Tag Archives: New York Jets

NFL, ufl

Bing, Darnell

Card: Topps Total 2006
Acquired: Texans Blitz 2010

A physical specimen, Bing declared early and entered the draft and was picked by the Raiders in the 4th round of the 2006 draft. Rex Ryan was confident he could find a place for Bing, but Darnell proved to be a difficult tweener to place because  as an in-line safety  he lacked the hip fluidity to play deep routes. Ryan however felt that they could utilize the athlete at outside linebacker and he was transitioned into the position.  After injuring his neck in 2006, he’d lose his season to injured reserve. Bing would be moved back to his native safety position for 2007 but be cut by the Raiders. He’d be picked up off of waivers by the 49ers and ended the season on the practice squad. In 2008 Bing would be signed by the Jets and subsequently released. The Lions would sign Bing, who once again thought that Darnell was a linebacker, where he’d would make 5 tackles on the active roster of the Lions. He’d be cut during the 2009 season. Signed by the Texans in 2009, he spent the next season on the practice squad. An injury during training camp would end his 2010, and in early 2011 he was cut again and is currently a free agent. A physically chiseled athlete, the knock on Darnell is that he looked like Tarzan but hits like Jane. Perhaps a year or two in the UFL will help him refine his skills but at this time his current plans are not known.

-UPDATE- 4/26/11 What a call. The UFL announced their ‘protected player list’- (which amounts to a supplemental draft of veterans from the NFL who were cut from squads that the teams want) and Bing was among the names selected by the Omaha Nighthawks today.

NFL, WLAF

Marrone, Doug


Card: Pro Set WLAF 1991
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Syracuse University
Sent: 3/21   Received: 4/8   (18 days)

Doug Marrone, (6’5″, 269,) was a powerful drive blocking center for the Syracuse Orangemen who was prized for his versatility at playing any position on the line. At Syracuse he was a 3 year starter at tackle and was named co-offensive player of the Cherry Bowl in 1985.

Doug would be drafted in the 6th round of the 1986 draft by the then Los Angeles Raiders but would end up on the roster of the Miami Dolphins by 1987 playing in 4 games that season. In 1989 Doug would sign with the New Orleans Saints and play in one game that year.


In 1991 the WLAF would come calling, and the London Monarchs would draft Marrone in the 3rd round of the positional draft, where at this point he had bulked up to 302. The offense of the Monarchs would roll up huge numbers, and it would be partially because of Doug’s performance now at center, as the team only allowed 10 sacks in 10 games. At the conclusion of the inaugural season Doug would be named to the All-World League first team and also win World Bowl I.   He’d return to the WLAF for 1992 but would be unseated for WLAF All world honors (by John Vitale, SA). After the numbers of the 1992 season failed to improve enough for the owners of the NFL, the league decided to reorganize.

Doug would hop into coaching coaching a variety of positions along the line starting at tight end with Cortland State in 1992. He’d then spend a season a piece at the United States Coast Guard Academy and Northeastern coaching offensive line. In 1995 Marrone would be hired to coach at Georgia Tech where he’d stay through 1999.  This was followed by 2 more stints at Georgia (2000) and Tennessee (2001). Doug would receive valuable pro coaching experience, heading over to coach the line for the New York Jets, and then landing the offensive coordinator position in New Orleans in 2006.  In 2008, Marrone would come full circle and was named head coach of his alma mater Syracuse. After a rough start in 2009, the Orangemen would rebound under his guidance finishing with an 8-5 record in 2010, and a victory in the Pinstripe  Bowl.

It is always a pleasure to get a former WLAFer back and Doug was a real class act, sending me his autograph in 18 days, in a Syracuse envelope, returning my SASE, and thanking me for remembering him and allowing him to catch up with where many of his former London Monarch teammates were at.

NFL

Miano, Richard “Rich”

Card: Score Supplemental 1991
Acquired: In Person 1992, Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp

Richard “Rich”  Miano is a great story. Originally a walk on at Hawaii, Miano would end up becoming an All WAC defensive back for the Rainbow Warriors. Upon graduation in 1985 the New York Jets would draft Miano in the 6th round.

He’d end up starting one game a piece in his rookie season and his sophomore seasons winding up with 2 interceptions and 60 tackles providing valuable depth to the Jets secondary. Over 1987 and 88, Miano would be entrusted with the starting assignment at strong safety, making 5 interceptions  and 112 tackles, before being sidelined for nearly 2 seasons with a catastrophic injury in 1989. Losing his 1990 as well, Miano was exposed Plan B by the Jets at season’s end, thinking they could either sneak him through free agency or that he was done, but the Eagles opportunistically snapped him up. He’d work his way slowly into the lineup over 1991 making 3 interceptions, starting 1 game.  By 1992 Rich would become the defacto starter at strong safety for the Eagles, starting 11 games and making a career high 125 tackles. Granted the starting assignment again in 1993 Rich would start 14 more games and intercept a career high 4 passes at free safety, while making 104 tackles. As injuries piled up after the season, Miano would not see any signifigant starting time in the next two seasons finishing his 1995 as a member of the Atlanta Falcons. After retirement, Miano would return to his Alma Mater of Hawaii where he is an assistant coach for the Warriors.

I got Rich’s autograph at Philadelphia Eagles training camp that summer in West Chester. I remember the team had to run gassers because head coach Richie Kotite did not approve of the amount of fighting that was going on between teammates that day but I still managed to get a few autographs.

I felt like the Score Supplemental 1991 set was bloated, especially after the great success of Score Supplemental 1990. There were not as many impact rookies as there were the previous season, and seeding the lot with not exactly household names – like Rich, didn’t help either. As mentioned on a previous post, Score just got uglier and uglier for a while there during the 1990s.

G/Gs 135/57    Tac 525     Sac  0.5       Fum  3      Int   15    Yds  128    Avg  8.5    Td   0    Lg  39