Tag Archives: new orleans saints

NFL

Cox, Bryan

Cards: Score Supplemental 1991
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o The Miami Dolphins
Sent:  9/2/11  Received: 1/11/12  (131 days)*
*Forwarded from old address.

Powerful. Intimidating. Ahead of his time. That’s the best way I can describe the fearsome caveman, Bryan Cox who played linebacker for the Miami Dolphins. He was a guy who used the word HATE to describe how he felt about other teams and had no problem expressing his lack of respect thereof for his opponent to the media. An unrelenting force in the final years of Don Shula, Bryan Cox’s mouth and presence on the field was contrary to the no nonsense workmanlike attitude of Dolphins teams of the past, and he really foreshadowed a few years there that aggression and smack talking became more and more prominent in the league.

An All-America 1st team recipient in 1990, Cox was drafted in the 5th round of the 1990 draft by the Dolphins. With aggressive tackling, blitzing and special teams play, he blocked 5 kicks in his final season at Western Illinois for the Leathernecks.  A fearsome hitter, he quickly asserted himself, starting 13 contests at right outside linebacker for the Dolphins recording 61 tackles and  2 sacks that rookie season. In 1991 Bryan recorded a career high 14 sacks, 127 tackles and his first career interception earning AP Honors for his efforts.  In 1993, the team moved him to right linebacker, and while the name was only a subtle change, Bryan was utilized differently in coverage. He’d make 122 tackles and 5 sacks and force 4 fumbles. Bryan returned to his ProBowl form in 1994 after he moved to middle linebacker.  He’d again see a return to the ProBowl in 1995, earning 7.5 sacks that season. He’d would depart via free agency to Chicago for 1995.

Two uneventful years playing for the Bears passed and Cox returned to terrorize the AFC East- this time for the Jets, playing both RILB and LILB for them over 3 seasons, recording his first career pick for a touchdown, 3 FR and 12 sacks.  He’d again move in 2001 to play for the Patriots, winning the SuperBowl at the end of the season. Cox then played one final season for the Saints in 2002 retiring at season’s end.

After doing a bit of commentary, Bryan has gone into coaching since his playing days. He has spent his time working for the Jets, Browns, and now the Dolphins as their pass rush specialist, where I got his autograph on a card in a bit over 4 months. I was a tad disappointed in this one since he signed 1 of 3 cards, but you can not look a gift horse in the mouth, and I was more than happy to add this fearsome linebacker to my collection.

G/Gs 165/145     Tac 764     Sac  51.5       Fum  22     Int  4   Yds  65   Avg  16.3     Td 1   Lg 27

NFL

Wattelet, Frank

Card: Top Notch School of the Legends 2011-12
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 12/14  Received: 12/24 (10 days)

Frank is a really cool player that I met through School of the Legends. After talking with him for a bit, it hit me to send him a card of his. I thought,  “Maybe he had a Topps card floating around somehwere,” but surprisingly Frank did not,(-outside of a McDonald’s oversize Happy Meal card from 1985,) so I set out to make one for him.

Embracing the SotL brand look, I gave the card a nice background featuring the city and added a vignette of a shield for his action shot to be composed in. After receiving multiple photos from him to work with, I had Frank’s helmet pop from the top of the shield to give the card more depth. I also used various color adjustment layers and other Photoshop and Illustrator techniques to bring it all together and complete out the card.  Frank got his card from me and was stoked, since he had never had a card before. He asked me for my address and popped a few in the mail for me. They came in right before the new year which made it all the more nice.

A headhunting Safety out of Kansas who played alongside speedster Leroy Irvin, Frank Wattelet was not drafted coming out of the 1981 draft, signing with the New Orleans Saints, who had just hired former Houston Oiler Bum Phillips as head coach.  Wattelet stepped into the lineup in 1981 and started 3 games, but played primarily on special teams. Still he’d manage to rake in 3 picks. In 1982 his true home would be found at Free Safety starting beside Dave Waymer in 9 games and making a fumble recovery.  In 1984 he’d return a pick and a fumble in consecutive weeks for touchdowns- A team mark for the Saints. As the upback in the Saints special teams set, he’d also occasionally see a few fakes come his way completing 1 pass for 14 yards against the Colts in 1986, and 42 yards in 1985 on 2 scampers.  Considered one of the Saints best free agent finds, Wattelet would play for the Saints from 1981-1987 starting 78 contests.  Frank was reunited with Leroy Irvin (from his days on the Jayhawks) on the Rams in 1987, and retired following the 1988 season.  Still an avid football fan, Frank lives with his family in Joplin, Mo where he cheers on the Jayhawks- win or lose each week, beside the Saints.

G/Gs 98/78      Tac  N/a      Sac  1.0     Fum 10   Int 12   Yds 135     Avg 11.3    Td  1     Lg 35

 

NFL, University of Texas

Erxleben, Russell


 

Card: UT Upper Deck 2011, UT Upper Deck 2011 AA
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 11/30   Received: 12/10  (10 days)

Russell Erxleben was an amazing kicker and punter in college for the University of Texas kicking an NCAA record 67 yard field goal in 1977.  He’d be named All American 1976-1978 and also set a Texas single season record, averaging 46.6 yards a punt.  After graduating from UT, the New Orleans Saints made Russell their #1 pick in 1979 where he’d play double duty again as a punter and kicker. Oddly the team utilized him sparingly as a kicker over his career but he averaged a bit over 40 yards a punt in his 5 seasons with the Saints punting 279 times, including a club record 89 in 1980. In 1982 Erxleben had a career high 43.0 yard average on 46 punts. He’d be cut in 1983, and play as a scab in 1987 on the Lions for one contest, but subsequently retire after the season.

Unfortunately Russell’s name has never been able to shake his lofty draft status, since he was the second highest drafted kicker in NFL history. Erxleben was also convicted of securities fraud in 1999, and but was released in 2005. He currently is retired and living near Dripping Springs, Texas, and enjoys watching his son follow in his footsteps as a kicking specialist with- Texas Tech.

Somebody was cutting corners on these cards with that weak blur in the background of Erxleben’s set card. Didn’t you guys learn how to make proper masks in Photoshop? As far as autographs go, Russell has a fairly pedestrian one, as it lacks the boldness of an autograph but belies the subtlety of a signature. I rubbed the film significantly on the surface of the card so that it could take the autograph better, and it appears for the most part that it worked as there is only a little ink loss from the bubbling. Erxleben makes the first TTM success from the UT Upper Deck 2011 set, signing these 2 cards in 10 days. I look forward to many more in the future and this is a great way to get fans interested and aligned with particular college interests.