CARDS: Panini Contenders Draft Picks 2018, Panini Prestige 2018 ACQUIRED: IP 2023, San Antonio Brahmas v St Louis Battlehawks
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Kalen Ballage was a RB at Arizona State who ran for 1984 yards and 27 TDs (450 carries) playing for the school from 2014-’17.
A 4th round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2018.
Had a breakout game his rookie year rushing for 123 yards on 12 carries against the Minnesota Vikings- scoring a TD.
2019 was disappointing, and by 2020, the Dolphins were searching for trade partners.
Waived with an injury settlement, Ballage spent about a month on the roster of the New York Jets that year.
Ultimately proved to be effective playing for the Chargers that year, contributing 91 carries for 303 yards and 3 TDs.
Also showed a nice touch out of the backfield, catching 29 passes.
Played for the Steelers in ’21 and spent the season on special teams.
Selected in the 6th round of the 2023 XFL Draft by the San Antonio Brahmas.
Was the primary back in the ground and pound offense, but was ultimately supplanted in the lineup by Jacques Patrick, and then an Achilles injury ended his season after 5 games.
Finished season with 55 carries for 149 yards and 11 receptions for 82 yards.
Expected to fight a crowded backfield for 1st team reps in 2024 with the Brahmas retooled offense, but with a crowded backfield was an early cut during preseason.
NOTES:
I was very excited to see the Brahmas drafted Kalen. He has a lot of cards and I hoped that I’d get more of them signed. Of subsets, I always look forward to the Gameday subsets from Panini.
I was able to get these two signed as he walked off the field in the first game near the home side entrance at the Alamodome.
CARDS: Topps AAF 2019, Topps AAF 2019 Certified ACQURIED: Ebay 2019, IP 2023, San Antonio Brahmas v Washington Defenders
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Aussie Brad Wing played Australian Football growing up.
He went to college at LSU from 2012-’13 where he gained notoriety as a punter.
Punted 118 times for 5261 yards and a 44.8 yard average.
At the end of 2012, he was suspended for undisclosed rules- of which Brad admitted was continuous failed drug tests.
After going undrafted in 2013, he spent camp that year with the Philadelphia Eagles.
He’d make the squad of the Steelers the following year and see action punting in all 16 games in 2014.
Traded to the New York Giants in 2015 for a 7th round pick.
Punted for NY for the next 3 seasons and became a fan favorite.
Had a league high 95 punts in 2017, but also a league leading 2 blocks.
Signed with the Memphis Express of the AAF in 2018- for play in the 2019 season.
During the season he’d be cut for unknown reasons.
Over the next few years Brad struggled with mental health and sobriety.
In late 2022, the San Antonio Brahmas selected Wing to play in the XFL23.
He’d see action in all 10 games, and lead the league statistically across the board.
On the season, he had 2010 yards on 42 punts (47.2 yards per punt), and a 72 yard long punt- but was snubbed for All-XFL honors.
Brad signed with the Steelers in 2023, and punted in 2 contests for the team.
He returned to the Brahmas (now in the UFL) in 2024 where he’s a fan favorite.
On the season, he had 35 punts for 1598 yards, a 45.7 yard average, and 12 of those punts dropped inside the 20.
He entered UFL and San Antonio lore when in the 2024 opener he completed a fake punt for 40 yards to Alex Mollette who rumbled in for a TD right before the half against the DC Defenders.
NOTES:
Finally. I got Brad Wing of the Memphis Express (and Brahmas). Mark (MSB) got Brad a while ago through a family address, but I felt that I had other priorities so I waited on this one. When he got signed by the Brahmas I thought it was fortuitous, so I put his card aside. It took the entire season to nab him on his AAF base card, even though he was very friendly with fans.
When Brad was snubbed for the All XFL team in ’23 I ranted about it on Twitter. His family liked my post and agreed with me.
His father, Dave, played professionally in the NFLE for the Scottish Claymores.
Norm Johnson was a placekicker for UCLA from 1980-’81.
Over those two years he locked in 64 of 65 extra points, and 24 of 33 field goals.
He was signed as an UDFA by the Seattle Seahawks in 1982.
Played the next 9 seasons for the team, and in 4 of those seasons accounted for 20 or more field goals.
Signed with Atlanta in 1991, played with the Falcons through 1994.
In 1993, he went 26 of 27 on fieldgoals, including a 54 yard long.
Joined the Steelers in 1995, and immediately paid dividends hitting 34 of 41 field goals that year at Three Rivers to lead the NFL in both those categories.
Played final season for the Eagles in 1999.
Finished career with a whopping 1,736 points in 273 games played.
ACCOLADES:
All Pro 1984
Second Team All Pro 1993
Pro Bowl 1984, ’93
Seattle Seahawks 35th Anniversary Team
NOTES:
Norm played for the ‘Seattle Knights’ on Tecmo Bowl- and he was absolutely terrible. The season that his player stats were based off of, 1985, was an outlier, and his worst season as a pro, when he hit 14 of 25 field goals. In general, Norm was a very reliable kicker throughout his playing career, but he could never shake that bad moniker for me.
XPA
XPM
PCT
FGA
FGM
PCT
LG
644
638
.991
477
366
.767
54
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