Tag Archives: New England Patriots

NFL

Vrabel, Mike

ud081st vrabel

Card: Upper Deck 2006  First Edition
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o The Houston Texans
Sent: 10/13          Received: 10/21              (8 days)

Mike Vrabel was a 3rd round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Ohio State in 1997, where he played primarily on special teams and as a backup linebacker. He joined the Patriots in 2001 and became a key contributor to New England’s underrated defense starting at left linebacker. He’d also see time at ROLB and RILB.  Vrabel earned an AP and Pro Bowl nomination for his 2007 season when he made a career high 12.5 sacks, 55 tackles, and 4 forced fumbles.  He played his final two seasons in 2009 and 2010 for the Kansas City Chiefs. Mike also moonlighted as a tight end for the Patriots and Kansas City in goal line situations catching 14 passes for 10 touchdowns.

In 2011, Mike returned to his Alma Mater Ohio State where he was hired as their linebackers coach. He served in 2012 and 2013 as the Buckeyes defensive line coach.  When Bill O’Brien became head coach of the Houston Texans in 2014, Vrabel moved in to serve as the team’s linebackers coach. He received a lot of exposure in 2015 on HBO’s Hard Knocks shaping the team’s chippy middle four, and turned Whitney Mercilus into a double digit sack threat by the end of the season. After the 2015 campaign, the San Fransisco 49ers offered Vrabel their defensive coordinator position, but he declined the offer and remains on the Texans staff for the 2016 season.

G/Gs 206/140    Tac 740      Sac  57.0       Fum  19
Int 11      Yds  73       Avg 7.3       Td 1        Lg 24t
Rec 14      Yds 10      Avg 1.4      Td  10      Lg 2t

NFL

Glenn, Terry (1974-2017)

pp96 tglennCard: Playoff 1996
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o The Texas Revolution
Sent: 6/4     Received: 10/9    (126 days)

Really the credit for this success should go to Brett Reece Jr, who played for the Revolution in 2015. He brokered a deal with me for a few more custom cards of his, and in return he offered help in acquiring his offensive coordinator, Terry Glenn.

Terry Glenn is a Bill Parcells guy. The highest rated receiver taken off the board at the #7 spot by the New England Patriots. He immediately paid dividends catching passes from Drew Bledsoe and racking up a then rookie record 90 receptions, for 1,132 yards and 6TDs. Although the team reached Super Bowl XXXI, they lost to Brett Favre and the Packers 35-21. After the season, Parcells departed for greener pastures as Bill Belichick took the helm. Although Terry was still counted on to be the team’s primary receiver, his numbers became erratic. Still he recorded a career high 1,147 yards in 1999. During that period he’d also catch young Tom Brady’s first TD pass. After an injury riddled 2001 campaign, Terry was traded to the Packers for the small price of 2 4th round picks. Although he put up a respectable 817 yards receiving, Glenn found himself traded again, the the Dallas Cowboys in 2003.

Dallas at the time was a team in search of an identity. The 90’s dynasty was dead and the team was going through a transition with a familiar face in head coach Bill Parcells.   Familiar faces in the wide receiver corps were Antonio Bryant and Joey Galloway, while Tony Romo was barely scraping by as a 3rd stringer behind guys like Quincy Carter, Chad Hutchinson, and Drew Henson. Terry played for the Cowboys over the next six seasons, recording in both 2005 and 2006 1,000+ yards receiving. Injury concerns surfaced in 2007, and his knee kept him sidelined for the whole year. He’d be cut in 2008 due to medical concerns, and retired shortly thereafter.

G/GS 137/127    Rec 593    Yds 8823      Avg 14.9     Td 44   Lg 86t

UPDATE 11/20/17– Terry Glenn died of a car crash early Monday morning in Irving, Tx. Details of the crash were not released. He was only 43 years old.

NFL

Branch, Alan

UD08p BranchCard: Upper Deck 2007 (43/99)
Acquired: 2014, Target Autographed Memorabilia

A dominating run defender in college for the Wolverines, that clocked in at a space eating 6’6″, 325, -Alan Branch was a second round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2007.  Coveted for his positional flexibility, Branch could play defensive tackle, nose, or defensive end (in a 3-4 alignment). In 35 games for Michigan, Alan had 56 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, a pick and 3 forced fumbles.

Branch had trouble cracking the Cardinals starting lineup, and did not see very much starting time until his final season with the team in 2010. During that year, Alan started 3 games and posted 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 27 tackles. In 2011, Alan signed with the Seattle Seahawks, and moved into the starting rotation for the squad.  His stop with the team yielded his best 2 seasons of his career, as he posted 4 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 37 tackles, for Seattle as a defensive tackle. He’d sign a contract with the Bills and kick out to defensive end, collecting 21 tackles in 13 starts. He re-upped with the team for 2014 but was arrested for DUI. As many teams in the NFL have taken a very hard line approach to any transgressions, the Bills immediately cut Branch. Alan found a home with the New England Patriots later that year and looks to assume a greater role in the defense in 2015 with the departure of Vince Wolfork.