Tag Archives: oakland raiders

CFL, NFL

Rison, Andre ‘Bad Moon’

Action Packed Rookies 1990, #83

CARDS: Pro Set 1989, Action Packed 1990, Action Packed Rookies & Stars 1990
ACQUIRED: 2022, Private Signing

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Andre Rison was a dominant receiver who played at Michigan State.
  • He established career record marks for receptions (146), and yards (2992).
  • Also was a great basketball and track man for the Spartans.
  • Selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft.
  • Was second among all rookie receivers in 1989 with 820 yards, and was the first Colts receiver in almost 10 years to catch over 50 passes in their rookie season (52).
  • He and Bill Brooks were an effective 1-2 punch, pairing for the most 100 yard games since ’68.
  • Well in 1990, the Colts were desperate for a QB, so they packaged up Andre, T Chris Hinton, and draft picks to get the #1 pick from the Falcons to select Jeff George.
  • While the Colts were imploding over the next few years, Rison was reaching new heights in the Falcons Red Gun offense.
  • He also adopted a bad boy persona and became known as ‘Bad Moon’ Rison.
  • He had a career high 93 receptions in ’92, 1,242 yards , and a league leading 15 TDs in 1994.
  • Andre started 73 games over his time in Atlanta, catching 423 passes for 5633 yards and 56 TDs over 5 seasons.
  • In 1995, Andre signed with the Browns playing one seasons with the team.
  • After a disappointing season in Cleveland, where he feuded with fans, Rison played in 1996 for the Jags, and then was picked up by the Pack who needed help at receiver.
  • He’d earn a Super Bowl ring that season catching passes from Brett Favre.
  • Rison cashed in after the season, proving that perhaps he just needed a change of scenery from his hiccup two previous seasons ago in Cleveland.
  • Andre had a minor resurgence after he signed with the Chiefs in 1997.
  • He’d catch 72 passes for 1092 yards and 7 TDs, earning the nickname Spider-man.
  • Rison at this point of his career was attempting to rehabilitate his image as a diva, and Spider-man seemed like a positive role model.
  • After a total of 3 seasons in KC, Rison played one final year in the NFL with the Raiders in Oakland.
  • Despite not starting that year, he put up 41 catches for 606 yards and 6 TDs.
  • Rison took some time away from the sport, but returned in 2004 to play for the Toronto Argonauts.
  • He played just long enough to help the team win the Grey Cup, and retired after the 2005 campaign.
  • After his playing days ended, Andre has gone into coaching.
Pro Set 1989, #497
Action Packed 1990, #107

ACCOLADES:

  • Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
  • All-Rookie Team 1989
  • AP 1990
  • 2nd Team AP 1991-’93
  • Pro Bowl 1990-’93, 1997

NOTES:

Boasting an extremely low signing percentage and an ancient last return date there was no way I was going to get Andre through the mail. I knew the best chance I’d have is to probably go through a private signing. I follow a couple of private signers and Facebook pages that promote them, and finally after missing out on one already- I was able to get him affordably on these three cards. The problem is with Andre, as he was an early darling of every set that came onto the scene in those early days of the big card boom, so I literally have probably five or six more set needs. Andre was an excellent receiver on the Atlanta Falcons in Tecmo Super Bowl and Super Tecmo Bowl.

Andre has a pretty solid resume, but maybe due to his bad image early in his career that caused him to be perceived as a diva, and then just as a bad guy in general, he’s gotten little traction from voters for the HoF, even though he’s gone to great lengths to dispel his reputation. Despite possessing a 10k resume, and impressive TD numbers, Rison is now caught in the logger jam at WR building from more modern candidates that have inflated numbers due to a game geared more towards the passing game. Andre is also one of a unique club of players who has won both a Grey Cup and a Super Bowl.

NFL

RECYDSAVGTDLG
7431020513.78480t

CFL

RECYDSAVGTDLG
1517811.9135
NFL, University of Texas

Houston, Lamarr ‘Marr’

Panini UT 2015, #36
Topps 2013, #123

CARDS: Panini UT 2015, Topps 2013
ACQUIRED: IP 2022, NFL Alumni Bowling Event

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Played four years at the University of Texas from 2006-09.
  • Kicked inside to DT after playing DE after two years.
  • Started 33 games, recording 170 tackles, 43 TFL, 15 sacks, 65 pressures, 13 pass breakups, 1 FF and 2 fumble recoveries.
  • Second round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 2010.
  • Played both Defensive end positions over 4 years with Raiders.
  • Had 228 total tackles, 37 TFL, 16.5 sacks, 6 fumble recoveries, and 1 pick.
  • Signed with Bears in 2015, playing the next 3 seasons and 5 games.
  • Started just 2 games in 2015 (16 played) but recorded a career high 8 sacks.
  • Split 2017 between the Bears and Texans, playing 5 games for each team.
  • Signed with the Texans to help ailing defensive front, posting a sack, 7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss.
  • Also recorded first TD, returning a fumble 34 yards in his final game with the team.

NOTES:

I mean the evening wasn’t a total disaster at the bowling event. I was very excited when the Texans signed Lamarr to bolster their defensive front after JJ Watt went down with an injury. I thought he delivered, and in his final contest I thought the light really went on, but the franchise saw otherwise and cut him.

When I got his autograph on these cards, I asked him what happened and he told me that, “They told me I was too old.”

TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
30230.5911515.0015
NFL, NFLE

Niklos, J.R.

VGF 2005

CARD: VGF 2005
ACQUIRED: 2022, Private Purchase

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Solid athlete started career as a DB for Ohio State in 1997 and 98.
  • Transferred to Western Illinois and was moved to TE by coaches who said he reminded him of Marv Cook.
  • Playing for the Leathernecks from 99-01, broke school receiving records.
  • At pro day as FB ran a 4.5 40 and was nicknamed ‘The Fastest Fullback in the NFL’, by then head coach Mike Martz.
  • Undrafted in 2002, was signed to the active roster of the Rams off of the Seahawks as a TE
  • Spent a total of 4 seasons with the Rams, joining the Frankfurt Galaxy in 2005 playing RB.
  • After league folded following the 2007 campaign, Niklos saw time with the Raiders (2005-06), Cleveland Browns (2007-08), and was briefly on IR with the Chiefs before deciding to hang up the cleats.
  • As of 2023, runs a sports performance business in Illinois.

NOTES:

A special bonus card thrown in when I purchased the remaining AAF sets I needed, I really get a kick out of these ‘deep cuts’ like JR Niklos.

NFLE

RUSHYDSAVGTDLG
1053793.6430
RECYDSAVGTDLG
262389.5135t