Tag Archives: Minnesota Vikings

NFL

Harris, Anthony

sage14 aharrisCard: Sage Authentic 2014 (#24/30)
Acquired: 2014, Twitter Promotion

Anthony Harris piled up some serious numbers while playing free safety for the University of Virginia. In 2013 he had 80 total tackles, 6 passes defensed, and led the nation with 8 interceptions.  Harris started 35 games  for the Cavaliers, recorded 145 tackles, 2 sacks, 19 passes defensed, 11 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. Suprisingly, he went undrafted in the 2015 NFL draft Later he signed a free agent contract with the Minnesota Vikings.

The second card given to me as part of winning a Sage Twitter Promotion, this Authentic Autograph card is actually a pretty nice piece.  It was an afterthought in getting an authentic Todd Gurley, but he’s starting to make noise in Minnesota. He made the Practice Squad and in December was elevated to the 53 man roster.  Harris started the final 2 games of the season, and recorded 14 combined tackles, and 2 passes defensed on the season.

NFL

Smith, Rodney (WR)

leaf12 rsmithCard: Leaf Draft 2013
Acquired: 2013, Box Breaker

Rodney Smith was an intriguing prospect coming into the 2013 draft. On paper he has many of the athletic tangibles that many teams desire of their prospects at wide receiver, clocking in at 6’5″, with long arms (84″ wingspan) , and a decent 40 at 4.51.
Still the knock on Smith was his lack of production at the college level, and his inability to outmuscle competition at the line of scrimmage (225 lb), especially in press coverage. This comes as quite a mixed bag as he has also been hailed for his aggressive blocking, and his production numbers didn’t really gel until his junior and senior seasons. It is thought that he needs at least another season to develop and put on the bulk that he needs to compete at the pro level and may see a conversion to tight end in the future.

Smith seemed to have fallen into good hands, being reunited with his college quarterback Christian Ponder on the Vikings, after going undrafted in the 2013.  He’d hang onto the practice roster through October of 2014, and after being released,  quickly be signed by the Browns, only to be cut in August of 2015.

Rodney is currently a member of the  Dallas Cowboys practice squad.

NFL, WLAF

Lynn, Mike (1936-2012)

pset91_mlynnCard: ProSet 1991 WLAF insert
Acquired: 2016,  EBay
Failure: TTM 2012, C/o Home

Mike Lynn had passed literally within a few days of me sending him a request for an autograph. I received back my letter with the card unsigned with a note stating that he had passed away shortly thereafter. It took me some 4 years to track down this card on EBay. It is hard to imagine why anyone would forge this autograph, being that Lynn was not an in demand player, so I am fairly safe to assume that this autograph is probably authentic.

Mike Lynn was a member of the NFL Board that oversaw the WLAF when it first got off the ground.  He took over as President/CEO from Tex Schramm in 1990 and served as a de facto commissioner of sorts (parallel to what Paul Tagliabue was in the NFL) through the 1991 season. Lynn presided over the league during the first WLAF Draft, and subsequent season. Initially there was much buzz surrounding the league, and there was a gentle understanding from the NFL that it was going to take time to grow the fanbase and talent pool.  After the first broadcast games, things seemed good. There were even press releases touting that the league was going to expand by possibly 2-4 teams after the season, but like with many leagues there were growing pains to be encountered. The WLAF’s luster wore off quickly, as the league’s attendance levels and TV ratings slid. Internally the NFL’s 26 owners and the WLAF’s chief funder, expected a quicker turn around on profit.  Lynn did a good job riding out the quiet storm and kept the WLAF ship steady through the full season. A month after World Bowl I, Mike resigned to focus more on the internal power struggle that was occurring within the Minnesota Vikings.

Lynn is recognized by longtime Vikings fans as the General Manager and trading partner that was fleeced by the Cowboys during the Herschel Walker trade.  Believing that the Vikings were merely a blue chip runningback away from winning the SuperBowl, he sent a bevvy of picks and players to Dallas in 1990 for Walker. While Walker didn’t pan out the way the Vikings hoped, the Cowboys used the ammo acquired from the trade to propel them into the Super Bowl spotlight for roughly the next 10 years. It is unfortunate that Lynn is remembered for the Walker trade, when he was such an influential and intelligent power broker and sports negotiator, which included putting down an internal revolt in the Vikings power structure by buying out feuding owners shares.

Lynn had retired from the power structure of the Vikings in 1992 and lived quietly in Memphis before he passed away in 2012.