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Arena

Rutledge, Wondell (1983-2024)

Card: TNT AFL Talons 2014
Acquired: IP 2014, San Antonio Talons vs. New Orleans Voodoo

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Lampasas’, Tx very own homegrown product, Wondell Rutledge played college ball at Toledo.
  • After playing for the Allen Wranglers, he joined the AFL in 2012, and saw stints with the Tampa Bay Storm, Orlando Predators, and the San Jose SabreCats over the next few years.
  • Well versed, Rutledge could handle playing DL, C, FB, and OL.
  • Played in 14 contests in 2014 for the San Antonio Talons.
  • Replaced Colton Jones at C after Jones went down with a season ending injury.
  • Signed with the Rio Grande Valley Sol of the X-League later that year, but ultimately ended up with the Duke City Gladiators of the CIF.
  • Afterwards, Wondell became an international ambassador of football, playing for the Qingdao Clippers of the China AFL.
  • In 2018, he returned stateside and played for the Bismarck Bucks, followed by a 2019 season with the Oklahoma City Aces.
  • From 2020-’23 he played for the West Texas Warbirds in Amarillo, Tx, winning his first championship in 2021.
  • Wyoming was his next stop in his indoor football journey in 2022.
  • Then he took his show to Columbus, GA where he helped the Lions win the league championship in 2023.

NOTES:

I walked up to Wondell on the field where he was chumming around with his friends. In an attempt to embarrass him with his card, I almost had it taken from me, as his mother went berserk when she saw it. As I explained to Wondell why I make these cards and how much I know it means to them as me, the card got passed further and further into the small crowd that had gathered. When she asked if she could keep it, Wondell explained to her, that he had plenty, since I gave him a stack of extras to keep. He excitedly signed my card and thanked me for my work. Later he friended me on Facebook where I continued to follow his exploits in football.

EPITAPH:

3/8/24- On the Columbus Lions’ Instagram feed it was announced with heavy hearts that Wondell had passed away. No cause of death was given. Wondell hoped to go into coaching after his football career ended using the depth of knowledge that he’d earned from his experiences around the world. He was just 41.

Arena

Richardson, Jeramie

tntafl14 jrichardsonCard: TNT AFL 2014
Acquired: In Person, 5/3/2014 Talons vs. Barnstormers.

Jeramie began his indoor football career in 2010 with the San Angelo Stampede of the IFL. Since then, he’s played for the Utah Blaze, Cleveland Gladiators, Orlando Predators, and New Orleans Voodoo, before landing a home in 2014 with the San Antonio Talons. A versatile player, Jeramie has rushed 29 times for 46 yards and 16 touchdowns from the fullback position, while collecting 17 tackles and 1.5 sacks.  The Talons in 2014 relied on him heavily to contribute along the defensive line. He finished the season with 29 tackles and 5 sacks in 17 games. San Antonio went dormant after the 2014 season.

Arena

Benson, Mykel

tntafl14 bensonCard: TNT AFL Talons 2014, TNT 2011 AFL promo
Acquired: IP, 5/3/2014 Talons vs. Barnstormers, 5/17/14 Talons vs. Voodoo

With Chad Cook sitting out the season for the Talons, the team signed Mykel Benson to be the starting fullback. A compact, low to the ground runner, Benson was originally signed by the Milwaukee Mustangs in 2011, after graduating from Florida A&M. While playing for A&M, Benson lodged 14 career scores.

During his rookie season with Milwaukee, Mykel ran for 178 yards and 17 touchdowns. The following season, he’d split time with the Georgia Force and Orlando Predators, but still managed to record 8 scores in 74 carries. He’d continue playing for the Predators in 2013, rushing for 89 yards and 10 more scores, before hopping over to the Talons for the 2014 season.

When I got Mykel’s autograph he remarked that the cards looked similar to one he had signed of himself in his Mustangs uniform.tntafl11 benson I must admit that I am flattered that somebody out there printed out the older card previously and had him sign it. When I told him that I was actually the person who designed that card, he quickly also asked me for a copy of that card as well.

I approached Benson after the Voodoo game, this time with his 2011 promo. He told me he had already framed up the card I gave him in his Talons uniform, and also printed out a copy of the card I made of him back in 2011 from my drawingwithlee.com website. He thanked me profusely for the Mustangs promo and signed an extra for me to keep. It is amazing how things work out, as I never would have thought back in 2011, that the promos I was working on would ever be treasured so much by these players- little less signed by them. As word has spread, a lot of players have begun requesting a copy of their cards that I designed or for me to design one for them. It brings me great joy that I can bring these players happiness and added sense of pride/ accomplishment through what I do for them. It is the least I can do to pay them back for their efforts on the gridiron and in the arena.