Tag Archives: Pro Set 1990

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF, Super Bowl MVP

Bradshaw, Terry

Card: Pro Set 1990 SuperBowl MVP
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent: 4/5   Received: 4/14  (9 days)

I love these old Pro Set SuperBowl MVP cards. Merv Corning is an amazing artist and did such a classy set for Pro Set. I wish they had done an addendum later and included the additional cards through the latest MVP using Corning, but this could obviously never come to fruition, especially with the dissolution of the Pro Set company and its assets some years ago. The white hitting Terry’s head as he stands there with his hands on his hips is just a stroke of genius. I can see why Terry didn’t autograph it directly on his likeness.

So with Terry, don’t expect a response from him so quickly. He’s typically somebody who only signs about once a year- if that. I was incredibly shocked to have received a response from him in 9 days, but I suspect tax and off-season may have had something to do with that. I was alerted to him signing about 2 weeks before I got the success when I saw a few successes from other posters on the NFL TTM thread on Fanmail.biz, and dropped something quickly in the mail to him the next day.

Terry Bradshaw is a bigger than life personality and one of the first gunslingers in football. An incredible leader and gambler on the field, Bradshaw had his ups and downs before winning 4 Super Bowl Titles, becoming one of the most indelible Football Commentators on television, and being inducted into the NFL HoF in 1989.  Louisiana Tech wasn’t exactly the hub of pro football when Terry Bradshaw- a local product from Shreveport came a calling, but he certainly put them on the map, for other quarterbacks to come.  The Pittsburgh Steelers took Terry with the overall #1 pick of the 1970 draft, -the first season in which the NFL and AFL had merged. (The two leagues however had been conducting combined drafts since 1967.)

The Steelers had become a doormat of the NFL, but with the hiring of Chuck Noll in 1969 and a switch to the AFC, their fortunes slowly began to change.  Bradshaw’s rookie season was horrendous, as he adjusted to the pro game, throwing 6 touchdowns and 24 interceptions. It’d be much of the same over the next few years, 13 TD – 22 INT (1971), 12 TD – 12 INT (’72), and 10TD – 15INT (’73). With a succession of strong drafts, talent would build, but so would frustration. At one point fans didn’t feel that Bradshaw was the key to the future of the franchise, but Bradshaw turned to his spiritual faith to press forward, and with that an amazing statistical transformation also took place. Shed of his stress and outward pursuits, Bradshaw began to refocus his life and thus began the era of the Second Super Bowl Dynasty- the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’d lead the team to SuperBowl victories in 1974, 1975, 1978, and 1979. Bradshaw nabbed MVP honors in both 1978 and 1979, becoming the first two time back to back MVP since Bart Starr. What was more astounding was Bradshaw managed to put up his best numbers in what is referred to in NFL annuls as ‘the dead ball era’- a period of time in which passing favored defenders, so offenses were forced to more of a ground game approach. Although injuries claimed a significant percentage of the latter half of his career, he still managed to lodge 107 career wins and retired following the 1983 season. Among his other accomplishments was being named NFL MVP in 1978, and most people forget that he was an able scrambler, rushing for 35 touchdowns over his career.

Bradshaw made the transition seamlessly into the booth, where he has developed a knack for being openly critical of players who do the sport wrong, and also his self-deprecating sense of humor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, has appeared in a variety of media including television and movie acting, and has recorded some Country music.  Terry was named to the Pittsburgh Steelers 75th Anniversary team, the NFL 1970’s All Decade Team, College Football Hall of Fame and was named the #50 NFL player of all time.  In 2006 Bradshaw donated a truckload of his personal affects and awards to his Alma Matter, LA Tech for display at the institution. Truly a great guy.

G/GS  168/158     Att 3901    Comp 2025     Yds  27,989     Pct 51.9     Td  212      Int  210     Rat  70.9   |
Rush 444       Yds 2257       Avg 5.1       Td 35       Lg 39

 

NFL

Donaldson, Ray

Card: Pro Set 1990
Acquired: TTM 1992, Colts Blitz

After an impressive career at Georgia, Ray Donaldson was originally a second round choice of the Baltimore Colts back in 1980.  He would take over the starting duties at the postion in 1981 and saw the team through the final years in Baltimore, the Eric Dickerson years and up through the beginning of the Jeff George era. He’d play for the Colts franchise through 1992, earning a Pro Bowl Nod from 1986-1989.  In 1993 Ray signed with the Seahawks playing for the team through the end of the 1994 season. He’d then sign with the Dallas Cowboys, replacing departed Mark Stepnoski playing two additional seasons. Ray would experience a late career renaissance and return to the Pro Bowl in 1995 and 1996 before retiring with 17 seasons under his belt.

In 2006, Donaldson was honored with an induction into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.  His 184 games started ranks 4th on the Colts all time list and 1st among linemen for the franchise. A 6 time Pro Bowler Ray Donaldson lives in Indianapolis and is currently a high school football coach. He holds the odd accomplishment of being the first African-American football player to play center.

NFL

Awalt, Robert

Card: ProSet 1990
Acquired: In Person 1991, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp

Okay, I could never understand the Cardinals organization’s logic when it came to their tight ends. Here you have a proven veteran in Jay Novacek. You watch him leave Plan B to the Dallas Cowboys where he goes on to burn defenses across the league. In the meantime, the Cardinals groom promising Robert Awalt who actually starts and front of Novacek,(named NFC offensive rookie of the year in 1987,) but then roughly two years later, traded Awalt away to that same Dallas Cowboys organization. Just makes me scratch my head. (In Rob’s first few weeks for the organization, Robert would wear 46 as pictured on the card until 89 became available for him to wear.) Awalt would play behind Jay in two injury plagued seasons for the Cowboys primarily as a blocking tight end and occasional receiver. In 1992 Rob joined the Buffalo Bills, making 2 SuperBowl appearances there before retiring at the age of 29, after being placed on injured reserve to repair a torn rotator cuff in 1993.

I got Robert’s autograph on his ProSet 1990 at Cowboys Training camp, at the infamous autograph alley back in 1991- I think from what I remember at the final fence line before the players walk onto the playing field. I was a regular as background fodder on the local sportscasts and also had my picture once in the Dallas Morning News getting crushed in the alleyway by fans leaning me into the fence trying to get autographs. Those were good times despite the heat, and I never failed at getting an autograph everyday I was there.

G/Gs  95/44   Rec 138   Yds  1583   Avg  11.5   Td  10   lg 52