Earl Morrall is considered probably the best clutch backup QB of his generation -if not of all time. He played an undeniably long career in the league lasting some.. what 22 years? Although not considered for the HoF conversation, Morrall has been inducted into the ‘Hall of Very Good’. An excellent athlete, Morrall had also caught the eye of MLB playing SS in the College World Series for the Spartans, but opted to play football instead.
I had been eyeballing his autograph during the pandemic but thought it was too pricey. Once it hit about 10 bucks I pounced. It later got lost in the shuffle of incoming autographs and I had forgotten to scan it in.
ATT
CPD
YDS
PCT
TD
INT
RAT
LG
2689
1379
20809
51.3
161
148
74.1
98t
EPITAPH:
April 14th, 2014- Earl Morrall passed away at the age of 79 due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. It was later discovered he suffered from Grade 4 CTE.
Malcolm played OL at Miami, eventually transferring to UCLA for graduate studies.
After not being selected in the 2015 NFL Draft, he embarked on a series of stops with the Eagles (2015), Tiger-Cats (2017), Jaguars (2017), and Giants (2018).
Bunche got seasoning playing for an exceptionally good OL with the Arizona Hotshots of the AAF in 2019.
He had two more short stops with the Giants and Redskins immediately after that before closing out the year.
Bunche then played for the Washington Defenders of the XFL in 2020.
After a brief hiatus he played with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL 2023.
NOTES:
Malcolm was a nice grab that I picked up during the Purple Heart Event that the team was at in Boerne in April. I was wearing my AJ Tarpley jersey and my guy Kameron Kelly stopped me to admire it and take a photo with me. Malcolm came up to compliment me as he too was an AAF vet from his days with the Hotshots. When I produced his XFL card from my pile of stuff, he was duly impressed and gleefully signed it.
Ben Davidson stood out from the crowd (6’8″, 270) and was scouted in JC to come play football at Washington in 1959.
Amazingly, Ben didn’t really display an appetite before then for the sport, mainly enjoying basketball and track.
He played DT and TE for the Huskies in 59 and 60.
Was a 4th round pick of the New York Giants in 61, but was traded to the Packers before the season began.
In 1962, Davidson was traded again- this time to the Washington Redskins for a 5th rounder.
After a two year stint there, he’d be cut and joined the Oakland Raiders.
The rest would become history as Davidson etched himself in the annuls of NFL history as one of the league’s most feared and dominant defensive players at right defensive end.
1970 was arguably his best year, when he posted 11.5 sacks.
After the 1972 season, Ben briefly retired and began to dabble in acting.
Returned to football in 1974 for a final season with the Portland Storm of the WFL.
ACCOLADES:
Pro Bowl 1966-’68
All-Pro 1967
NOTES:
You…
– Ben Davidson (as Rexar) Conan the Barbarian
Ben Davidson didn’t have very many impactful or quotable lines in movies, but this by far, was one of the best of the entire film, Conan the Barbarian. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as the titular Conan- a barbarian bent on learning the Riddle of Steel, while consumed by lifelong revenge for the murder of his people.
During this scene Conan wrecks havoc on an orgy of evil people and just as he reaches the top of the amphitheater and begins his assault Rexar, played by Ben comes in and sees Conan. Instead of screaming, “YOU!”, He softly states…, “You..” Which just had so much impact when combined with Arnold’s powerful flex with the sword right afterwards. It’s an extremely effective scene.
TAC
SAC
FUM
INT
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
N/a
64.5
2
0
0
-.-
0
-.-
* Note that all stats were not tracked by the NFL during Hendrick’s playing era.
EPITAPH: Ben passed away of prostate cancer in 2012 at the age of 72.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
