Tag Archives: pro set 1989

CFL, NFL

Rison, Andre ‘Bad Moon’

Action Packed Rookies 1990, #83

CARDS: Pro Set 1989, Action Packed 1990, Action Packed Rookies & Stars 1990
ACQUIRED: 2022, Private Signing

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Andre Rison was a dominant receiver who played at Michigan State.
  • He established career record marks for receptions (146), and yards (2992).
  • Also was a great basketball and track man for the Spartans.
  • Selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1989 NFL draft.
  • Was second among all rookie receivers in 1989 with 820 yards, and was the first Colts receiver in almost 10 years to catch over 50 passes in their rookie season (52).
  • He and Bill Brooks were an effective 1-2 punch, pairing for the most 100 yard games since ’68.
  • Well in 1990, the Colts were desperate for a QB, so they packaged up Andre, T Chris Hinton, and draft picks to get the #1 pick from the Falcons to select Jeff George.
  • While the Colts were imploding over the next few years, Rison was reaching new heights in the Falcons Red Gun offense.
  • He also adopted a bad boy persona and became known as ‘Bad Moon’ Rison.
  • He had a career high 93 receptions in ’92, 1,242 yards , and a league leading 15 TDs in 1994.
  • Andre started 73 games over his time in Atlanta, catching 423 passes for 5633 yards and 56 TDs over 5 seasons.
  • In 1995, Andre signed with the Browns playing one seasons with the team.
  • After a disappointing season in Cleveland, where he feuded with fans, Rison played in 1996 for the Jags, and then was picked up by the Pack who needed help at receiver.
  • He’d earn a Super Bowl ring that season catching passes from Brett Favre.
  • Rison cashed in after the season, proving that perhaps he just needed a change of scenery from his hiccup two previous seasons ago in Cleveland.
  • Andre had a minor resurgence after he signed with the Chiefs in 1997.
  • He’d catch 72 passes for 1092 yards and 7 TDs, earning the nickname Spider-man.
  • Rison at this point of his career was attempting to rehabilitate his image as a diva, and Spider-man seemed like a positive role model.
  • After a total of 3 seasons in KC, Rison played one final year in the NFL with the Raiders in Oakland.
  • Despite not starting that year, he put up 41 catches for 606 yards and 6 TDs.
  • Rison took some time away from the sport, but returned in 2004 to play for the Toronto Argonauts.
  • He played just long enough to help the team win the Grey Cup, and retired after the 2005 campaign.
  • After his playing days ended, Andre has gone into coaching.
Pro Set 1989, #497
Action Packed 1990, #107

ACCOLADES:

  • Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
  • All-Rookie Team 1989
  • AP 1990
  • 2nd Team AP 1991-’93
  • Pro Bowl 1990-’93, 1997

NOTES:

Boasting an extremely low signing percentage and an ancient last return date there was no way I was going to get Andre through the mail. I knew the best chance I’d have is to probably go through a private signing. I follow a couple of private signers and Facebook pages that promote them, and finally after missing out on one already- I was able to get him affordably on these three cards. The problem is with Andre, as he was an early darling of every set that came onto the scene in those early days of the big card boom, so I literally have probably five or six more set needs. Andre was an excellent receiver on the Atlanta Falcons in Tecmo Super Bowl and Super Tecmo Bowl.

Andre has a pretty solid resume, but maybe due to his bad image early in his career that caused him to be perceived as a diva, and then just as a bad guy in general, he’s gotten little traction from voters for the HoF, even though he’s gone to great lengths to dispel his reputation. Despite possessing a 10k resume, and impressive TD numbers, Rison is now caught in the logger jam at WR building from more modern candidates that have inflated numbers due to a game geared more towards the passing game. Andre is also one of a unique club of players who has won both a Grey Cup and a Super Bowl.

NFL

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CFL

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NFL

Grimes, Randy ‘Bubba’

Pro Set 1989, #410

CARDS: Pro Set 1989, Score 1989, Fleer 1990
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home
SENT: 2/7 RECEIVED: 3/18 (39 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Bulked up 60 pounds, moving from defensive end to center and became starter for last two years at Baylor.
  • Second Round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1983.
  • Saw action at Center and Guard, starting 13 games over first two seasons.
  • In 1985, replaced retiring Steve Wilson at center.
  • Started 78 straight games before sitting out ’90 season opener due to injury.
  • Started 104 games, retiring after the 1992 season.

ACCOLADES:

  • Pro Bowl Alternate 1988
Fleer 1990, #344
Score 1989, #187

NOTES:

Some great cards of Randy here as I knock out mainly some set needs.

Randy got addicted to opioid painkillers while in the NFL, but with the help of friends and family he went to treatment and got the help he needed. Randy founded a recovery operation after that titled ‘Athletes in Recovery’, and also participates in public speaking.

NFL

McNeil, Freeman

Cards: Fleer 1990, ProSet 1989
Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o Home
Sent: 10/19 Received: 11/17 (29 days)

Freeman McNeil was one of these players that rarely, if ever signed. I had pencilled him in for a paid signing with a stiff fee last year, but forgot about the event. Then a new event was cancelled due to the pandemic. Fast forward to mid-September 2020, and I saw a response for him come across SCN, so I quickly popped these two cards in the mail. As the successes slowly trickled in, mine showed up after about 30 days of waiting. Considering that up to this year Freeman was a career 1 for 30 type of guy, I was pretty happy to add him to the collection on these beautiful cards.

Freeman’s career was already on the back nine when I became familiar with him as a kid through trading cards and Starting Lineup figurines. He was a solid back and very productive, but injuries derailed what could’ve been a hall of fame career. – And back in the 80s when you needed to have a knee or ankle procedure? Something like that could end your career. Freeman was the epitome of the walking wounded. When he was a rookie in 81 his season ended due to a sprained foot. In 1983, he landed badly and separated his shoulder and then in 84, he broke some ribs… 1986 saw Freeman dislocate his elbow… and in 87 he got lucky and just pulled his hammy very, very badly. It’d be in 1989, McNeil ripped his knee ligaments. All in all, over 12 seasons, Freeman only played 2 full 16 game slates.

Freeman played for the UCLA Bruins from 1977-1980. He had 1,396 yards rushing in 1979, and 1,105 yards in 1980. He’d be the second runningback selected in the 1981 NFL Draft, with the 3rd overall pick by the New York Jets. He ran for 623 yards his rookie year in 6 starts in his debut NFL season. In 1982, Freeman ran for 786 yards on 151 carries in 9 strike shortened games. His 786 yards and 5.2 yards per carry led the league. (It is notably the only time in NFL history that a Jets runningback has led the league in rushing.) He’d earn his first Pro Bowl and only All Pro nomination for that season.

The Jets were a team during that period that ran the ball heavily. Once Johnny Hector was brought on board, the offense was referred to as a ‘two headed monster’. In 1984 Freeman broke the 1,000 yard barrier for the first time, rushing for 1,070 on 229 carries. Then in 1985, McNeil rushed for a career high 1,331 yards on 294 carries. – Again, all the more impressive as he and Hector were splitting time in the backfield.

Although Freeman didn’t break the 1,000 yard barrier again throughout the remainder of his career, he managed to put together campaigns in 1986 (856 yards) and 1988 (944 yards) that put him close enough. By 1990, Freeman began passing the torch to the next man up, which by that point was Blair Thomas and Brad Baxter. McNeil retired after the 1992 season as the franchise’s all time leading rusher with 8,074 yards, (since surpassed by Curtis Martin).

He has been inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor and the Nassau County (NY) Hall of Fame.

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