Tag Archives: Minnesota Vikings

CFL, NFL

Lewis, Leo (WR)

CARDS: Score 1990, Topps 1987
ACQUIRED: TTM 2026, C/o Foundation
SENT: 1/2/26 RECEIVED: 2/3/26 (31 days)
* Fee enclosed

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Leo Lewis was an offensive weapon in college at Missouri, seeing time rushing receiving and punt returning.
  • Played for the Tigers from 1975-’78.
  • Over college career amassed 82 receptions for 1043 yards and 9 TDs, 17 carries for 104 yards and 2 TDs, and returned 51 punts for 468 yards.
  • Undrafted he played in Canada for a season splitting time with the Calgary Stampeders and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1980.
  • Signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Vikings in 1981.
  • Had most successful season in 1984, catching 47 passes for 834 yards and 4 TDs for the Vikings.
  • Doubled as the team’s primary punt returner in 1988 and ’89.
  • Led league with 58 returns (550 yards) in ’88, and had another 44 in ’89.
  • Split the 1990 campaign with the Browns and Vikings.
  • Retired after the 1991 season and 11 seasons with the Vikings.
  • Caught 182 passes for 2924 yards and 16 TDs while returning 49 punts for 1868 yards and a TD.
  • Vikings Director of Player Development from 1992-’05
  • Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development at the University of Minnesota from 2005-’14.

NOTES:

Leo appeared early on in the Topps sets before the big boom of cards. I was surprised that he didn’t appear in Pro Set or Fleer for that matter near the tail end of his career, so I was happy to see that there was a Score 1990 floating around of him. He has a great autograph and I was a bit disappointed he wasn’t my first return of 2026.

Leo appeared in the classic Nintendo game Tecmo Bowl as a member of the Minnesota Monsters franchise and is a fantastic punt and kick returner.

NFL, ufl

Mond, Kellen

CARDS: Panini Elite 2021, Panini Prism 2021, Panini Illusions 2021, Panini Mosaic 2021, Panini Contenders 2021 RotY, Panini Donruss 2021, Panini Prestige 2021, Score 2021, Panini Luminance 2021, Panini Absolute 2021, Panini Illusions 2021 (Vikings), Upper Deck UFL 2025
ACQUIRED: IP 2025, Brahmas Rally. eBay, 2025

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Kellen Mond played QB for Texas A&M from 2017-’20.
  • Over his college career he completed 801/1358 passes for 71 TDs to 27 interceptions.
  • He also ran for 1608 yards and 22 TDs on 438 carries.
  • Selected in the 3rd round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
  • Never really given a chance, as he was drafted by the FO, while HC Mike Zimmer wanted someone else.
  • He completed 2 of 3 passes for 5 yards in a backup role, despite never speaking to his head coach.
  • Signed with the Cleveland Browns after being cut in 2022 but didn’t make the team’s final roster.
  • Joined the Colts practice squad in 2023.
  • Signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2024 but didn’t make the squad.
  • Jumped to the UFL for the 2025 season where he was named the Brahmas starter.
  • Again Mond dropped right into a dysfunctional FO and coaching situation in San Antonio.
  • With HC Wade Philips health ailing, and a pitched battle for control inside the organization, their OC AJ Smith would quit abruptly after week 2.
  • Mond completed 98 of 171 passes for 850 yards and 2 TDs to 2 interceptions in 7 starts.
  • After the Brahmas were unceremoniously euthanized new ownership of the UFL, Mond did not return to the league for 2026.

ACCOLADES:

  • MVP 2021 Senior Bowl

NOTES:

Not going to lie. I took advantage of the event. There were no lines or gatekeepers. The players were highly accessible and friendly- and I was STACKED with cards. I think Kellen got through 15 of them before GM Marc Lillibridge came up and shooed me away. I took it like a champ and Kellen was kind enough to just sign, sign, sign. Kellen was pretty cool. We talked about Htown and the Woodlands for a bit. (I ended up sending 3 or 4 to Joe per our rolling agreement for him to send me additional cards and I skim a few for myself to add to my own).

I really think Kellen had some terrible, terrible luck falling into two dysfunctional front office/ head coaching situations. The UFL doesn’t know what it wants to be honestly. Is it a farm league to the NFL or a professional league of its own? Kellen has some great tools, but he just needs time and the UFL could’ve been a great place for him to grow.

NFL

Harvin, Percy

CARD: Donruss Rookies & Stars 2009 Dress for Success Certified Materials, Donruss Rookies & Stars 2009 Freshman Orientation Certified Materials
ACQUIRED: 2026, eBay

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Percy Harvin played college ball at Florida from 2006-2008.
  • The do it all receiver accounted for 3,781 yards and 22 TDs over his college career.
  • He rushed for 1852 on 194 carries (19 TDs), and caught 133 passes for 1929 yards (13 TDs).
  • Also a track man, Percy was once clocked an astounding 4.32 40.
  • First round choice of the Minnesota Vikings (22 overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft.
  • Went on to have an outstanding rookie season catching 60 passes for 790 yards and 6 TDs, rushing for an additional 135 more, and kick returing 42 times for 1156 yards and 2 TDs.
  • Started a career high 14 games in 2011, catching 87 passes for 967 yards and 6 TDs.
  • He also rushed for a season career high 345 yards on 52 carries scoring 2 times.
  • Over career returned 5 kickoffs for TDs, including 3 over 100 (101, 104, 105).
  • Traded to Seahawks in 2013 for a first round and a bevvy of other picks.
  • Due to injury, didn’t make his debut until late in November that season.
  • Still he helped the Seahawks win their first Super Bowl title by returning the second half kickoff 87 yards for a TD.
  • Traded to the Jets midway through the 2014 season and recorded over 1K yards from scrimmage.
  • Signed with the Bills in 2015.
  • Retired in 2016- citing injury issues, but returned mid-season to play for the Bills.
  • During the 2017 NFL off-season, Percy announced his final retirement from the sport.

ACCOLADES:

  • 2009 NFL Rookie of the Year
  • Pro Bowl 2009
  • NFL Special Teams Player of the Week 2010 (Week 6)
  • NFC Special Teams Player of the Month 2012 (September)

NOTES:

I have been seeing weakness in the certified mid tier/ ‘hall of very good’ autograph market on eBay and really pounced to get this one. Percy Harvin, while never a Hall of Famer, was memorable enough that his cards have really maintained their value in the market. I tend to snipe with one bid at the end of the auction. That’s it. When I bid, I always put my max bid and add two to three cents to it- and that’s how I won this one.

If there was a Percy Harvin autograph I wanted these were them. Not only are they from subsets I really like, one of them is a rare tricolor patch.

Later I added this really nice Freshman Orientation patch auto from that same Donruss set too. I made an offer to the seller and they went for it. I think if I need anything else of Percy it’d just be his Score 2009 auto and that’d be it for the trifecta.

Harvin was injury plagued and that definitely shortened his career. He frequently suffered from debilitating migraines that kept him out of games. Whether or not that contributed to his locker room issues and general attitude remains to be seen.