Tag Archives: Minnesota Vikings

NFL

Tate, Ben ‘Goldbrick’

Card: Donruss Rookies & Stars 2010  (#34/250)
Acquired: 2016, EBay
Failure: TTM 2012, C/o The Houston Texans

Ben Tate played for the Auburn Tigers in college. His best season came as a Senior when he ran for 1362 yards and 10 TDs on 263 carries. He finished his college career with 3321 yards. He had some amazing highlight film that really emphasized displayed his burst and size. I immediately tapped him as being selected by the Texans in the second or third round. Tate was one of the best backs available in the draft. After missing out on Ryan Matthews and  bypassing Toby Gehart the Texans traded up to select Ben.  He’d join a crowded backfield with Ryan Moats, Arian Foster, Jeremiah Johnson, Chris Henry, and Steve Slaton in 2010.

Both he and Johnson tore up the Cowboys defense during the preseason, but Tate injured his ankle during the game. He’d be on injured reserve the entire 2010 season.  Tate paired with Foster to form a nasty duo in 2011,  and ran for 942 yards in 15 games.  During that season Tate suffered from a myriad of injuries from his quadraceps, to his back, and to his groin… ankle and foot.   Nonetheless, it was rumored that the Browns offered a 2nd round pick for Ben in the off-season but the Texans decided to reject the offer.

Tate was nagged by injuries in 2012 as he gathered a paltry 279 yards. Head, toe, hamstring, were among the malaise of ailments that kept Ben on the injury report and on the bench 15 games that year.

With Foster on IR for the entire 2013 season, Tate was counted on to step up and ran for 771 yards on 181 carries in relief of Foster.  It was a contract year for Tate, and he was ‘running for dollars’-to Free Agency.  He played through a lot of injuries again. The Texans meanwhile collapsed to a 2-14 record, and Gary Kubiak and his coaching staff would be released. The Texans were faced with a dilemma- resign Tate to a monstrous contract and cut Foster or keep Foster and let Tate walk. It was quite the debate but in the end the Texans chose Foster over Tate.

Ben signed a large contract with the aforementioned Cleveland Browns in 2014.  He showed up to camp out of shape, and not well conditioned but planted as the #1 back in the team’s RB rotation. He ran for 333 yards on 106 carries, but after missing two games early in the season due to injury, and then being embarrassed in a home game against the Texans rushing only 2 times for -9 yards the writing was on the wall.  He’d be cut the following week, but quickly found gainful employment with the Minnesota Vikings. In 3 games he’d run 13 times for 38 yards before Tate was cut again. The Steelers then picked him up for a game and Ben carried the load 5 times for 19 yards as an injury replacement for Le’Veon Bell.

After the season, Ben received some nibbles in Free Agency, from the Cowboys, Lions, Chiefs and 49ers at various points of 2015, but ultimately was not signed.

Well. Well. Well. Ben Tate. One of my least favorite TTM experiences. After Tate had sat around his whole rookie season on IR, I wrote him a letter asking for his autograph and enclosed 2 cards. Instead of signing them, returning them, or chalking this one up to the mailman monster, Ben Tate liked them enough that he put them on his Facebook account. I know this because I followed him at the time and the exact cards went up roughly a week after I had sent them through the mail. It left me asking him on his page, “Hey, those are my cards. Are you going to sign them?”, and other awkward statements like that. He just ignored me.   It didn’t help that on Facebook that all Ben talked about, no matter how things were going with the Texans was War Eagle this, War Eagle that. He never talked about playing for the Houston Texans.  I had always heard that Tate lacked the commitment to football. Rumors.  Over time my feelings about what happened grew into contempt, and by the end of 2012 I was referring to Ben as ‘Goldbrick’. (Goldbricking is a derogatory name given in sports to players who are collecting a paycheck or are injured all the time and are consequently using the excuse to not be on the playing field. )

It’s tough to categorize where Ben falls, and my personal experience and observation, coupled with his body of material you could color Ben’s desire and commitment either way.

Confident I’d never see my cards I sent him again, I decided to go ahead and buy this certified autographed patch card and close the book on this player.

NFL

Word, Barry

pset90 bword pset91 bword cpotyCards: ProSet 1990, ProSet 1991 CPotY, Score Supplemental 1990, GameDay 1992, Action Packed 1991.
Acquired: 2016, Philadelphia Exchange Paid Signing

Barry Word was a surprising comeback story. Out of football for over a year and working for a telephone company in Virginia, Word was called up by the Chiefs to attend camp in 1990. He not only made the squad, Word made a potent one two punch with Christian Okoye. Possessing a similar downhill running style to the Nigerian Nightmare, Barry had 204 carries for 1015 yards and 4 TDs- netting himself NFL Comeback Player of the Year Honors.

sco90sup bwordBarry was originally a 3rd round pick by the New Orleans Saints out of Virginia in 1985. Over his 4 year career for the Cavaliers, Word rushed 405 times for 2257 yards, and 17 TDs. The problem is that Barry tested positive for Marijuana at the combine. The Saints didn’t have a problem with that. They had a problem with the conspiracy to distribute cocaine that he got busted for. The Saints let him go, but retained his rights, while Barry bode his time in ap91 bwordprison.

Word returned to the Saints in 1987.  He suited up for 12 games, and started 1 contest rushing 36 times for 133 yards and 2 TDs.  The Saints were knee deep at runningback however, and in 1988, Barry just suited up for only 2 games. He’d spend the entire 1989 season out of football.

With Barry’s comeback complete, he’d play for Kansas City in 1991 gday92 bwordand 1992. He’d be an excellent insurance policy for Okoye in the meantime. In 1993, Barry was traded to the Vikings.  He’d start 8 games for Minnesota, rushing for 458 yards and 2 TDs on 142 carries. Word then signed with the Arizona Cardinals for the ’94 season, but did not see any action.

He’d retire and has been a difficult find through the mail. I decided to do a paid signing for the enigmatic back through the Philadelphia Connection. The price was so reasonable I was able to get 5 cards signed by him. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but Barry Word’s autograph is one of the worst I’ve seen in a while. It’s up there with George Zimmer from Men’s Wearhouse with just the ‘B’ and the ‘W’ being legible. The rest is well- there at least. Some great cards however of Barry graced his short lived career. Of them the ProSet 1990 is quite dynamic, and briefly during the short lived heyday of the card boom, along with its Score counterpart were valuable cards. It’s a shame that speculation and over production killed the market so badly its never completely recovered.

G/GS 72/26     Rush 705      Yds 2897     Avg 4.1      Td 16     Lg 53
Rec 30        Yds 280        Avg 9.3        Td 0       Lg 27

NFL, University of Texas

Griffin, Cedric

leafr&s06 cgriffinleafr&s06 cgriffin b
Cards: 2006 Leaf Rookies & Stars. 2006 Leaf Rookies and Stars Longevity 030/199, Score 2010
Acquired: In Person 2016, Mighty Fine Burgers Battle of the Beast

Toughness defines Cedric Griffin- the UT defensive back who conquered personal odds, rose to prominence among DBUT, and then forged his career in the NFL with the Vikings and Redskins. A three year starter in the Longhorns secondary, Griffin was valued for his willingness to contribute on special teams and play any position in the secondary. Gifted with great speed, Cedric was a sure handed tackler who finished with 78 tackles in his Senior campaign.   He started 37 consecutive games for Texas, recording 267 tackles,  3 interceptions, 32 pass breakups, and 5 forced fumbles.

sco10 cgriffinCedric was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings with their second round pick of the 2006 draft. The Vikings preferred Cedric play corner- a position he appeared in 89 games for the Vikings. He recovered a fumble for a TD, and had a career high 82 tackles in 2007. After the 2011 season, he was allowed to sign via free agency with the Washington Redskins. He played one season with the team and retired after the 2012 season.

I had missed out on Cedric at the UT Neighborhood Bowling Tournament back in 2011, and then later again during the 2015 Memorial Day Flood, so I was determined to finally get his autograph this time around. I went with Shawn and his wife to the Mighty Fine event, and while we sweated it out until the final moments before the event began, it all worked out when Cedric strolled through the door. He kindly signed these 3 cards for me. I would’ve penned him on a 4th but I gave the Adrenalyn card to Shawn so that he had an extra item to get signed. A really nice signature encapsulated by the bronze color, Cedric told me he that it was a great change of pace and a lot of fun playing for the Redskins.

G/GS  89/72        TAC  350          SAC 0            FUM 3
INT 8         YDS  0           AVG 0.0          TD 0           LG 4