After being released by the Rams, Nelson signed with the Bears in October of 2017.
Then after two small stints with the Chiefs and Chargers, Nelson signed with the San Diego Fleet of the AAF at the tail end of 2018.
In Week 7 against the Arizona Hotshots in 2019, he had 12 catches for 146 yards.
He finished 5th with 426 yards and second in catches with 38.
After the collapse of the AAF- he was a 3rd round pick of the Los Angeles Wildcats of the XFL in 2020.
Caught 20 passes for 256 yards and 2 scores in 3 starts.
Unfortunately the COVID pandemic derailed the XFL season after the midway point of the season.
Spent about 6 months on the off-season roster of the Montreal Alouettes in 2021.
As of 2024- is a VP of brand/ product development with FIBR.
NOTES:
OK. So I sat intentionally on Nelson’s post for a while. Almost right after I got his autographs back from 2019, I popped open a box of XFL 2020 and, “Pfbbbttt,” There’s Nelson’s XFL base card- so I had to get that signed too. Then it hit me… Nelson, despite his stat line and prominence in the AAF, doesn’t appear in the set. I needed to do all that before throwing up another post about him.
I really upped my quality on the custom cards across the board, down to the print quality and design. I was very happy with how the AAF card turned out, and I sent an extra for him to keep as well.
Alex Barrett played DL for San Diego State from 2013-’16.
He appeared in 44 contests, posting 165 total tackles, 39 TFL, 18.0 sacks, and 2 interceptions.
Signed as an UDFA by the Detroit Lions following the 2017 NFL Draft.
Spent a good portion of 2017/’18 on and off the practice squad.
Opted to sign with the San Diego Fleet of the AAF during the tail end of 2018.
In 8 contests, he had 15 tackles and 2.0 sacks.
Quickly signed with the Raiders following the end of the AAF in 2019.
Released with an injury settlement in September of that year.
Joined the 49ers in November of 2019.
Has spent time on and off the team’s practice squad and active roster through 2024.
NOTES:
I tracked down Barrett and was lucky enough to get his autograph on his AAF card, but because of the date it must have gotten lost in the shuffle of the new year. Although not an action shot of Barrett, it’s still a really nice card, and the color really stands out on it, showcasing his lanky frame.
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.
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.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
