Tag Archives: san fransisco 49ers

College Football HoF, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Dean, Fred (DE) (1952-2020)

Cards: Upper Deck Legends 1997, Topps 1979
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Home
Sent:  7/11   Received:  7/18   (7 days)*
* Donation enclosed

Fred Dean was a rangy linebacker from Louisiana Tech (392 tackles) that was drafted in the second round of the 1975 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He was converted to defensive end and set his sights on terrorizing quarterbacks in the AFC West. His best season for the Chargers occurred in 1978 when he recorded an unoffical 15.5 sacks. A core member of the ‘Bruise Brothers’, Fred played for the Chargers through the 1981 season, where he was traded during the season to the San Fransisco 49ers.  He served notice to the league by helping the 49ers win Superbowl XVI as the final cornerstone to San Fransisco’s defensive front. To top things off he also was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. During 1983, Dean single-handedly humiliated the New Orleans Saints to the tune of 6 sacks, en route to a season high 17 sack season.  He retired after the 1985 season and returned to his native Louisiana.

The awards have slowly but steadily trickled in for Fred since then, with LA Tech honoring him in 1990, the Pro Football Hall of Fame honoring him in 2008, and finally the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019. A fearsome force, one must wonder if the accolades as a premiere defender would have come quicker to Dean if sacks were recognized earlier as a statistic in the annals of NFL history.  He redefined the role of a pass rusher, helped modernize defenses, and be among the first situational pass rushers late in his career. Fred is also one of the rare players who has been recognized by two different teams as part of their anniversary teams. Such as the case it is hard to decide if Dean is represented better as a member of the Chargers or 49ers.

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141/82N/a93.013
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UPDATE 10/15/20- Fred Dean passed away yesterday. He had recently contracted COVID but it is unknown if it played a role in his passing.

NFL

Ervins, Ricky (2) ‘Pinball Wizard’


Cards: Star Pics 1991, Score 1991, Score Supplemental 1991, ProSet 1991
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Work
Sent: 4/7/16  Received: 7/8/16   (92 days)
See Also: Ricky Ervins

I had wondered at some points if I had walked on the same streets where Ricky  grew up in Pasadena, CA and then later went to college at USC.  He has a stack of really nice cards from during the heyday of my collecting years, and Ricky is a really kind and reliable signer through the mail, so I thought I’d dig out the best and revisit him.

I really liked Ricky’s photo from his Score 1991 entry. It showcases him making a quick, low to the ground cut. He had a lot of power in a small package, and was likened to a pinball due to Ricky’s strong sense of balance and ability to bounce off of tacklers and stay upright.  Ervin’s Pro Set entry was sort of a gimme- since the company still had some really exceptional action shots. This one was from a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Score’s Supplemental set photo was equally as good, with him charging forward, in the shadow of his own endzone. Although his football career was punctuated by injury, Ervin’s short time in the league saw some great highlights, including helping the Redskins win SuperBowl XXVI. He runs Xtreme Xplosion, a sports facility in Fairfax, VA that focuses adult and youth players on guided training, and improving  conditioning,  speed, strength and agility.

 

CFL, NFL

Dorsey, Ken

leaflim03 dorseyCard: Leaf Limited Phenom 2003
Acquired: 2013, Target Autograph Memorabilia

The 2003 draft for the most part is considered a train wreck of quarterback talent.  Carson Palmer, taken #1 overall, is the only quarterback from the draft to even make a Pro Bowl.  Ken was selected in the 7th round by the San Fransisco 49ers.

A two-time runner up for the Heisman, Ken Dorsey finished his college career at Miami, FL going 668/ 1153 for 9,565 yards and 86 TDs to only 28 interceptions.  During his time playing for the Hurricanes Dorsey led the team to a 38-2 record and a National Championship appearance in 2002.

His tenure in San Fransisco was… less than desired as he split time with Tim Rattay.  SF was going through a rough transition searching for their QB of the future. The combined Frankenstein effort resulted in a 2-14 record for the 49ers. Starting 7 games Ken posted a career high 6 TD passes and 1,231 yards and 9 interceptions.  After the season the 49ers switched from Dennis Erickson to Mike Nolan, and then drafted Alex Smith in the 1st round of the 2005 draft. Still Dorsey was able to post a 1-2 record throwing for 481 yards and 2 TDs.

In 2006, Dorsey was traded to the Cleveland Browns. He’d ride the bench for the next two seasons, before briefly stopping back into the starting lineup in 2008.  Starting 3 games for the Browns,  Dorsey threw for 370 yards and 7 interceptions.  Ken briefly resurfaced with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 2010 , retiring after the season concluded.

Ken joined the Carolina Panthers staff first as a scout in 2011, and then later as a quarterbacks coach- a capacity he’s held through the 2016 season.

Ken’s certified autographed cards briefly experienced a surge in value back in 2015, as he is one of a long line of starting Browns quarterbacks. Steiner Sports ran a promotion to apologize to fans who’d ever gotten a Browns starting QB certified autograph and was offering a $50+ dollar in store credit for any fan who sent in those autographs.  However now that the promotion is over, these autographs along with other former starting Browns’ QBs autographs have returned to normal.

G/GS  17/13     ATT 408    COMP 214     YDS 2082     PCT 52.5
TD  8       INT 18        RAT 55.2
RUSH 11        YDS 18      AVG  1.6      TD 0      LG  6