Tag Archives: san antonio commanders

AAF, NFL, usfl, WLAF, XFL

Riley, Mike (2)

CARD: Topps AAF 2019 Certified
ACQUIRED: Private Acquisition, 2022
FAILURE: TTM C/o Home 2019, 2020

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

Picking up where we left off, Mike ended up back at Oregon State, where he became the school’s most winning coach. In 2014, he’d be pried off the Beavers by Nebraska. After a difficult tenure at Nebraska, Mike was welcomed back to Corvallis with open arms as an assistant coach.

When the Alliance of American Football was announced, I knew he’d be at the top of their list. I was excited to see Mike return to SA (from his days with the Riders of the WLAF) to coach the team. He was excited to take a walk down memory lane with me when I showed up with my Riders hat on at the Commanders unveiling. The team very much resembled the Riders, and finished 5-3 during the AAF’s season.

I had narrowly missed getting Mike’s autograph on his Topps AAF card during pregame warmups against the Salt Lake City Stallions. I had sideline passes and thought that he’d be a shoe-in to get later TTM. Oddly though, he’s dodged my TTM requests since then.

After the AAF folded, much to everyone’s dismay, Mike was hired on to be the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Dragons of the XFL in 2020- just because it wasn’t more local to Texas.

Recently it was brought to my attention that Mike and head coach Jim Zorn had a disagreement about who should be starting quarterback. The row was so bad between the two that Mike left the team for the first 3 games of the season.

He joined the new USFL as head coach of the New Jersey Generals, and led the team to a 9-1 record in 2022. The team zoomed out to a 2-1 record in 2023, before dropping their next 5, en route to a 3-7 record.

When the XFL and the USFL combined to form the new UFL, the Generals were not retained for 2024.

AAF, Arena, NFL, XFL

Folkerts, Brian

Topps XFL 2020, #41

CARD: Topps XFL 2020
ACQUIRED: IP 2023, San Antonio Brahmas V Arlington Renegades

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Brian Folkerts played college ball for tiny Washburn University from 2008-11.
  • During that time for the Ichabods, Folkerts played both RT and LT for the school.
  • Although possessing the ideal size (6’4″, 306), he’d go unselected in the 2012 NFL Draft.
  • After being cut by the Saints in 2012, Folkerts joined the Arena Football League, playing FB for the San Jose Sabrecats in 2013.
  • He followed that up with a stint playing for the Carolina Panthers from 2013-15.
  • After a short stint with both the ‘9ers and Rams in 2015, Brian rejoined the Panthers briefly again in 2017.
  • Sprained his ankle in the preseason and was cut.
  • In 2019, signed with the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football.
  • Played C and blocked up front for one of the league’s better ground games.
  • After the AAF folded, Brian was selected by the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL in 2020.
  • With COVID scrambling the XFL before the season concluded, Brian stayed in playing shape.
  • In 2023, was selected by the Arlington Renegades of the XFL 3.0.
  • Has been dabbling in coaching since COVID and in the XFL offseason works as an OL coach for Wingate University in North Carolina.

NOTES:

I was partially miffed and shocked at how many Commanders and former AAFers ended up with the Renegades in 2023. I packed a bunch of Renegade players cards along with my Kenneth Farrow’s, and while Kenneth was signing, both Brian and De’Vante Bausby came over to pay high respects to my Farrow Commanders jersey. I was extremely flattered.

Later my neighbors with me at the game, got field passes for after the game to wander around. They had enough for 5, and invited me, so I said, “Why not?” I rushed the field for a few autographs, and saw Brian standing there with his family taking photos. He was gracious enough to sign his card, take a photo with me, and talk about the Alliance and the Commanders with me. (He also agreed that the league was second to none as far as entertainment was concerned.)

After the game I posted this photo up on Twitter. (I didn’t realize how nice the Renegades icy whites look up close.) He also retweeted it and again had nothing to say but high praises of the Commanders faithful.

With the Commanders gone and the Brahmas reeling, the Renegade players were doing their hardest sell to adopt me.

AAF, Arena, WLAF, XFL

No Limits Soldier

CARD: Topps AAF 2019 Certified Hack
ACQUIRED: IP, 2022

NOTES:

Stephen and I go back in football heritage to the very beginning of my Spring fandom. It all started with the Hail Storm game back with the San Antonio Riders in the World League in 1992. As the teams were driven from the field by the wind and hail just seconds before halftime, the field was flooded, and we were left with no halftime show. Enter Stephen.

He ran down onto the soggy field and grabbed a football and ran for the end zone, dodging security along the way. As we cheered him on, he built up a head of steam, grabbed a football and hydroplaned in for a score. As the security finally nabbed Stephen, the crowd grew angry and started booing his apprehension. He’d be escorted off the field, where he got a stay of execution from none other than Rider owner Larry Benson. According to legend Larry claimed that there was no reason to escort Stephen from the stadium, as he saved the team money, and was the best half-time entertainment they had all season. -High praise considering the frisbee catching dog came back twice that year for halftime.

Stephen and I didn’t see each other again until 2014, when he was a flag waving fan at Talons games that I attended that year in SA at the Alamodome. At that point, he’d sat through all the San Antonio teams that had come and gone.

But, it wasn’t until 2018, when Stephen and I finally came full circle. With former Riders head coach Mike Riley being named coach of the San Antonio AAF team, I thought it’d be great if I broke out my San Antonio Riders hat. As I entered the Alamodome for the AAF San Antonio franchise’s grand revealing, I ran right into Stephen also wearing his Riders hat! We immediately started chatting and realized we had a lot in common and he was surprised I remembered the Hail Storm game.

From there, he invited me to his tailgate, and then he revealed himself to me as superfan NO LIMITS SOLDIER! He was front row on the home side end zone, and got a lot of love from the team, most notably when the Joey Mbu recoverd a fumble for a TD in the endzone.

After the AAF folded, I made this card of him, thinking about the old times with the Commanders. Stephen loved it, and after I sent it to him, he signed one for me when we caught up at the San Antonio Brahmas Fan Meet & Greet in 2023. He moved on, and is now a founding member of the BRAHMAS DESTRUCTION CREW.