Tag Archives: sage 2014

NFL

Hurns, Allen

sa14 hurns 2

Cards: Sage 2014, Sage 2014 Next Level
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o The Jacksonville Jaguars
Sent: 11/12    Received:  12/2   (23 days)

Allen Hurns has been an amazing find by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fighting his way up a decent roster of receivers and draftees, Hurns has emerged as one of young quarterback Blake Bortles consistent targets. Allen also forms with Allen Robinson to be one of the most potent duos in the league at that position.  In 2014, he played more of a split end for the Jags catching 51 passes for 677 yards and 6 TDs. He’d break the 1,000 yard barrier in 2015 on 64 receptions, while hauling in 10 TDs, including an 80 yarder in 2015.  All the more impressive, Allen also set the team record for most consecutive games with a TD reception (7).

sa14 ahurnsA track and football guy in college at The University of Miami, FL, Allen set the single-season school record with 1,162 receiving yards in 2014.  Hurns slipped through the draft unnoticed and was considered a 7th round pick or a priority free agent by many teams.  His tape really didn’t do him justice, but it didn’t help that he was running so many short to intermediate basic routes. Being so nearby to Jacksonville, it made sense that the Jaguars  take a flyer on him.
I don’t have that many Jaguars in my collection, something I’ve been slow to rectify. This is partially due to the fact that they joined the NFL after I had stopped collecting in the 90s and that they are considered a division rival. Still in the last few years, I have flirted with the Jags. I really like what they’ve done offensively to open things up in the last 2-3 years, and I make no secret that I think that Blake Bortles is one of the best QBs to come along in the last few years.  I went ahead and took a shot at Hurns and he signed and personalized these two cards in a pretty short amount of time.

NFL

Smith, Jerome


sa14 jersmith
Card: Sage 2012
Acquired: 2014, Box Breaker

Jerome Smith played runningback at Syracuse wher he rushed for 914 yards and 12 touchdowns in his redshirt junior season at Syracuse. He left with one year remaining for the NFL, but went undrafted in 2014- instead signing a free agent contract with the Atlanta Falcons. He’d make the Practice Squad and then be promoted to the active roster at the end of the season, suiting up for one game.
In 2015, the Falcons had an open competition at runningback. Smith had 22 carries for 72 yards during the preseason, but got injured and later reached an injury settlement with the Falcons upon his release.

CFL, MLFB, NFL, University of Texas

Davis, Mike (WR)

sage14 mdavis to14 mdavissage14 mdavis NL

Cards: Sage 2014, Sage 2014 Next Level, Topps 2014
Acquired: In Person, 1/8/16 Bud Light/ BAM Sports Tour

Mike Davis played at UT where he piled up the numbers despite issues at quarterback for the Longhorns in the twilight years of the Brown era.  He finished with 200 catches, 2,753 yards and 18 TDs to rank fourth, fifth and fourth on the career charts for the Longhorns. He is one of 5 receivers (Jordan Shipley, Roy Williams, Jaxon Shipley, and Quan Cosby) in school history to record 200 or more catches and his 10 100-yard receiving games rank second in school history. Mike Davis did well enough to earn an invitation to the Senior Bowl.

Projected to go in the 7th round of the NFL Draft, I had hoped that the Texans would select him in the 2014 draft, however he would not be selected. Davis signed a free agent contract with the Oakland Raiders after the draft but he’d be released in August.  Mike signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 2015, and later had a tryout with the Panthers and Chiefs.  In 2016 he was selected by ‘Team Texas’ of the fledgling MLFB.

I was able to get his autograph on these three cards, thanks in part again to my friend Shawn.  He gave me the Topps and one of the Sage cards to get signed. The bronze colored sharpie is quickly becoming my favorite as it rescues a fairly pedestrian looking autograph. Mike was nice to all the fans who attended the event in the cramped corner of the convenience store.  After a rough start with BAM a few years ago, I’ve been impressed with the handling of events by the promoter and his staff.