Tag Archives: San Diego Fleet

AAF, NFL

Pinkins, Eric

Topps AAF 2019, #AU-EP
Topps AAF 2019, #168

CARDS: Topps AAF 2019, Topps AAF 2019 Certified
ACQUIRED: TTM 2019, C/o Home. EBay, 2019
SENT: 5/6/2019 RECEIVED: 6/3/2019 (28 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Eric Pinkins was a hybrid DB/LB at San Diego State from 2009-’13.
  • He finished with 172 total tackles, 3 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 5 pass deflections, and 3 interceptions for 70 yards and a TD over 4 years with the Aztecs.
  • 6th round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2014.
  • After 2 seasons with the Seahawks, he joined the Giants for 2016.
  • Waived by the Giants in mid-2017, Eric signed with the Cowboys in 2018, but did not make the squad.
  • In 2019, Eric played for the San Diego Fleet of the Alliance of American Football where the team decided to play him as a hybrid LB/S.
  • He started 6 of 8 contests, posting 29 total tackles and .5 sacks.
  • After the AAF ended, Pinkins was selected by the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL in 2020.
  • He’d finish the season on the roster of ‘Team 9’ before the COVID abbreviated season ended.

NOTES:

After the AAF collapsed, I rushed out a few cards to players that I could readily find through the mail. Eric was in that first batch, and then proceeded to get lost in the shuffle of all my returns that year. There is no discoloration in the Topps AAF base card he autographed. It looks like he started in purple and realized it wouldn’t take as well as blue. I really appreciate his effort there though.

AAF, NFL

Adjei-Barimah, Jude

Topps AAF 2019, #AU-JA

CARD: Topps AAF 2019 Certifed
ACQUIRED: 2019, Box Breaker

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Jude Adejei-Barimah played DB for Bowling Green from 2011-14.
  • A situational starter in the secondary, he wasn’t a fulltime starter in the secondary until his senior campaign in 2014.
  • Still as a Sophomore in 2012, Jude posted 4 interceptions.
  • In 2014, Jude had 82 total tackles, 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, a pick, and 11 pass deflections.
  • Signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015 as a free agent.
  • In 2017, spent nearly the entire season on IR after fracturing his knee.
  • Jumpstarted his career in 2019, signing with the San Diego Fleet of the AAF.
  • After securing a roster spot on the Fleet, was injured in the season opener against the San Antonio Commanders.
  • He’d later be placed on IR with a wrist injury missing the rest of the abbreviated season.
  • Selected by the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL 2020 initiative and had contract terminated when the league ceased operations during COVID.

Favorite thing about it (AAF) has been seeing so many familiar faces on other teams that competed with or against in the past.

–Jude Adjei-Barimah

https://www.reddit.com/r/aafb/comments/b0bqkr/im_jude_adjeibarimah_cb_for_the_san_diego_fleet/

NOTES:

Jude stepped up for the Fleet as an ambassador after his injury, even doing an AMA on Reddit. He got in what he could during that first game against the Commanders, making a pick, and then taunting SA fans from the Fleet bench- though later in his AMA he admitted he very much enjoyed playing at the Alamodome.

AAF, CFL

Koloamatangi, Meffi

Topps AAF 2019, #AU-MK

CARD: Topps AAF Certified 2019
ACQUIRED: Box Breaker, 2019

  • Played DL 5 years at Hawaii from 2013-17.
  • Finished with 80 total tackles and 7 sacks over 3 years.
  • Went undrafted in 2018, and spent time in the camp of the Oakland Raiders.
  • Joined the AAF in 2019, playing for the San Diego Fleet.
  • Notched 7.5 tackles and .5 sacks over 8 contests.
  • Spent the remainder of the year in the CFL with the BC Lions, and then later the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
  • In 2022, signed with the Vegas Knight Hawks of the IFL.

NOTES:

Pretty happy to get this certified, but with an underwhelming autograph, I couldn’t help but be disappointed that Meffy didn’t spell out his entire name- though I don’t blame him. Later I pulled a second certified autograph of his that was fully spelled out.