Tag Archives: outland trophy winner

College Football HoF, NFL, WLAF

Rocker, Tracy

Card: Score 1989, Score 1990, ProSet 1990
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Tracy Rocker was a monster for the Auburn Tigers from 1985-1988 at defensive tackle and finished his career there with 21 sacks, 354 tackles, and a consensus All-American. The 1989 draft was extremely deep, and although Rocker won the Outland and Lombardi Awards in 1988, it wouldn’t be until the 3rd round when the Washington Redskins called his name.

He started in 10 games his rookie season clogging up the running lanes, with his solid- if not unspectacular play, and recorded one fumble. It was good enough to earn him All-Rookie honors that year. In 1990 Tracy had 3.5 sacks in an injury shortened 7 game season. Tracy had a training camp battle with Darryl Grant and then suffered an injury. It became a game of numbers on the deep Redskins roster that Rocker ended up losing. A few teams gave him a look over, including the Dolphins, but did not make an offer.

Tracy was contacted by the fledgling WLAF in 1992. The Orlando Thunder, (who had a prolific offense but a feast or famine defense,) selected Rocker with their first round pick. He was eager to show that he still had what it took and to return to the NFL level, no matter what path he needed to take. During training camp though he slipped untouched on wet grass, and injured his knee.  Doctors later determined that Tracy needed arthroscopic knee surgery. It didn’t take long and by April, -two months after being drafted, Rocker was cut by the Thunder.

Rocker loves football, and decided to go into coaching defense and defensive line starting at the high school level that year. Tracy then moved on and has seen stints at: West Alabama, Troy State, Cincinnati, Arkansas, and Ole Miss. Eventually Tracy made his way back to his Alma Mater, Auburn, in 2009 remaining there through 2011. Rocker has also participated in the NFL coaching minority fellowship with the Colts (01) and Bucs (06). At this time, he’s returned to the pro ranks and currently coaches defensive line for the Tennessee Titans.

Despite not being successful as a player at the professional football level, Tracy Rocker is a great example of somebody who has really dug deep and overcame obstacles and adversity. Tracy was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

G/Gs 24/17   Tac N/a    Sac 3.5    Int  0   Yds  0   Avg -.-   Td 0   Lg -.-

College Football HoF, NFL

Steinkuhler, Dean (2)

Cards:  Score 1991, Fleer 1990, Score 1990
Acquired: TTM 2010, C/o Home
Sent: 10/15/2010     Received:  11/2/2011   (383 days*)
*Slight delay. Forwarded from old address.

Dean was part of my final send out from 2010.  I did not do any mailings in November or December of 2010 as I was planning to graduate and needed to concentrate on school. Waxing nostalgically, (- as I do frequently on this site,)  I can’t help but think what was on my mind that day about my future about me now in the current present. It’s a tad depressing really, but eventually I’ll work my way out of this. Sometimes you have to fall down a crevasse to work your way out in life.

Dean was a member of the Oilers powerful offensive line during the 80s and very early 90s.  He would be the 3rd and final drafted offensive cog of a dominant line that included Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews. Often overlooked, by his more glamorous counterparts- if you can call an offensive lineman that, -Steinkuhler was both equally dominant as both a drive blocker and pulling on sweeps. When the Oilers ran the option (in those frightening days with Warren Moon running the ball in the 80s,)  you would always see Dean out there opening up holes and leading the way. He was never named to the Pro Bowl, which was a shame, because when injuries finally claimed Dean’s playing career in the early 1990s, it was the first noticible chip in the Oilers offensive armor.

I gave up on getting this one back since I sent for him last year after seeing a rash of signatures on SportsCollectors.net. Just recently I saw another success and thought that perhaps these cards would make their way back to me, and amazingly they did in a brisk 383 days.

 

 

College Football HoF, NFL

Steinkuhler, Dean

Card: ProSet 1990
Acquired: In Person 1991, Houston Oilers Training Camp
See also: http://n8d.flywheelsites.com/2011/steinkuhler-dean-2/

One of the most dominant and decorated linemen to come out of the University of Nebraska- Dean Steinkuhler won the Outland and Lombardi Trophies in 1983 playing at guard. His most notable moment for the Huskers was picking up a ‘fumblerooskie’ and rumbling in for a touchdown in the Orange Bowl.

The Houston Oilers made him the second overall choice of the 1984 draft where the team would kick Dean out to play right tackle, and along with Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews, the trio would form the nucleus of a very good offensive line.  The Oilers started Steinkuhler immediately and he’d play 10 games before a knee injury ended his rookie season and scrub all of 1985.  Dean would make a triumphant return to the lineup by 1986, starting the whole season and 11 games into 1987 before he was shelved for the rest of the season. In 88 and 89 he’d start the full slate of games, but once again bad knees crept back up in 1990 limiting his production to 7 games.  The porous Astrodome turf had taken its toll on Dean, exposing a chink in the Oilers’ offensive armor. Dean retired after 1991, starting only 1 game that season, at the age of 30. I’d meet him at Houston Oilers Training Camp in his last season where he nicely stopped and signed this ProSet card. Over his career he played in 100 games and started 77.

Dean lives now in Syracuse, Nebraska where he runs a storage unit facility, operates a car wash and enjoys watching his sons follow in his footsteps into football.  Of Dean’s accomplishments was that he was named to the 3rd string All Century College Team and also had his number retired at Nebraska.

I sent off for his autograph on his Score 1990 and 1991 cards trying to get the autograph of some of the great Oilers I remembered in 2010 through the Mieselman list, and received a response a bit over a year later in November of 2011.