After I got Bruce a few years ago, I remember opening up a box searching for another player and saying, “uggggghhhh…”, After I realized that I had a beautiful Skybox card of him that I wanted to have him sign. I set it aside and waited patiently hoping he’d still be a good signer when the time would come around again.
As the pandemic set in, I started really developing and formalizing a lot of set needs. I used to like to just pick and choose action shots and pretty cards to send to players, but now I’ve become more directed, as all four of these sets became set needs after COVID came and supposedly went.
Harold Jackson played college ball at Jackson State from 1964-68.
Not only was a prolific WR, but also a speedy track man, setting a record 9.3 second 100 yard dash at the school.
Led the SWAC in receiving in both 1965 (46 catches for 612 yards and 11 TDs), and in 1966 (56 catches for 878 yards and 8 TDs).
12th round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1968.
After appearing in just 2 games his rookie season, was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Led the league in receiving yards in ’69 with 1,116.
In 1972, led the NFL in both catches (62) and yards (1,048).
Harold was traded back to the Rams in 1973 for Roman Gabriel.
On 40 catches, he had a league leading 13 TDs.
Was traded to the New England Patriots in 1978.
In 1979, posted 1,013 yards receiving and a career high 22.5 yards per reception.
Played briefly in 1982 for the Vikings, and rounded out career in ’83 with the Seahawks.
Suited up during the Players Strike in ’87 for the Patriots, but didn’t play.
Has a long and prolific coaching career at a variety of pro, semi-rpo and college levels, as a positional and head coach.
Among his pro stops were with the Patriots (85-89), New Orleans Night (1991), Bucs (1992-93), Saints (1997-99), Hartford Colonials (2011), and Sacramento Mountain Lions (2012).
In 2014, Harold served as head coach for his Alma Mater Jackson State from 2014-15.
ACCOLADES:
AP 1973
2nd Team AP 1972, ’77
Pro Bowl 1969, ’72-73, ’75, ’77
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
NOTES:
I’ve never had anyone personalize my cards in quotations- but okay.
Despite finishing near the top of the statistical receiving charts at the time of his career- spanning 3 eras from the 60s to the 80s, Harold has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Whether it’s a combination of the infamous logger jam at receiver, or the fact his stats just don’t stand out as much because it was during the dead ball era, Harold is still waiting to hear his name called.
It’s interesting, cracking down on Harold’s stats, that he has such a high yards per reception (17.9 on 579 catches), but his longest catch is just 79 yards.
Great cards- Always love the Topps 71 set. It’s classy, and it’s grown on me over the years specifically. It’s still a casual collect for me, but among Topps sets it’s one of my favorites.
CARD: Panini Contenders 2018 Rookie Ticket ACQUIRED: EBay, 2023 MEMORABILIA: Jordan Thomas’ Gloves ACQUIRED: In Person 2023, San Antonio Brahmas v Orlando Guardians
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Jordan Thomas played TE for Mississippi St from 2016-17.
In his Senior season he posted 22 receptions for 263 yards and 3 TDs.
At 6’5″, 277, Thomas made a massive target and the Texans, (who love drafting TEs), selecting him in the 6th round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
He started 10 games his rookie year, catching 20 passes for 215 yards and 4 TDs.
Jordan lost a lot of his 2019 to injury- and then got buried on the depth chart.
He signed with the Cardinals as a free agent in 2020 and caught a pass for a 3 yard TD.
He’d be claimed off of waivers by the Patriots that year during the season and waived just before the new year.
The Colts signed Thomas to a reserve contract and he’d be released in September of 2021.
In 2022, he signed a futures contract with the Lions and was released just a few months later.
In November of that year, Thomas joined up with the XFL as a draft choice of the Battlehawks.
He’d be cut in early 2023, but the Orlando Guardians quickly snatched him up.
Jordan was not short of highlights playing for the Guardians, and was a star for the team.
Jordan Thomas’ gloves
NOTES:
So I started talking to players as they got ready to hit the field. I recognized Jordan from his time with the Texans and pounded his shoulder pads and gave him words of encouragement. I told him I know he’s money and that he can kill it out there- just not against the Brahmas okay? He laughed at me and then hit the field.
On the first drive he was put in single coverage near the endzone. He caught the jump ball with ease, and as he lifted the ball into the air over the diminutive CB, two DBs attempted to jump and hit the ball out of Jordan’s giant hands. There was audible laughing at the DBs who failed to get anywhere near it. It was like King Kong was slapping down airplanes on top of the Empire State Building. It was great highlight film!
For the remainder of the game the Brahmas kept DB Kameron Kelly on Jordan and Kelly kept him relatively in check. They attempted to try the same play later in the game, but unfortunately there was a miscommunication between QB Dormandy and Jordan resulting in an incompletion.
The following week against his former team Jordan had another highlight worthy play against his former team- the Battlehawks. He caught an 84 yard catch and run on a fake punt for a TD. On the season he had 8 receptions for 148 yards and 3 TDs.
At half time during the game against the Guardians he laughed as he walked toward me and I yelled at him, “I want your gloves man!” He laughed. As the game ended in a Brahmas win, Jordan was one of the last players off the field. The kids were screaming and yelling, harassing players for anything. As Jordan approached they went into overdrive. He laughed again, and said, “I promised my man here for these gloves, took off the sweaty 3XXX gloves and handed the pair to me.
I totally blew it and forgot to pack his Texans card I had, so I went ahead and bought a certified card off of EBay. I hope to see him next year, though at the same time, I’d love to see him return back to the NFL.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
