Tag Archives: san fransisco 49ers

NFL, XFL

Williams, James “J-Roc”

Cards: Fleer 1995, Topps XFL 2001
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 11/11  Received: 12/5  (24 days)

Small bit of trivia here, as James Williams is one of a handful of players (if not the only player) to play for 3 expansion franchises, being the: Jacksonville Jaguars, (the reborn) Cleveland Browns, and the (XFL) San Fransisco Demons.

Drafted back in 1990 by the New Orleans Saints in the 6th round of the draft out of Mississippi State, Williams would be a nice find for the franchise and would spend his first 5 years with NO. He’d come in and sub nicely when one of the Dome Patrol needed a break during their twilight years together even starting 4 games in 1991, recording his first career sack against Chicago, along with 29 tackles and a fumble recovery. In 1993 J-Roc would start 9 games at left inside linebacker for injured Sam Mills and respond with a solid performance (89 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF).  With free agency in full effect by 1994, Williams again started for the Saints but this time at RILB, garnering 54 tackles, 2 picks and his first career touchdown.

Left exposed after the season for the 1995 Panthers/ Jaguars expansion draft, – James was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 49th pick. Williams started 6 games again, recording 2 more interceptions, 2 FF and 47 tackles but injuries cost him half of 1995 and all of 1996. He’d sign with the 49ers and be on the roster of the team through 1998.  He’d close out his NFL career in 1999 with the Browns with 2 FR and 11 tackles.

Williams’ career did not end there. He’d be drafted by the San Fransisco Demons of the XFL in 2001. Making the jump to play for the Demons he’d help the team earn a berth in the XFL’s Million Dollar Game leading the team with 43 tackles and 2 sacks. The XFL though, -a joint venture between the WWE and NBC died on the operating table that season due to bad ratings. Williams would retire after that season.

These were some really nice cards of J-Roc, and despite how people really tore them up the XFL had some really nice underpinnings to its design, hearkening back to classic college cards of the 50s and 60s. Just really inspiring! Sure the barbed wire effect is hilarious and dated even by those years standards, bloating the production value, but I couldn’t help but have a soft spot for them. The Fleer 1995 cards were also really nice, and this served as part of their 1st season of Jacksonville Jaguars cards.  Below are J-Roc’s NFL statistics.

G/Gs   137/26     Tac  254       Sac  3.0       Fum 4        Int  4     Yds  61      Avg       TD  1    lg 33

NFL

Grayson Jr., David

Cards:  Topps 1990, Pro Set Platinum 1991
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Work
Sent:  10/7   Received: 10/27 (20 days)

I was combing through my boxes late one night looking for a player when I stumbled upon Dave’s card and for some reason it stuck in my mind. Recently I’ve been enamored with the football site “School of the Legends” (which reminds me of a slick Facebook for football fans). It has allowed me to connect with many memorable football players I remember from when I was a kid and also follow players who cover the teams. When I logged back in I saw Dave’s card up on the site on his new profile, -so I know when a sign slaps me in the face. After posting on his profile basically what I just explained, we had a good laugh and then he flat out offered me his autograph on a card or two. Another fan, who unabashedly asks mechanically for every player’s autograph admitted that he didn’t have  a card, so I included an extra for Dave to sign for him.

Dave Grayson is a great story. After playing for Cal-Poly Ponoma, Dave transferred to Fresno State where he’d come in and play great defense for the team at linebacker. Drafted by the 49ers in 1987 with the 217th pick, Dave would not make the roster but would capitalize off of the 1987 players’ strike and like fellow alumni Eddie Anderson (Raiders), and Eugene Seale (Oilers) would somehow find a way to stick on the roster of the Browns after the strike ended.

After an abbreviated 1987, Grayson would have a career high 5 sacks in 1988 and score on a 17 yard fumble recovery.  In 1989 during a 51-0 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Dave would make an interception that he’d return 14 yards for a touchdown on quarterback Bubby Brister. He’d make 2 picks that season and chip in 2 more fumble recoveries, and another of which he’d return for 6. It’d be a short 1991 for Dave, after he signed with San Diego via Plan B, he’d retire after the season.

Grayson throughout his career at 6-2, 230 was a speedy missile and the fastest linebacker in Cleveland’s corps. He also had a knack for finding the endzone, scoring 3 touchdowns with 2 on fumble recoveries and one on an interception.  Below are his career statistics:

G/Gs 54/37      Sac 8.0       Tac n/a         Fum 4         Int 3      Yds 28        Avg 9.1      Td 1    lg 14

Arena, CFL, WLAF

McGuirk, Patrick ‘Pat’

 

Cards: ProSet WLAF 1991, Ultimate 1992
Acquired: TTM 2011, C/o Home
Sent: 9/2 Received: 9/12 (10 days)

After playing in Junior College at San Mateo and raking in an All-Golden Gate Conference choice and team MVP honors,  Patrick McGuirk would play at Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) making 42 tackles and a pick. He’d sign with the Blue Bombers of the CFL in 1990 but not make the squad.

In 1991, the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks, coached by Roman Gabriel, selected Pat in the 8th round of the league’s positional draft.  Despite the team’s woeful 0-10 record, McGuirk had a banner season, with 37 tackles, 9 passes defensed, 3 fumble recoveries and tied for third in the league with 6 interceptions. He would be snubbed for All-World honors.

After the season, the Skyhawks were euthanized by the league, and the players were put back into the WLAF’s draft pool. The Frankfurt Galaxy selected him in the 5th round of the league draft in 1992. He’d play for them that season, but did not notch a turnover.  (His Ultimate WLAF card is considered a major error card, as they note that he is a rookie, and omit his previous season’s statistics, even though he played for the Skyhawks.) The WLAF would be reorganized after the 1992 season but Patrick found new life, -in the AFL.

The young Arena Football League was the perfect landing spot for Patrick. In 1994 he’d sign with the Fort Worth Calvary, crushing ball carriers with 54 tackles, 21 pass blocks, 2 forced fumbles and 5 interceptions. Patrick quickly moved back to his home area in 1995 signing with the San Fransisco 49ers and was assigned to their practice squad.  He’d continue playing in the Arena leagues in the interim, but this time for the San Jose Sabercats where he’d have another impact season with 9 picks for 202 yards and a td. Pat’s followup 1996 season would culminate with 7 picks and 15 pass breakups which earned him first team All Arena honors, and earned him another shot to play on the roster of the 49ers and their practice squad. After the 1998 season, McGuirk would retire from football. He’d finish his career in the Arena leagues with 5 seasons under his belt, 258 tackles, 81 pass blocks, 3 forced fumbles, 29 interceptions for 317 yards and a touchdown.

He didn’t have far to go, as he retired to the San Fransisco area where he was born and currently works in the telecommunications industry.

Finally got another Facebook response. I started off really hot with contacting players through Facebook and getting their permission to send to TTM to their address (Howard Feggins, Corris Ervin, and Jon Horton,) and then just went stone cold. I shot out an email to Patrick in July since he is of the elusive Raleigh-Durham Skyhawk family, that I am woefully short of autographs from, -as they only lasted one season. In late August he got back with me and gave me his address, so I quickly turned around and sent him two cards to sign and a few to keep as momentos. He kindly responded in 10 days.  A real nice return on a hard to find team.

WLAF
Tac N/a   Sac 0       Fum 3   Int   6     Yds    60   Avg 10.0    Td  0    lg  34