Tag Archives: panini ut 2015

NFL, University of Texas

Okafor, Alex

CARDS: Panini UT 2015, Panini UT 2015 S, SAGE Hit 2013, Bowman 2013, Topps 2013, Leaf Draft 2013, Topps Magic 2013, Razor 2009, Panini Rookies & Stars 2013, Score 2013, UT Upper Deck 2011 HACK
ACQUIRED: IP, 2024

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Local talent Alex Okafor decided to take his skillset to the University of Texas.
  • For the Longhorns, he played from 2009-2012 at defensive end.
  • In his Senior campaign he had 54 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles.
  • During his final game in burnt orange, he set an Alamo Bowl record with 4.5 sacks, as UT defeated Oregon State 31-27.
  • Drafted in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
  • His rookie season was a wash- as a biceps injury sidelined him for the vast majority of the season.
  • In 2014, he flew under the radar, recording 8 sacks, 30 tackles, 3 pass deflections, and an interception.
  • Signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2017.
  • Had a career high 43 total tackles, 4 pass deflections, and 4.5 sacks- before an Achilles injury ended his season after 10 games.
  • Signed with the Chiefs in 2019.
  • Finished on IR after tearing a pectoral muscle that year, but not before he tallied 22 tackles and 5 sacks.
  • Suffered a hamstring injury in 2020- but still managed 21 total tackles and a forced fumble.
  • Retired after the 2021 season.

NOTES:

These events that Texas Sports Unfiltered has been hosting at the Bee Cave Covert GMC have been a real treat. We’re served lunch. A player comes in and signs a bunch of autographs and answers any questions that we may have.

Alex was extremely cordial and friendly to all the fans in attendance. He labored to sign each and every one of our items. In my case, I had traded one of the extra HACK UT UD 2011 cards I had created. It caught his eye when he was signing it for the guy in front of me and he wanted to know where he could get one. They pointed to me.

When he got to me I told him, “I’m more than happy to give him one if he wouldn’t mind signing all my cards for me.” He responded with a very thrilled, “YES!” (There were much more than the 11 here. He signed quite a few dupes so that I could again reward my friends and major participants on our TTM Facebook group.)

He then proceeded to horse trade with other fans who were there for additional cards to fill out his collection he was missing. -I love it when players collect their own cards!

He then answered a bunch of questions for us. One fan asked us who was easiest, hardest, and thrilling to sack. He answered that Tom Brady was the most thrilling to sack as he is such a legend. Alex noted he got to him twice in his career. The hardest was Lamar Jackson. When Lamar gets to the HoF some day, Alex said he’d be on Jackson’s highlight reel. The easiest to sack was Kirk Cousins. He’s just so immobile in the pocket. (Coincidentally, Alex made his first two career sacks on Kirk.)

I asked him about his monster grill facemask, (that you can see on his Bowman and SAGE Hit cards). What was his plan? Would he eventually have a grill going up the entire mask? When would it end? He laughed and said at the previous Super Bowl he was inspired by Justin Tuck of the Giants who led the d-line and had that multi-bar facemask.

He asked the equipment guy if he could get one for him from Riddell. Their response was, “I dunno…” but come Spring in 2012 it was ready to roll. Suddenly the multi bar facemask became all the brief rage. You had guys going all out (See Tavaris Barnes). Then as quickly as it happened, the NCAA and the NFL put an end to that form of expression. No explanation given. I’m sure they would have cited, ‘player safety’ but within 3 seasons it was over. No more multibars.

It’s always good to meet fellow collectors- especially card nuts like myself. While Mark G. was there to keep me grounded and provide me with a few cards I didn’t have, I met his friends Josh (an absolute monster UT collector) and Andrew (a collector with a solid depth of cards).

After discussing with Josh for a while our fandom, I had mentioned how I missed out on Alex Okafor’s UT Panini 2015 Parallel card. He offered to trade it to me for something else. -I know he really, really wanted my UT Hack, but I didn’t have anymore extras. He ended up trading me for a Panini Prism Okafor that I had gotten in exchange for the other Hack I traded to someone else- so it worked out! An absolute banger of an event.

Since retirement, Alex has pursued his passion: Teaching, improving education, reducing bullying, and reading. During his time in Kansas City he started a program that brought players into local classroom to read to kids at public schools. Currently he’s on the school board in his local hometown.

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NFL, University of Texas

Loeffler, Cullen

Panini UT 2015, #15

CARD: Panini UT 2015
ACQUIRED: 2022, Gift

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Cullen played high school football in Texas, so he grew up wanting to play for the University of Texas.
  • Declining scholarships to other schools, he opted to walk on at UT in 1999.
  • Worked his way into the lineup as a longsnapper, while moonlighting at TE graduating in 2004.
  • Free agent signee of the Minnesota Vikings that year, and he quickly became the team’s starting longsnapper.
  • Cullen held the position down until 2010, when a back injury sidelined him.
  • Returned to the Vikings and played for the team through 2014.
  • He’d retire after being cut in 2015.

NOTES:

Longsnappers hold a certain ‘lunchpail’ lore to fans of football. The most unsung skilled player position in the NFL, if you don’t have someone who can 100% snap that ball from the line of scrimmage to a punter or holder’s hands, you’re taking a risk at it being blocked. As such, the position has become a sort of ironman position in the league. It’s not a glorified $20 million dollar a year job- as such, these guys once they get locked in, many of them play 10-15 seasons easy for the franchise, exclusively doing longsnapping.

My friend Mark has sort of cornered the market on Cullen. Apparently he has mutual acquaintances through him and was able to get this autograph on an off and on set need for me.

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.”

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