Card: Sage Hit 2011 (203/250)
Acquired: 2016, EBay
Jeff Maehl was a standout receiver in Chip Kelly’s explosive offense while at Oregon. The former Duck scored 23 TDs on 178 receptions over his college career, averaging roughly 13 yards a catch. While Jeff was a standout at the combine on cone and shuffle drills, he clocked a pedestrian 4.62 40. Jeff went undrafted in the NFL, but was offered a contract with the UFL Virginia Destroyers. He opted to wait until the 2011 strike was over, and found a home with the Houston Texans as a member of the team’s practice squad where he’d remain on and off for the next season.
In 2013, Jeff was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, reuniting him with former college head coach Chip Kelly. He saw limited time on the field recording 9 catches for 67 yards and a TD, as a pet project of the coaching staff who liked him over Riley Cooper. Maehl also saw time on special teams. Late in the season, Jeff sustained a concussion, which delayed his return to the field. He’d have another 5 catches in 2014, while he bode his time in the Eagles receiving corps. Oddly, in 2015 Jeff was cut with an undisclosed injury settlement.
G/GS 27/0 REC 9 YDS 113 AVG 12.6 TD 1 LG 37
I had been looking for Shuler for sometime. I have vague recollections of him appearing on a daytime talk show during the 80s to educate women about football, but even at a young age, it was obvious to me that the women had eyes for Mickey and his slick Magnum PI-esque mustache. Luckily before the end of his career he had some great cards come out from different manufacturers than Topps. Among my favorite I really enjoyed these two entries from ProSet and Action Packed. He also had some ignominious cards in 1990 that showcased him in his Eagles gear, but they all beat the profile/ on the sidelines shots that so punctuated Topps portfolio during that era.