Tag Archives: pro set 1991

NFL

Mills, Ernie

Pacific 1991, #538

CARDS: Star Pics 1991, Action Packed Rookies 1991, Score Supplemental 1991, Pacific 1991, Pro Set 1991
ACQUIRED: TTM 2021, C/o Home. TTM 2016, C/o Home.
SENT: 4/22/21 RECEIVED: 1/19/22 (272 days)
SENT: 10/7/17 RECEIVED: 9/17/22 (1806 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Ernie Mills played WR for the Florida Gators from 1987-90.
  • Posted 81 receptions for 1585 yards, a whopping 19.6 yards per reception, and 15 TDs over 4 years in Gainesville.
  • Best year for the Gators came in his Senior year, when he had 41 receptions for 770 yards and 10 TDs.
  • Originally started as a DB but quickly transitioned to WR, hauling in his first career reception of 49 yards from Florida QB legend Kerwin Bell.
  • Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 3rd round of the 1991 NFL Draft.
  • Mills spent his time on special teams and started two games at WR his rookie year.
  • He’d finish first in special teams tackles, and scored his first TD on a punt that hit the opposing team’s blocking back. (See Eugene Lockhart)
  • But things never really materialized for Ernie in Pittsburgh, who had a nascent passing attack, and he was battling for a roster spot with other fresh WRs, Chris Calloway and Jeff Graham.
  • He had his best season in Pittsburgh in 1995, catching 39 passes for 679 yards and 8 TDs.
  • It was a titanic year actually for Ernie as he quietly put up 2,024 all-purpose yards, including 1,304 on kick returns.
  • He’d be injured during Super Bowl XXX, tearing his ACL and being lost for most of the following 1996 campaign.
  • In 1997, Ernie signed with the Carolina Panthers and played one season for them.
  • The final two years of his career were spent in Dallas, as a key roleplayer for the Dallas Cowboys under head coach Chan Gailey, whom he’d played for previously in Pittsbugh.
  • Mills was oft injured, but still managed to post solid numbers as a reliable #3 option behind Michael Irvin and Rocket Ismail.
  • After a brief hiatus from the sport, Mills was spotted at Jacksonville University coaching WRs with his former college QB Kerwin Bell, holding the position from 2007-2012.
  • Then he coached WRs at Florida A&M from 2013-2015.
Star Pics 1991, #66
Action Packed Rookies 1991, #58

NOTES:

Well, there’s Ernie Mills, with an incredibly long orbital trajectory. I had given up on Ernie basically on two separate occasions, but after noticing a few successes, I figured the one for 2021 was in the works to return to me. After some patient waiting, it indeed finally came through, and I added the Action Packed Rookies 1991 card finally to my collection.

Ernie frustrated me as he tended to sign in spurts, sometimes responding to people immediately, while on other occasions-such as mine, languished in wait. I was pretty happy to get the entry sent out in 2021 back early in 2022, but lo and behold, some 8 months after that, the original entry I sent from 2017, also arrived, rocketing up the longest wait charts officially to #5, at a cool 1806 days.

I don’t talk about Pacific 1991 enough right? To me the set was a bold design choice, but quite laughable. For some reason, it just stood out as being… simplistic, with the gradient and the 1970s style typeface. The back was again bold, but a bit wild, as the entire canvas of information was set at a 45 degree angle! I thought that the photo on this Pacific card really nailed it, so I thought it’d make a nice card to get autographed.

With these cards, I can firmly close the door on Ernie. I love his autograph. Well worth the wait and very original. A strong ‘E’, ‘M’, and ‘S’ punctuate his unique signature with great stroke, pen pressure, and placement.

Score Supplemental 1991, #56T
Pro Set 1991, #802
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196293415.02062
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80181822.7057
CFL, NFL, WLAF

Chryst, Paul

Pro Set 1991 World League Insert, #9

CARD: Pro Set 1991 World League Insert
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Wisconsin
SENT: 5/23 RECEIVED: 8/5 (74 Days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Played college ball at Wisconsin in ’87 and ’88.
  • Saw time in ’87 at QB going 5 of 7 for 81 yards, before hopping over to TE.
  • In ’88 caught 12 passes for 103 yards.
  • Quickly joined West Virginia as a graduate assistant in ’89, before hopping over to the WLAF in ’91.
  • He’d coach WR/TE/RBs with the Riders through ’92.
  • Chryst saw a mixture of college and CFL positional stops added to his resume highlighted with stops in Ottawa (1994), Saskatchewan (1996), Chargers (1999-’01) .
  • Named head coach at Pitt in 2012, after rising up the coaching staff at his Alma Mater Wisconsin.
  • In 2015, he returned to Wisconsin as head coach, and led the team to 6 bowl wins (7 appearances), and ranked after 4 of those seasons.
  • Fired during the 2022 campaign after the Badgers got off to a 2-3 start.
  • Compiled a 67-26 record at Wisconsin.

ACCOLADES:

  • Big 10 Coach of The Year 2016, ’17

NOTES:

Paul Chryst is a member of the Mike Riley tree. He’s crossed back over into Mike’s sphere of influence a few times with the Riders and then later at Oregon St. He signed this card for me only shortly before he was let go. Paul’s not a sexy name, but I think he’d make a fine coach at another major program, or perhaps in the XFL23 or ‘new’ USFL.

NFL, NFLE, WLAF, XFL

Luck, Oliver

CARD: Pro Set 1991 World League Insert
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home
SENT: 4/21 RECEIVED: 5/2 (9 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Played QB for the Mountaineers from 1979-82 setting numerous records at the school.
  • Selected by the Houston Oilers in the 2nd round of the 1983 NFL Draft.
  • Played 4 seasons for the Oilers, starting 9 games and winning 3 contests.
  • Best game perhaps came in 1985, leading the Oilers in a comeback win over the San Diego Chargers 37-35.
  • Threw for 286 yards on 24 of 42 passes with 1 TD and an INT during that game.
  • Over NFL career also rushed 44 times for 237 yards and a TD.
  • From 1984-86, backed up Warren Moon, but in 1987 the Oilers drafted Cody Carlson, so the writing was on the wall for Oliver in H-Town.
  • After retiring, has had a very successful career as an executive in the sport.
  • Got first taste as General Manager of the Frankfurt Galaxy from 1991-’92.
  • After the World League reorganized, returned to be the GM of the Rhein Fire from 1995-’96.
  • Served as NFL Europe President from 1996-00.
  • Returned stateside working with the Houston Sports Authority from 2001-05.
  • Named President and GM of the Houston Dynamo from 2005-10.
  • Served as Executive VP of Regulatory Affairs from 2014-18.
  • Poached to lead the XFL20 initiative, as Commissioner and CEO, but the league shut down operations as COVID took hold.

NOTES:

Getting Oliver for the XFL job was a huge, huge media buzz pull for the XFL. It was a savvy move for Vince to hand over the reins and let someone else handle the operations of the league, and Oliver was the most qualified. It really disappointed me how the league treated Luck after everything shut down and I hope he wins every dollar he sued McMahon for in court.

When I met him, Lance and I were at the Houston Roughnecks/ Tampa Vipers scrimmage, and Oliver just sorta meandered down from the stands down near the field where we were. He was, I don’t know, pleasantly amused that I recognized him, and possibly a bit befuddled nobody caught him before me. Oliver came over and we discussed the league and I told him that I was a big World League fan from back in the day and a season ticket holder to the Riders. He gave me the usual talking points that he circulates of his time in Frankfurt and how they didn’t have any desks and how unprepared they were, but it didn’t matter as we had a great conversation.

I meant to send to Oliver sooner but I couldn’t find a card of him. The only thing I could locate was a McDonalds scratch and win trading card from the mid 80s, but nobody had it in stock, or at a reasonable price. Eventually I settled on the Pro Set 1991 World League Galaxy helmet insert, and I can’t figure out why I didn’t start getting these signed sooner as they are perfect for the job. So I dropped this and a photo in, as well as a card of his son (Andrew), hoping that he’d have Oliver sign as well, but unfortunately that plan backfired, and Oliver signed that card as well. Ah well… Very happy with his response, signing the card and the photo for me with a nice note.

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