Tag Archives: pittsburgh steelers

NFL

Hawkins, Courtney ‘Hawk’

aprks92 chawkins
Card: Action Packed Rookies 1992
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Home
Sent:   7/23/15  Received:  11/2/15   (102 days)

Courtney Hawkins played collegiately for the Spartans at Michigan State.  A dangerous kick and punt returner, Hawk got his chance to shine as a receiver in his Sophomore year when he made 60 receptions for 1080 yards and 6 touchdowns.  At the time of his graduation Hawkins had 138 receptions for 2210 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Courtney played 9 seasons in the NFL. Originally a second round choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Hawk’s best season came in 1993 when he caught 62 balls for 933 yards and 5 touchdowns.  He was also used seldomly on punt return duties.  Hawkins joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997 and had a renaissance in 1998, with 66 receptions for 751 yards and a TD. During that season,  Hawk broke a Steelers team record with 14 receptions (for 147 yards) against the Tennessee Oilers.  He retired after the 1999 campaign.

Currently he is a highly regarded head coach and athletic director for the Beecher School District in Michigan.  Beggars can’t be choosers, and while I really wanted to get my Star Pics 1992 card signed as well, I guess he decided to keep that one in exchange for his autograph on his Action Packed Rookies entry.

G/GS  131/81     REC  366    YDS  4573     AVG  12.5   TD 18      LG  67
PR 68    YDS 553      AVG  8.1      TD 0       LG 47
KR 9       YDS 118      AVG  13.1    TD 0      LG 18

 

 

 

CFL, NFL

Clements, Tom

AW91 clementsCard: CFL All-World 1991
Acquired: Canton Acquisition 2012

Tom Clements has garnered quite the reputation over the last few years working as a quarterback whisperer for the Green Bay Packers tutoring the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre, while also getting the best out of other names such as Kelly Holcomb, Kordell Stewart, Tommy Maddox, Elvis Grbac, and  Jake Delhomme at his other stops.

Being a former HoF QB in the CFL, has given Clements an edge over his coaching competitors. Some say it is his calm and easy going demeanor during gameday, or the a way of always getting a little bit more out of his quarterbacks. Regardless, Clements is praised in circles around the NFL as an up and coming coach.

Tom Clements was inducted into  the Canadian Football League’s Hall of Fame in 1994, after a prolific career playing for the Ottawa Rough Riders (1975-78) where he was named the CFL’s Rookie of the Year in 1975. In 1976, Tom earned his first Grey Cup Championship earning the Outstanding Offensive Player award. He joined Saskatchewan and later Hamilton in 1979, before a brief foray into the NFL in 1980 with the Chiefs. Returning to the Tiger Cats in 1981, he’d play there through the 1982 season and then join the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He’d earn his second Grey Cup Championship and Outstanding Offensive Player of the game award in 1984, and league MVP honors in 1987 retiring after the conclusion of the season.

He’s also had a stop at his Alma Mater Notre Dame, before making the leap to the NFL as a position coach and offensive coordinator for the Saints (1997-1999), Chiefs (2000), Steelers (2001-2003), and Bills (2004-2005), before joining the Packers in 2006. The Packers are well aware of Clements reputation as he has steadily risen in the organization’s coaching hierarchy. Although embattled after the 2015 campaign, Clements serves as the Packers Offensive Coordinator and Associate Head Coach going into the 2016 season.

CFL
ATT  4657      COMP 2807       YDS 39041      PCT 60.3%
TD 252        INT 214           RAT N/a
RUSH 374       YDS  1660       AVG 4.4       TD 13        LG  42

NFL
G   2     ATT 12       COMP 7        YDS 77       PCT 58.3%
TD  0      INT 0       RAT  77.4
RUSH 2         YDS   0        AVG 0.0        TD 0       LG -.-

NFL

Vrabel, Mike

ud081st vrabel

Card: Upper Deck 2006  First Edition
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o The Houston Texans
Sent: 10/13          Received: 10/21              (8 days)

Mike Vrabel was a 3rd round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers out of Ohio State in 1997, where he played primarily on special teams and as a backup linebacker. He joined the Patriots in 2001 and became a key contributor to New England’s underrated defense starting at left linebacker. He’d also see time at ROLB and RILB.  Vrabel earned an AP and Pro Bowl nomination for his 2007 season when he made a career high 12.5 sacks, 55 tackles, and 4 forced fumbles.  He played his final two seasons in 2009 and 2010 for the Kansas City Chiefs. Mike also moonlighted as a tight end for the Patriots and Kansas City in goal line situations catching 14 passes for 10 touchdowns.

In 2011, Mike returned to his Alma Mater Ohio State where he was hired as their linebackers coach. He served in 2012 and 2013 as the Buckeyes defensive line coach.  When Bill O’Brien became head coach of the Houston Texans in 2014, Vrabel moved in to serve as the team’s linebackers coach. He received a lot of exposure in 2015 on HBO’s Hard Knocks shaping the team’s chippy middle four, and turned Whitney Mercilus into a double digit sack threat by the end of the season. After the 2015 campaign, the San Fransisco 49ers offered Vrabel their defensive coordinator position, but he declined the offer and remains on the Texans staff for the 2016 season.

G/Gs 206/140    Tac 740      Sac  57.0       Fum  19
Int 11      Yds  73       Avg 7.3       Td 1        Lg 24t
Rec 14      Yds 10      Avg 1.4      Td  10      Lg 2t