CARD: Playoff Contenders 2000 European Ticket ACQUIRED: Future Considerations, 2020
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Antonio Banks played CB at Virginia Tech from 1993-’95.
A ballhawk, Banks posted 14 picks for 312 yards over his time playing for the Hokies, including 9 picks for 171 yards in 1996.
4th round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 1997.
Saw action in 24 contests over 3 seasons (’98-’00) primarily at S.
Played in the CFL in 1998 for the Blue Bombers.
Took two stints in the NFLE playing for the Admirals (’98), Galaxy (’00), and then back to the Admirals (’00-’01).
Had probably a CB NFLE single season, if not career positional record 5.5 sacks for Amsterdam in 2000.
Played in the CFL for the Alouettes (’02) and Blue Bombers (’03).
Has pursued coaching since retirement, taking his skills all over the world as an ambassador of the sport and back to America.
Coached for the Alphen Eagles (Netherlands, ’06), and then in Cairo (!!!) for the Bears (2016-’17), then back to the states working for IMG, and also as a Secondary Coach for the Generals of the USFL (2022-’23).
NOTES:
Antonio has really parlayed his NFL career into a literally well travelled coaching career. I mean Cairo- talking football? I know it was a big culture shock but still. That’s pretty impressive.
CARD: Wildcard World League 1992 ACQUIRED: EBay, 2023 FAILURE: TTM 2020, C/o Work
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Eddie Brown played WR at Iowa State where he racked up 27 catches for 562 yards and 5 TDs in 22 contests.
Undrafted he’d play in the CFL in 1990 and ’91 as an import player for the Stamps and the Rough Riders.
In 1992 he took his game to the Sacramento Surge of the World League, where he led the league in receiving and set records for yards in a season.
After the Surge won World Bowl II and the World League went on hiatus, Brown went right back to the CFL playing for the Argos that year but not seeing the field.
It was with the Esks that Eddie really found a home and hit his stride, playing with the team from 1993-’95.
He pounded out back to back 1000+ yard seasons, including a career high 1,378 yards and 15 TDs in ’93, and a career high 79 catches in ’94.
As part of the CFLUSA invasion in ’95, he’d split his time with the Memphis Mad Dogs and the Esks that year.
In ’96 he returned to Edmonton for another 2 year stint.
He’d return to form that season with another 70 cathces for 1,325 yards and 7 TDs.
He’d also go down in Grey Cup and CFL lore for making an incredible, juggling catch for a TD in a snow covered stadium during the ’96 contest.
After a small stint with the Alouettes in ’98, Eddie saw a renaissance of sorts playing out on the left coast with BC through ’99.
Downtown took his game to the Arena Football League, playing one year with the Iowa Barnstormers in 2000 catching 11 TDs on 39 receptions.
By the end of the year he was back in the CFL playing for Toronto.
A small hiatus in 2001, led him back to Renegades for his final season in 2002.
Infamously walked off during a game, frustrated with the team’s lack of focus on getting into the playoffs and never looked back.
Has been a positional coach in the Ottawa area for almost 10 years.
ACCOLADES:
All World League 1991
CFL All-Star 1996
CFL West All-Star 1996, ’99
NOTES:
I had been eyeballing this card for a few years on EBay and decided to lowball offer the seller. To my surprise he accepted- and Eddie Brown was soon to be mine. I’m not a big fan of ball point pen autographs but I can’t complain since the last time I sent to him I basically overpaid and flushed Canadian postage down the toilet.
Eddie ‘Downtown’ Brown, is not to be confused with Eddie ‘Touchdown’ Brown- former Arena football star and father to former NFL receiver Antonio Brown. He is also not to be confused with former Bengals WR Eddie ‘Downtown’ Brown either.
CARD: Topps XFL 2020 ACQUIRED: IP 2023, San Antonio Brahmas v Orlando Guardians
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Eli Rogers played WR for Louisville from 2011-14.
Consistent and dependable, Rogers never failed to catch less than 41 passes every year.
Over his 4 years with the school he posted 176 receptions for 2020 yards and 12 TDs.
He also moonlighted on punt returns, with 29 career returns for 248 yards.
He spent the entire 2015 campaign on IR with the Steelers after signing as an UDFA.
Earning the final (5th) WR spot with the Steelers that year, he ended up starting 8 games, recording 48 receptions for 594 yards and 3 TDs.
24 of his receptions went for first downs.
With an increasingly crowded WR room and an ACL injury, Rogers saw his playtime decrease over the next two seasons.
After being cut in August of 2019, he’d find his way to the XFL 2020 as a selection of the DC Defenders.
He’d catch 19 passes for 164 yards.
After bouncing around between the Montreal Alouettes (2021), and the Bandits (2022), Eli was a first round pick of the Orlando Guardians in 2023.
Despite the franchise’s early on QB woes, Eli posted 20 catches for 173 yards and a TD.
NOTES:
Eli was one of the first players out onto the field for the Guardians, as he serves as a return man for the Guardians. I moved to this really sweet spot that puts me in earshot of the players. I called out his name and he saw me with my card and pen and flashed a smile. After warm-ups finished and the players started returning to the locker rooms, Eli came over and signed his XFL 2020 card for me. We joked about how I was an OG fan of the XFL in 2020 and how the Defenders were fun to watch, before he kindly signed this card for me.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
