Tag Archives: run and shoot

CFL, NFL

Turner, Elbert

Card: StarPics 1992
Acquired: In Person, Houston Oilers Training Camp 1992

In 1992, speedster and flanker Elbert Turner was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the seventh round. The Oilers had lost two receivers during Plan B in the off-season and were hoping that Turner would be one of those guys to fit the bill in their run and shoot offense.  I’d get his autograph during training camp in San Antonio. Unfortunately he didn’t make the final cut with the team, but was picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals who hoped to put his world class speed and All-American hurdling skills to the test.  Elbert would stick on their practice squad for that season and 1993. He’d head to Canada to keep playing football, and eventually hook on with the Saskatchewan Roughriders where he’d suit up for 15 games and through 1995 before retiring.

CFL, NFL, usfl

Jones, June (1953-2026)

CARDS: Topps 1978, Topps 1979, Topps XFL 2020
ACQUIRED: TTM 2010, C/o SMU. IP 2019, Roughnecks Kickoff Event. TTM 2021, C/o Home
SENT: 1/13/2010 RECEIVED: 2/1/2010 (26 days)
SENT: 7/6/2021 RECEIVED: 9/14/2021 (70 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • After playing in 3 different offensive systems and 3 different colleges, June would be drafted by the Atlanta Falcons out of Portland State where he played from 1977 to 1981.
  • He’d then briefly play in the CFL for the Toronto Argonauts.
  • Jones quickly moved into coaching, working under Jack Pardee and Mouse Davis as the wide receivers coach for the USFL Houston Gamblers, the OC of the Denver Gold and then into the CFL coaching with the Ottawa Rough Riders.
  • In 1987, June was hired by Jerry Glanville to coach Warren Moon as the quarterbacks coach in Houston and then with Detroit under offensive coordinator Mouse Davis.
  • After this stint he would follow Glanville to Atlanta where he’d install the Run ‘N Shoot offense.
  • Later he’d replace Glanville as head coach of the Falcons.
  • June guided the team to the playoffs before a meltdown with quarterback Jeff  George that was infamously caught on tape.
  • The rift caused both of them to get released.
  • Jones then worked for Kevin Gilbride briefly on the Chargers staff, before returing to the college ranks as head coach for the University of Hawaii.
  • He turned a winless team around to a 9-4 bowl bound team in what is considered to be the fastest turn around in NCAA football history.
  • By 2006 he was the winningest coach in Hawaii history and finished his career there in 2007 at 76-41.
  • In 2008 Jones decided to leave Hawaii to coach perennial doormat SMU turning that franchise around in two seasons and leading them to their first bowl game in many years.
  • June coached the Mustangs back to respectability winning Conference USA in both 2009 and 2010.
  • Resigned during the 2014 season, and finished his college tenure at SMU with a 36-43 record, and a 112-84 college coaching mark overall.
  • Couldn’t stay away from the game and decided to be the director of athletics at Kapolei High School in 2016.
  • Then in 2017, Jones was brought in as an assistant coach by the CFL Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
  • Quickly promoted to HC during the season and led the team to a 6-4 mark after a 0-8 start.
  • Made the playoffs in 2018 but posted an 8-10 record.
  • Stepped down in May of 2019 and finished with a 14-14 CFL coaching record.
  • June was named the head coach of the XFL20 Houston Roughnecks in 2019 and it was clear the league did their homework on him.
  • He brought to the table an NFL prepared team, that utilized a wide open Run N Shoot system- that made misty eyed for the Houston Oilers.
  • June’s Roughnecks ran the table in 2020 as the best team in the league, going 5-0 before the league went on hiatus due to COVID.
  • He returned as OC of the Seattle Seadragons for 2023, but resigned before the season began.

ACCOLADES:

  • XFL Head Coach of the Year 2020

NOTES:

A member of the Mouse Davis coaching tree, June Jones was considered a quarterback guru and offensive innovator and his teams typically employ a spread offense or Run ‘N Shoot variant. I was a big fan of his and hoped he’d return to the relaunched league or the UFL at some point to take over the moribund Roughnecks/Gamblers franchise but no dice.

I had one last Topps 1980 card that I wanted June to sign for me at the Roughnecks kickoff event way back in 2019 at the Woodlands. It was a good event meeting Sammie Coates and Connor Cook. As they all sat down and autographed things for me, I got June to sign this card. I asked him if he was going to grow back his mustache and he humored me for a brief minute and said probably not.

After the league went on hiatus I wrote him again to get his autograph on his XFL 2020 card. At the time I had just started writing coaches and asking that they ink a play on a note card. I was pretty disappointed not to get a play back from June because he’s such a famous offensive mind, but again- I was just happy to get his autograph on his XFL card to begin with.

EPITAPH:

10/29/26- June Jones passed away at the age of 73 today. No cause of death was given.

WLT.PCT
105810.565
College
WLT.PCT
22360.379
NFL
WLT.PCT
5001.000
XFL
WLT.PCT
14140.500
CFL
NFL

Duncan, Curtis ‘CD’


Cards: Pacific 1991,Pinnacle 1992,Topps 1992,Topps 1988, Score 1991, Proset 1990
Acquired: In Person, 1991,1993. TTM 2010 c/o home.
Sent: 2/15   Received: 2/26  (11 days)
See Also: Curtis Duncan (2), Curtis Duncan (3)

A 10th round selection out of Northwestern, nobody really gave Curtis a chance to make the Houston Oilers’ roster in 1987 but he ended up contributing for a 7 solid seven seasons. Considered the quietest member of the Run and Shoot wide receivers, Curtis was the ‘hands man’ of the group of Ernest Givins, Haywood Jeffrires, and Drew Hill/ Webster Slaughter. Never actually going over the 1,000 yard plateau, his best season came in 1992 when he had 954 yards on 82 receptions.  He’d play out the 1993 season with the Oilers, and then play through the preseason the next year with the Packers. (Among his more notorious accomplishments is holding the NFL record for receivers of most catches without a touchdown, at 106- probably since broken.) Duncan is now a member of the Houston Texans Ambassador club- (spokesmen for the organization that appear at a variety of local events to increase public interest in the Texans) and also plays golf and writes poetry in his spare time.

When Duncan first started, he was a touchdown threat every time he touched the ball his rookie season. After his rookie season, he settled into his role as the possession receiver. By the end of his career he was more comparable to Kelvin Martin only occasionally running the deep route. CD was also pretty good on Tecmo Super Bowl. The game always had him set up to go deep and you could just bomb to him all day long.

Curtis signed four cards for me in near record time. The inscription from Matt 6:33. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Games 102     Rec 322    Yds 3935    Avg 12.2   Td 20   Lg 72