Tag Archives: san fransisco 49ers

NFL

Buckner, DeForest

Card: Sage 2016 Premium Portrait (7/10)
Acquired: 2017, Box Break

DeForest Bucker was a physical specimen with the stats to back his high draft ranking. Playing for Oregon Ducks he had 232 total tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and 10 passes defended.

I was very pleased to pull this limited signature premium portrait of DeForest Buckner when I opened a Sage 2016 Hobby Box. Buckner has a pretty good autograph, and you can tell he took his time to sign these. I liked the portrait cards and it showcases the custom grill on his helmet that was all the rage at the time with defensive linemen.

Buckner delivered in 2016 and had a solid rookie debut with 73 combined tackles, 6 sacks, and 2 FR. He could be due for an even more impactful 2017, as DeForest will be paired alongside first round pick Solomon Thomas.

NFL

Romanowski, Bill ‘Romo’

Cards: ProSet 1990, Action Packed 1992, GameDay 1992
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Work
Sent: 11/14/16  Received: 2/18/17   (96 days)
Failure: 2014, C/o Home

Ah now Bill Romanowski had some awesome cards. I mean he looked like a mean caveman who just had survived a knife fight. With tattered taped gloves and that war paint, he went from just being a linebacker to being a mean and nasty linebacker pretty quickly. His ProSet 1990 entry and Action Packed 1992 are among some of my favorites, and his GameDay card showcases his athletic ability as he gets up in the air, perfect for that tallboy card.

I really didn’t know who Bill Romanowski was at first when he popped onto the scene for the 49ers. Initially- you didn’t hear much about Bill. He was considered, I guess, a model citizen until he started having altercations on the Eagles- a clear 7 years into his career.  It’s not really clear about when he started abusing steroids while playing, but he admitted during a 60 Minutes interview that he was always cutting edge and staying one step ahead of the league.

As of 2017 he owns Nutrition 53 and also is involved in NASCAR.  Bill is a very outspoken and unfiltered guy, and his sometimes, lack of political correctness, has gotten him in trouble on social media. He also appeared on the cover of Midway Games’  Blitz: The League and as a prison guard in the remake of the movie The Longest Yard. In addition he’s done some coaching, and has expressed interest in returning to the NFL in that capacity.

During his career he was an easy plug-and-play linebacker. Instinctual, intelligent, and with solid coverage skills, by the time he hit his stride, Romanowski was not only one of the better linebackers in the league, he was a throwback to the gladiators of old, with that nasty streak.  He is also listed as the 5th dirtiest player in sports history by ESPN.

After playing for the 49ers through 1993 and winning 2 Superbowls, Bill joined the Eagles for the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He’d then head over to the Broncos and earn 2 more rings playing for them from 1996-2001. Afterwards he’d play 2 more seasons in the Raiders organization.  He earned 2 Pro Bowl nominations (1996, 1998) and posted a career high 104 tackles in 1993.

G/Gs  243/222         TAC  1116          SAC 39.5          FUM  16
INT 18       YDS  98       AVG  5.4         TD   1        LG   18

NFL, WLAF

Rouen, Tom


Cards: Wild Card WLAF 1992, Topps 1994
Acquired: TTM 2017, C/o Home
Sent: 7/11    Received: 8/21    (41 days)

In 1989 Tom earned first team All-Big Eight and consensus All-American honors at Colorado, with a 45.9 yard average per punt and 43.9 yard net- leading the nation.  In 1990 he earned second team honors as he ranked fourth in the conference with 54 punts and a 40.8 yard average. After going unselected in the NFL draft, he bounced around training camps before ultimately signing with the WLAF.

Like Chris Mohr before him, Tom made the best of his one year stint in the league, punting 48 times for 1,992 yards and a 41.5 yard average, playing for the Ohio Glory. He also boomed an 85 yard punt and had 14 kicks downed within the 20 yard line. For his efforts he was named to the All-World League squad.

He’d bide his time but eventually sign with an NFL team in 1993, replacing tenured punter Mike Horan in Denver.  Rouen went on to play for the Broncos for the next 8 seasons. During that period he’d etch his name into the team’s record books and earn All-Pro Honors once in 1994.  In 2002, he had a whirlwind tour of the league. Cut by the Broncos, Tom signed and was cut by the Giants and then was subsequently picked up by Pittsburgh.  Afterwards he spent his next two NFL seasons (2003-2004) in Seattle.  Rouen still wanted to play and saw action in the training camps of Carolina and back to Seattle (both 2005). Later he’d attempt one last shot with the 49ers in 2006, but failed to unseat incumbent Andy Lee.

Tom is a member of the Denver Broncos 50th Anniversary Team. Technically it appears that Tom is the last man standing from the WLAF- as Chris Mohr retired the previous season.

WLAF  10/0      P  48        YDS 1992         LG 85     BLK   0
NFL   188/0       P  810     YDS  35189     LG 76     BLK   9