Tag Archives: New England Patriots

NFL

Millen, Hugh

Cards: GameDay 1992, ProSet 1991
Acquired: TTM 1992, Patriots Blitz, In Person 1993, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

Hugh was a veteran journeyman whose best years as a quarterback came playing for the New England Patriots for Dick MacPherson during the early 90s. Millen was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams out of Washington in the 3rd round of the 1986 draft. After breaking his ankle in training camp he became an unlucky casualty of the Jim Everett trade the next season. For the next two seasons, Millen would back up oft injured Chris Miller in Atlanta, starting 3 games and picking up some garbage time. Heading Plan B to New England in 1991 and 1992, he’d share time with Tom Hodson and Scott Zolak as starting quarterback of the team. His most notable game was when the team upset the Oilers on the weekend of ‘Babygate’ throwing to Greg McMurtry in the final minutes of the game. With the team’s collapse again in 1993, Millen would be traded to the Cowboys and the Patriots would select Drew Bledsoe.  He wouldn’t play in a game, but would sign my Game Day card in camp that season- as he would be released with the signing of Bernie Kosar. With Aikman, Kosar, and Jason Garrett, Hugh was once again expendable and would sign with the Dolphins. In 1994, Hugh would sign with the Denver Broncos where he’d finish out his career over the next two seasons backing up John Elway. For the 1996 season he’d sign with the New Orleans Saints but would not make the roster of the team and retire. He currently lives in Washington.

GameDay really had a nice card set when they came out in 1992. Its unique design coupled with innovative Photoshop masks to desaturate the background,  leave the players firmly in the focus of the image. Well tracked type, does not cloud the picture plane and helps activate the white space outside of the image area. When I got signatures on GameDay cards it was because most of them had a certain “whoa” factor that really caught my eye.

G/Gs  40/25      Att 928     Comp 560     Yds 6440    Pct 60.3      Td 22    Int 35     Rat  73.5

NFL

Davis, Andre

Card: Score 2008
Acquired: TTM 2009, Texans Blitz

Andre Davis was a second round draft choice of the Cleveland Browns that came off the board after the Texans took Jabar Gaffney in 2002. Davis would play for the Browns from 2002-2004. In his rookie season, Davis would serve primarily as a returner, and log 1000+ yards on kick returns, scoring a touchdown ironically against Houston that season.  He’d finish with 1500+ yards from scrimmage that season. His sophomore season would be roughly more of the same in 2003, logging roughly 1400 yards. Blessed with lightning fast speed, Davis would notably make a 99 yard touchdown grab against the Bengals in 2004 starting 7 games at wide receiver, but not make any returns. After the season he’d bounce around but end up on New England’s roster in 2005 and Buffalo in 2006. Signed primarily for depth, these two seasons would be a wash and Davis would drift more towards the fringe.

However 2007 would see the  return of Davis, as the Houston Texans signed him in the offseason in 2007. With injuries plaguing go to receiver Andre Johnson– Davis would step into the starting line up for the team and perform surprisingly well. He’d log 583 yards receiving for the Texans and 3 touchdowns.  He’d also replace troubled and oft injured Robert Mathis at returner. Davis would be incredibly dangerous at kick returner averaging 30.3 yards a return (top 35 all time) on 32 returns. He’d also log 3 touchdowns (a league high) including two against the Jaguars that season but would miss the Pro Bowl roster. 2008 would result in Davis logging another 1200 yards from scrimmage and his always dangerous return skills would help the Texans make good field position throughout the season but injuries would begin to take their wear and tear on the receiver. In 2009 Davis would have another 782 yards from scrimmage for the Texans, but by 2010 he spent the whole season on the shelf due to a hip pointer which could be career ending. Over his career Davis has over 7,000 yards from scrimmage in 9 seasons. In early March 2011, Andre would be released by the Texans and it remains to be seen if he will return to the league.

G/Gs  104/33        Rec 156      Yds 2470      Avg  15.8      Td 17      Lg 99t  |
Kr 205      Yds 4821    Avg   23.5       Td 4         Lg 104t |
Pr  8           Yds  40       Avg   5.0          Td 0         Lg 15 |

NFL

Armstrong, Bruce


Card: ProSet 1991
Acquired: TTM 1992, Patriots Blitz

Bruce Armstrong is a dominant offensive lineman who still has not received his due for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As the Patriots #1 pick in 1987, Bruce anchored the tackle position for the Patsies for 14 seasons earning 6 Pro Bowl nominations and starting 212 games. He is the Hew England Patriots all-time leader in games started.

Highly durable but considered (6-4, 295) undersized to play tackle, Armstrong made up for it with his speed, balance, and hands. He played right tackle for the first 44 games of his career before moving over to left tackle for the remainder of his time in New England.  A career threatening injury ended his 1992 season prematurely, but Bruce surprised even the doctors when he came back from injury the next season.  He is one of three players in the history of the league to play in three decades for the same team, playing his entire 14 season career for the Patriots. Since retirement, Armstrong has been inducted into the Patriots’ Hall of Fame, and has opened a salon with his wife.