CARD: Pro Set 1989 ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home SENT: 5/18 RECEIVED: 7/20 (63 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Gerald Willhite played RB for the San Jose St Spartans from 1980-81.
He rushed for 1,000 yards in both years, and had 542 carries for 2403 yards and 20 TDs over his time there.
At the time he was only the second player in NCAA history who ran for 1,000+ yards and caught 50 or more passes.
Selected at the bottom of round one by the Denver Broncos in the 1982 NFL Draft.
A scatback ahead of his time, Willhite contributed nearly 1,000 yards al-purpose yards in his first 3 seasons, before topping out at 1,397 yards in 1985.
In 1986, became the first Bronco to have two 3-TD games in one season.
That same year, he set the team mark with 64 receptions for a runningback.
Early in the ’87 campaign against the Vikes, suffered a gruesome injury, breaking his leg in two places, a bone chip, and an injured ankle.
He returned the following year and played for the Broncos for two more seasons before officially hanging up the cleats.
At the time of his retirement, his 4.4 yards per carry was also a career franchise mark.
NOTES:
Gerald played just long enough to get some great card love from Pro Set and Score. I wanted to get both of them signed- but he kept the Score card. Still I’m grateful he took the time to pen this one. What a beauty.
Gerald was a plaintiff member of the concussion lawsuit against the NFL. The smallish, (5-10, 200) Willhite was a fearless runnner who loved to hit, but his little body took a pounding. Outside of his major injury, he took concussions, hamstring injuries, and other unreported knicks and tears every season he played.
CARDS: Action Packed 1990, Fleer 1990, Pro Set 1989 ACQUIRED: TTM 2020, C/o Home SENT: 10/14/20 RECEIVED: 4/2/22 (550 days)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Johnny Hector was the Jets second round draft pick out of Texas A&M during the 1983 NFL Draft.
From 1979-82, carried the ball 550 times for 2587 yards and 20 TDs., while also catching 67 passes for 516 yards while playing for the Aggies.
After a largely forgettable rookie season, Johnny had 531 yards and a TD on 124 carries in 1984.
Had a real nose for the endzone, rushing for 6 TDs in 1985, 8 in ’86, 11 in ’87, and 10 in ’88.
His 11 rushing TDs in ’87 tied for the NFL lead.
During the ’86 season became the first Jet to rush (117 yards) and receive (100 yards) over 100 yards in the same game.
Set franchise record with 40 carries the following week.
Ran for a career high 702 yards in 1989.
Retired after the 1992 NFL season.
Action Packed 1990, #193Fleer 1990, #362
NOTES:
A big coup for me here in Johnny. Sometimes you get this sensation, like a sixth sense that some of these long shots and dormant/ rare signers are going to pay off. Johnny was one of them, and I had thought that these cards were long gone. I was pleasantly surprised to find these three in my mailbox.
CARDS: Pro Set 1989, Pro Set 1990, Pro Set 1992 ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home SENT: 3/22/22 RECEIVED: 4/15/22 (24 DAYS)
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Jim Mora played college ball (TE) at Occidental, graduating in 1957.
Went into coaching at his Alma Mater in 1960 as a positional coach, later being promoted to head coach in 1964.
Earned a Master’s in Education in ’67 and promptly moved to Stanford, after compiling an 18-9 record.
After a year with The Cardinal as LB coach, joined the staff at Colorado filling multiple defensive positional coaching assignments, working there through 1973.
Spent a year at UCLA in ’74- then joined Washington’s staff as a DC in 1975.
In 1978, Jim made the jump to the pros, working with the Seattle Seahawks as a defensive line coach through 1981, and then in ’82 with the Patriots in the same capacity.
1983 would be the first of many bellwether years for Mora, as he’d ascend to head coach, taking over for the Philadelphia/ Baltimore Stars in the USFL.
His teams would go 48-13-1, appearing in 3 USFL championship games, winning 2.
In 1985, Mora took over the perennially beleaguered New Orleans Saints, turning the moribund franchise around.
By 1987, he led the Saints to new levels of respectability, posting a 12-3 record and earning the franchise’s first playoff berth.
Team won a franchise best (at the time) 9 games straight.
A 10-6 record in 1988 disappointingly didn’t lead the Saints back to the playoffs, after they lost out on tie breakers to the Los Angeles Rams.
The NFC West was incredibly competitive at the time, and after a 9-7 record in 1989, the Saints again found themselves on the outside looking in.
1990 saw the Saints break through to the playoffs again and the following season, New Orleans won the division outright for the first time in the franchise’s history.
In each post season appearance, the Saints were bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
Mora coached with the Saints through 1996, resigning about midway through a very difficult season.
After a year working as a commentator for NBC, Jim heard the siren’s call to return to coaching, taking over as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts in 1998.
In 1999, guided the franchise to the largest turnaround in NFL history, going from 3-13 to 13-3.
Refusing to fire some of his staff to appease management, Mora was terminated after the 2001 season.
Mora since that point has become an on air personality for the NFL Network and also did some work in radio as well.
ACCOLADES:
New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame
NFL Coach of the Year 1987
Occidental Athletics Hall of Fame
NOTES:
Jim’s also known for some quality soundbites up there with guys like Bill Parcells. An intense guy. I was sure he’s signed, “Playoffs? Playoffs?”, Too many times to count, so I felt just asking for his autograph on these three cards was a mercy bullet.
I loved Jim’s coaching style. Albeit it was a bit conservative- well really conservative up there with ‘Martyball’, he favored strong running games supported by nasty defenses. He was instrumental in convincing defensive stars to sign with the Saints from the USFL after its dissolution.
When the Texans got rid of Dom Capers, Jim was on my shortlist to replace him alongside Marty at the time, and I wondered why neither was interviewed, because they had a habit of quickly returning and rebuilding teams into a level of unprecedented… respectability. While he didn’t manage to get his NFL teams over the hump, I always felt he was a great sandbox team builder and coach. I would’ve loved to see him come out on top.
Jim has a decent coaching tree that includes branches Dom Capers, Vince Fangio, Bruce Arians, Jim Haslett and his son Jim Mora Jr.
Loved the 1992 card of Jim. Great lighting and profile shot. Takes the cake easy. The TM on the back of the card next to the NFL shield is missing. It’s an UER, and worthless. The ’90 entry had some variants that all based on black or white type for his profile on the back. Also no big deal there.
USFL
W
L
T
PCT
41
12
1
.769
NFL
W
L
T
PCT
125
106
0
.541
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
