Tag Archives: New York Giants

AAF, NFL

Lewis, Tim

Card: Topps AAF 2019
Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o The St. Louis Battlehawks
Sent: 2/18 Received: 2/29 (11 days)
Failure: TTM 2019, C/o Home

Tim Lewis was an imposing defensive back out of Pittsburgh. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers with their 1st round pick in 1983. Lewis’ career was off to an incredible start. He started just 7 games in his rookie year at right corner, but recorded 5 interceptions for 111 yards while forcing 3 fumbles. In 1984 Tim returned a pick 99 yards for a TD, en route to adding 7 more interceptions on his resume, and 4 more the following year in 1985. It’d be then that Lewis’ football playing career came to an end during 1986, when he suffered a terrible neck injury against the Bears.

In 1987, Tim went into coaching, first at Texas A&M, then later at SMU, Pitt and then back into the pro ranks with the Steelers in 1995. He was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2000 with Pittsburgh, then joined the Giants in that same capacity from 2004-2006. Since that time, he saw stops with the Panthers, Seahawks, Falcons, and 49ers.

2019 was an interesting year in football. With the Alliance of American Football on the radar, Tim took the coaching reins of the Birmingham Iron. They’d finish 5-3, as only the second team to clench a playoff berth in the short lifespan of the AAF. The team very much reflected Tim’s style with a smash mouth defense that begrudgingly gave up yards.

Unable to get his autograph through his home address, I sent this card to the Battlehawks where he was coaching the defensive backs of that solid squad, before COVID wiped out the XFL in 2020.

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51/42N/A0.03
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1626616.6199T
AAF, CFL, NFL

Hunt, Akeem

Cards: Topps AAF 2019 Certified
Acquired: EBay, 2019

A quick and shifty runningback, Akeem Hunt played college ball for the Boilermakers of Purdue from 2011 to 2014. In both his Freshman and Sophomore years Akeem averaged over a gaudy 8 yards per carry, while being utilized on kick returns. His playing time grew over his Junior and Senior campaigns, and in 2014 he finished with 1242 yards from scrimmage and 8 TDs.

A free agent signee of the Houston Texans after not latching on with either the Giants or Ravens, I was very impressed by Akeem. He started one contest his rookie year in 2015 and ran for 96 yards on 17 carries over the course of the season. He spent 2016 there as well before being signed by the Chiefs in 2017. The Chiefs used Akeem primarily as a kick returner. He had 611 yards on 25 kicks but did score his first professional rushing touchdown.

After being released with an injury settlement by the Chiefs, Akeem was in training camp with the Titans but didn’t make the squad. He then joined the Alliance of American Football for 2019. I felt the signing was a quality one- being familiar with his work on the Texans. he immediately became my favorite Orlando Apollo, and I pined for his autograph on his cards.

Hunt bolted out of the gate for the Apollos and led the league in rushing after the first week with 73 yards on 10 carries.

Being a part of a team that loves to win as you can see and just being a part of a team that has a great coaching staff that loves to put points on the board and just to drive up the enthusiasm of all our players and the motivation that goes in that people don’t see or the fans don’t see through our practice or whatnot—all the people coming together just to build this league, it speaks volumes for everybody that’s on the playing field that has so much passion for the game.

-Akeem Hunt on his early success in the AAF

On the season, Akeem finished with 37 carries for 185 yards and a TD., to go along with 5 catches for 49 yards in 7 games (2 starts).

During the hotly contested San Antonio Commanders versus the Orlando Apollos matchup, fans around me erroneously identified Akeem Hunt as Kareem Hunt- (the former Chiefs player who was suspended from the NFL for beating his girlfriend). Thankfully before anything could happen, I updated the fans on the difference between the two.

In early December of 2019, Akeem signed with the Ottawa Redblacks of the CFL- but the league suspended operations early in 2020 due to COVID issues.

NFL, XFL

Williams, Andre

Cards: Topps Valor 2014, Topps 2014 Chrome, Leaf Draft 2013, Topps Valor 2014 Strength, Topps Fire 2014, Topps Flashback 85 Chrome 2014
Acquired: IP 2020, Houston Roughnecks/ Tampa Bay Vipers Scrimmage, Houston Roughnecks Season Ticket Holders Party

Andre Williams quietly put himself together quite a ledger while playing his college ball for Boston College from 2010-2013. During his Senior year he ran 355 times for 2,177 yards and 18 TDs, earning the Doak Walker award for his efforts in 2013. He was also a unanimous All-American. Williams parlayed his efforts into a 4th round selection by the New York Giants.

Andre had a solid rookie year with 721 yards and 7 rushing TDs, including a 131 yard effort against the Titans. Surprisingly after a poor performance in 2015, Andre was released by the team. He’d earn his way onto the starting roster with the Chargers in 2016, running for 87 yards in the season finale. He’d see sparse playing time for the team in 2017 on and off the practice squad and then as an injury casualty to end the season.

Williams was selected in the 9th round of the XFL player draft by the Houston Roughnecks in 2020. The Roughnecks under head coach June Jones exclusively ran the Run N Shoot offense, so there was just one back in the backfield. Andre split time in the backfield with James Butler. In 5 contests, Andre rushed 23 times for 92 yards. It’s a shame that the XFL ended when it did, as Williams had his best game in the finale against Seattle, rushing 10 times for 54 yards in the Roughnecks 32-23 win.

With a lot of Run N Shoot style backs available to the Roughnecks in the XFL Draft, I was surprised the Roughnecks selected Williams. Nonetheless I snuck him onto my XFL fantasy squad, figuring that he’d eventually he’d see the lion’s share of carries.

Andre had a stack of great cards that were produced in a very short period of time. He’s got a pretty solid graph too, with some nice loops and a strong hook on the S at the end. I really liked his Topps Valor cards. They really pulled out all the punches at the end on that set, and artistically it has a lot of merit.

The first time I got Andre’s autograph, Lance and I caught him as he was leaving the field after the Vipers scrimmage. He was very nice, and graciously signed a stack of card for me. At the end of our conversation, he blessed me- which made me respond accordingly and thank him for his time.

I think I just had one more card of him left for the Roughnecks Season Ticket Holder event the weekend before the first game. He was interviewed by the FOX Sports team and as he left the stage signed this final card for me.