Tag Archives: nfl 1990’s all decade team

NFL

Matthews, Bruce (2)

CARD: Fleer 1990
ACQUIRED: eBay, 2025

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

I figured since Bruce doesn’t sign TTM that going ahead and securing a set need via eBay was in order. Since I started back up in 2010, I’ve been kicking myself because the only time he did sign for free last I looked was back in 2014/5. Nothing since.

Bruce remains one of the few original holdouts and believes that the Oilers logo, team name and history should be returned to the city of H-Town. The Texans have acknowledged this and have tapped him to do a few voiceovers and promos for the team.

College Football HoF, NFL

Bennett, Cornelius

CARDS: Action Packed 1990, Action Packed Rookies 1991, Gameday 1992
ACQUIRED: Paid Signing, 2020

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Cornelius Bennett was a well decorated LB who played college ball at Alabama from 1984-’86.
  • Bennett recorded 287 tackles, 21.5 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries for the Tide.
  • Considered a part of one of the finest LB classes in 1987, Bennett was selected in the first round by the Indianapolis Colts.
  • Unable to come to a contract agreement with the Colts, he became embroiled in one of the NFL’s largest trades- as part of the Eric Dickerson trade.
  • In short with a slew of picks and players, Bennett would go to the Rams, Dickerson to the Colts, Greg Bell to the Rams, and Bennett to the Bills.
  • Cornelius’ impact was felt almost immediately for the Bills at the LOLB position.
  • He had 8.5 sacks, 5 FF, and 69 tackles in 8 contests.
  • His best season arguably came in 1991, with 107 tackles, 4 FF and 9 sacks- garnering him defensive player of the year attention.
  • Bennett tried his hand at RILB in 1995- recording a 65 yard interception for a TD against New England.
  • In 1996, Cornelius took his game back to his home state of Alabama playing for the Falcons at LLB.
  • He’d play there through 1998, helping them reach the Super Bowl.
  • Ironically he’d then play the final two years of his career for the Colts and retire after the 2000 season.

ACCOLADES:

  • College Football Hall of Fame
  • Lombardi Award
  • Bills 50th Anniversary Team
  • NFL 1990s All Decade Time
  • All Pro 1988, ’91, ’92
  • Pro Bowl 1988, 1990-’93

NOTES:

Cornelius doesn’t sign TTM so I just went ahead and did a paid signing for him. At the time it knocked out my set needs, but now looking back I probably needed him on a few more sets. Cornelius has agreed to donate his brain to science after his death to study for CTE.

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Arena, NFL

Boselli, Tony

udmvp02 tboselliCards: Upper Deck 2002 MVP, Upper Deck Inaugural Houston Texans 2002
Acquired: 2012, C/o Home
Sent:   3/25/2012      Received: 7/28/16  (1586 days)

Wow. Tony Boselli really made me wait on this one, signing 2 cards in almost 1600 days.  You have to hand it to the mailman. Just as you think they are stealing your mail, you get a long shot wait like this one.

Tony Boselli was the anchor of the Jacksonville Jaguar franchise at left tackle. He was their first draft choice in 1995, and quickly established a reputation as one of the finest linemen in the NFL. A very popular player during his tenure in Jacksonville, he provided a much needed face and leader to the young franchise as it matured under Tom Coughlin’s watch. A 5 time Pro Bowler from 1996-2000, and 3 time All Pro from 1997-1999, Boselli was named to the 1990’s All Decade NFL Team. He’d sign a massive, new contract with the Jaguars, but by 2001 the injuries and weightlifting had caught up with him.  It was possible that Tony’s bad shoulder might end his career.

Facing salary cap hell, the Jaguars made Tony available for the Houston Texans Expansion Draft in 2002. The deal was, if the Texans took Boselli’s massive contract hit, they’d leave NT Seth Payne and DE Gary Walker on the table for the Texans to draft as well.  For the Texans, the risk was Boselli might never be able to return form and Houston  would have to absorb his salary cap hit.  It seemed that the benefits outweighed the risk, so the Texans selected Boselli first overall during the expansion draft. He’d be the first and only player in the history of the league selected first by two expansion franchises.  The Texans immediately trotted Tony out as an ambassador of the franchise. He’d appear in numerous photoshoots and in pads touting the young Texans franchise, but as time and seasons passed, it became more and more obvious that Boselli was not going to see the field again.

He’d retire from football in 2004 or 2005,  and sign a one day contract to retire as a Jaguar in 2006, and joined the Pride of the Jaguars Hall of Fame. While Tony has been nominated numerous times as a preliminary candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he never made it past the first round until 2016 where he made it to the final round.  Perhaps due to his injury history, short career, playing for a smaller market, and at a relatively unglamorous position, has kept Boselli out of the Hall at this point, but in the meantime that has not slowed him down any.

A humanitarian at heart, Tony has his own charitable organization, and gives back to the community primarily in the Jacksonville area. He coaches football and does color commentary as well and was a minority owner at one point of the Austin Wranglers of the Arena Football League.  A savvy businessman, he owns some local Whataburger franchises, and a marketing company.

G/GS   91/90