Tag Archives: proset 1990

NFL, usfl

Mora, Jim (E.)

Pro Set 1992, #261
Pro Set 1990, #221
Pro Set 1989, #278

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

WLTPCT
41121.769

NFL

WLTPCT
1251060.541
NFL

Krieg, Dave (2)

Fleer 1990, #269
Pro Set 1990, #648
Pro Set 1989, #395

CARDS: ProSet 1990, ProSet 1989, Fleer 1990
ACQUIRED: TTM 2020, C/o Home
SENT: 3/16 RECEIVED: 5/20/22 (776 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

Before I had cooked up my plan to get a Dave Krieg autograph out of the really jaded collector mentioned in my previous Krieg post, I had sent to him and was dismayed to miss out on a response. Surprisingly he began to drop correspondence in the mail around 2 months before I got this success- after a bit over a 2 year wait.

Note: The Fleer 1990 is an uncorrected error card. Krieg’s name is mistakenly spelled ‘Kreig’ on the front of the card. As it was uncorrected and in high circulation, it’s worthless.

CFL, NFL

Walton, Alvin ‘Crushin’ Kansan’

Action Packed 1990, #280

CARDS: Action Packed 1990, Score Supplemental 1989, Pro Set 1990
ACQUIRED: TTM 2021, C/o Home
SENT: 5/3/21 RECEIVED: 5/10/21 (7 days)

  • Alvin was a top flight safety that the Redskins sniped in the 3rd round of the 86 draft.
  • There wasn’t a ton of tape on Alvin since he had academic issues while playing CB at Kansas.
  • Started 4 games his rookie campaign at S and paid immediate dividends, raking in 75 tackles.
  • Had 2 interceptions in 87, and led team in tackles with 148.
  • An enforcer on the line of scrimmage, racked up 11 tackles for loss that season.
  • In ’88, had monstrous campaign putting together 196 total tackles, 3 picks, and a sack.
  • Again, had a team high in tackles in ’89 with 137, and led team with 4 interceptions, including 1 for a TD- despite missing 3 games due to injury.
  • In ’90, returned a Cardinals interception 57 yards for a TD, and led the team for a 4th consecutive year with 143 tackles.
  • 1991 was largely a wash after suffering a shoulder injury during the contest against the Cowboys in week 2.
  • Lost out in a numbers game during camp in 1992 and was cut.
  • Out of football 3 years, reemerged with the Baltimore Stallions of the CFL in 1994 playing LB.
  • Helped the team win the Grey Cup, in 1995 recording 38 tackles- retiring after the season.
Score Supplemental 1989, #334S
Pro Set 1990, #332

NOTES:

Alvin had some great cards during his time in the NFL. I mean on top of this he still had a great Pro Set ’89 and some other set needs. I had been looking for him for a bit, and was happy to get these back in no time flat.

NFL

TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
7055.021225821.5261T

CFL

TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
820000-.-0-.-