Kony joined the Cowboys during the 2018 preseason, but was cut.
He’d then sign with the Raiders, but again would be cut before the end of the year.
The next year Kony was selected by and signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL20.
With the season cancelled due to COVID after 5 games, Kony finished with 9 tackles, 2 TFL, and half a sack.
He spent a season then in the CFL with the Argos from 2021 to the end of camp in 2022.
With that it was off for a month with the Vegas Knight Hawks of the IFL.
And then finally another 3 months with the Edmonton Elks before the end of the 2022 season.
NOTES:
Well I had reloaded on Kony after meeting him in person at the Houston Roughnecks team meet and greet for season ticket holders and I was hopeful the league would pick back up in 2021 but unfortunately COVID finished off the XFL20. So I held onto this post and eventually forgot about it.
A few things about Kony. I think if he had found a spot on a team primarily as a situational starter or designated pass rusher, he might’ve stuck around longer at his different stops. It takes a genius of a DC to unlock potential and Kony had plenty of that- as evidenced in his Super Bowl 50 performance when he logged 3 sacks, forced a fumble and made an interception.
I really also relate to the big guy as he has struggled with depression after the loss of his father and sister, and while he was with the Roughnecks, he opened up about it and his battle with it.
After AAF folded, Carl was selected by the XFL Houston Roughnecks during the open phase of the league draft.
In 5 games, Carl posted 5 combined tackles, 2 sacks, 2 quarterback hits, and one tackle for loss.
NOTES:
I didn’t really have much else of Carl Bradford left except for his Sage card. A few days later I got in his Upper Deck that I hoped to eventually get signed but the league folded before that happened.
At the season ticket holders party, Carl was a great ambassador for the XFL. His exuberance and excitement was infectious to all the fans around him. He was willing to sign anything you had and gave you his full attention while doing so. We chatted briefly about the AAF and the card he had, to which he told me he had a stack of the player issued cards at home somewhere, and he had an amazing experience playing for the Hotshots.
Card: Sage 2014 Acquired: 2016, Private Break See Also: Kareem Martin
Kareem Martin slowly blossomed into his game after he transitioned to outside linebacker in the pros. He saw limited playtime early in his career in Arizona, starting 10 games at outside linebacker and defensive end in 2017. He finished the season with 23 combined tackles, 2 tackles for losses, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception and 3 pass deflections. The Giants snapped up Kareem during free agency and penciled him in as a starter at outside linebacker in their revamped defense. He finished 2018 with 48 combined tackles, 2 pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 10 quarterback hits in 7 starts. Martin was injured during week 1 of the 2019 campaign, and was cut at the end of the season. During 2020, Kareem was a depth signee by the Detroit Lions, seeing brief action with the team but not recording any stats. Currently he’s a free agent.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
