Tag Archives: phoenix cardinals

NFL, WLAF

Horne, Greg

Card: Ultimate World League 1992
Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o Work
Sent: 6/11 Received: 6/19 (8 days)
Failure: TTM 2020, C/o Home

Greg Horne punted at Arkansas during the SWC days and at one point was paired alongside future World League kicker Kendall John Trainor. Over his 4 years at Fayetteville, Greg punted 180 times for 8000 yards on the dot. In his Senior year of 1986, Greg boomed 49 punts for a 47.2 yard average earning him All-American Honors. (Coincidentally this is the highest average in Conference history.)

Horne was selected by the Bengals in the 5th round of the 1987 draft. During the strike shortened season of 1987, he’d split time with the Bengals and the St. Louis Cardinals, averaging 40.2 yards per punt on 43 attempts. He’d travel to Phoenix with the Cardinals franchise in ’88, and start a whole 16 game slate, punting 79 times for 3228 yards, with 16 punts inside the 20.

After a 2 year hiatus, he’d join the World League of American Football in 1991, and was selected by the London Monarchs with the 5th pick of the positional draft. He’d punt 37 times for the powerhouse Monarchs, averaging 38.7 yards per punt, and drop 11 of those inside the 20.

With Chris Mohr departed for the NFL, the Montreal Machine had Monte Robbins but at some point during the season, Greg came in and took over the starting punter duties. He’d have the best season of his career punting 19 times for 821 yards, a 43.2 yard average, and drop 4 punts inside the 20.

After retiring, Greg returned to Arkansas and is currently in radio.

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25/0122495840.6661
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NFL

Harvey, Ken

Cards: Score 1990, Action Packed 1990, Action Packed 1991, Action Packed 1992
Acquired: TTM 2020 C/o Home
Sent: 10/13 Received: 10/26 (13 days)
Failure: TTM 2015, C/o Home

I have been angling to add Ken Harvey to my collection for a very long time. It wasn’t because of his playing career as much as the places we both came from. Heck he and I technically grew up in the same neighborhood since his high school was right down the street from me. Heck he even quit school briefly as he fell in with the wrong crowd briefly, and worked at Fuddruckers over on Anderson Rd in The Village across from Northcross Mall.

I probably even frequented it a kid about the time he worked there. I remembered not being fond of their liquid cheese, and sitting under these giant canvas military grade tents on the patio eating a giant burger with my parents. Anyway, it’s all long gone- even Northcross Mall which is now a mini-Walmart.

Ken got his act together, went back and finished high school and was snatched up by the California Golden Bears. After an impressive college career playing linebacker at Cal wrapped up in 1987, Ken was selected in the first round of the 1988 Draft by the Phoenix Cardinals. – It wasn’t hailed as such a big deal back then, even though being from Austin and being a ‘small town’ kid making it big in the NFL, especially from my neighborhood should’ve been. When I got his first couple of football cards, I was very excited. – I mean here was a player I had a personal connection to from a location basis. We walked the same streets. We had been in the same 7-11’s- maybe to buy those same cherry Slurpees, nachos, and a pack of football cards or two. – Well maybe not the nachos for him but- he immediately became relatable.

Ken played six seasons with the woeful Cards at right outside linebacker. He put up some solid numbers over that period, recording 120 tackles in 1989 and 10 sacks in 1990. I seem to remember he had a falling out in 1993 with the club, signing with the division rival Washington Redskins in 1994. From 1994-1997 Ken was considered one of the most dominant linebackers of the NFC East. He’d earn a Pro Bowl nod in each of those seasons, recording a career high 13.5 sacks in that ’94 campaign. He’d call it a career shortly before the beginning of the 1999 season.

Ken has been honored by the Redskins as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins, and was inducted into the club’s Ring of Fame. He also has received a couple of nominations for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He currently lives in the DC area and has had an interesting post-professional playing career, working for the Redskins, writing for the Washington Post, and training aspiring tourists to become astronauts. He wrote a very nice note to accompany my cards, saying it’d be an honor to sign them.

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164/13582889.015
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122.002
NFL

Proehl, Ricky

Card: Action Packed Rookies 1990
Acquired: 2020, Future Considerations
Failure: TTM, C/o Home 2011, 2018, 2019

I’m not really sure what’s up with Ricky Proehl. I’ve seen numerous successes for him, with some that even include the card pictured above, so after 3 failures over the years, where it looked like I was the last person out in the cold, a friend who I help out from time to time had this extra floating around that I could have. I would have liked to get Ricky on a card or two more, but after the 3rd or 4th failure- I routinely in the past look at other options, but for the time being I’ll stand pat with this one and will probably be a bit gun shy about trying him again. This card was a definite set need that I wanted to get out of the way for a while. I only got one when I broke a box years ago originally, so I’ve been out quite a few cards every time I wrote him.

Ricky Proehl gets no respect. He graduated from Wake Forest as virtually the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards (2,949 yards), and TDs (25), as well as ranking in the top five in receptions and receiving average.  He was selected in the 3rd round of the 1990 draft by the Phoenix Cardinals.

His rookie season was a solid debut, when he caught 56 passes for 802 yards and 4 TDs. These numbers were the best by a Cardinals rookie and the first to lead the team since 1950. He then played the next 3 years with the franchise, and set career marks in 1993 (65 receptions, 877 yards, and 7 TDs). Following the 1994 season, Ricky was traded to the Seattle Seahawks, where he played through 1995. In 1996, he rejuvenated his career playing with the Bears for a season, hauling down 58 receptions, for 753 yards, and 7 TDs.

In 1998, Proehl signed with the St. Louis Rams and became a member of ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’. He is perhaps best known for this time of his career, as he was clutch for the team, as a situational starter or when they needed him most. Ricky won two Super Bowls with the Rams over the next 5 seasons recording 207 catches, for 2590 yards, and 16 TDs.

At the grand old age of 35, Ricky still had a few miles left. He joined the Carolina Panthers in 2003, playing the majority of his sunset years with the squad. Over 3 seasons, he posted 1237 yards and 8 TDs for Carolina before one final season in 2006 with the Indianapolis Colts.

Ricky has been involved in coaching since retirement working with the Carolina Panthers from 2011- 2016. He also owns a sports park in North Carolina. His son, Austin followed in his footsteps and was most recently a WR for the Seattle Dragons of the XFL.

It should be noted that despite never posting a 1,000 yard season in his 17 season career, he finished with over 8,000 yards receiving in just 109 starts and recorded under 400 yards in only 5 seasons.

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244/109669887813.35478