
9
40
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
53
358
6.8
1
28
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
