Tag Archives: score 2013

NFL, University of Texas

Okafor, Alex

CARDS: Panini UT 2015, Panini UT 2015 S, SAGE Hit 2013, Bowman 2013, Topps 2013, Leaf Draft 2013, Topps Magic 2013, Razor 2009, Panini Rookies & Stars 2013, Score 2013, UT Upper Deck 2011 HACK
ACQUIRED: IP, 2024

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Local talent Alex Okafor decided to take his skillset to the University of Texas.
  • For the Longhorns, he played from 2009-2012 at defensive end.
  • In his Senior campaign he had 54 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks, and 4 forced fumbles.
  • During his final game in burnt orange, he set an Alamo Bowl record with 4.5 sacks, as UT defeated Oregon State 31-27.
  • Drafted in the 4th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.
  • His rookie season was a wash- as a biceps injury sidelined him for the vast majority of the season.
  • In 2014, he flew under the radar, recording 8 sacks, 30 tackles, 3 pass deflections, and an interception.
  • Signed with the New Orleans Saints in 2017.
  • Had a career high 43 total tackles, 4 pass deflections, and 4.5 sacks- before an Achilles injury ended his season after 10 games.
  • Signed with the Chiefs in 2019.
  • Finished on IR after tearing a pectoral muscle that year, but not before he tallied 22 tackles and 5 sacks.
  • Suffered a hamstring injury in 2020- but still managed 21 total tackles and a forced fumble.
  • Retired after the 2021 season.

NOTES:

These events that Texas Sports Unfiltered has been hosting at the Bee Cave Covert GMC have been a real treat. We’re served lunch. A player comes in and signs a bunch of autographs and answers any questions that we may have.

Alex was extremely cordial and friendly to all the fans in attendance. He labored to sign each and every one of our items. In my case, I had traded one of the extra HACK UT UD 2011 cards I had created. It caught his eye when he was signing it for the guy in front of me and he wanted to know where he could get one. They pointed to me.

When he got to me I told him, “I’m more than happy to give him one if he wouldn’t mind signing all my cards for me.” He responded with a very thrilled, “YES!” (There were much more than the 11 here. He signed quite a few dupes so that I could again reward my friends and major participants on our TTM Facebook group.)

He then proceeded to horse trade with other fans who were there for additional cards to fill out his collection he was missing. -I love it when players collect their own cards!

He then answered a bunch of questions for us. One fan asked us who was easiest, hardest, and thrilling to sack. He answered that Tom Brady was the most thrilling to sack as he is such a legend. Alex noted he got to him twice in his career. The hardest was Lamar Jackson. When Lamar gets to the HoF some day, Alex said he’d be on Jackson’s highlight reel. The easiest to sack was Kirk Cousins. He’s just so immobile in the pocket. (Coincidentally, Alex made his first two career sacks on Kirk.)

I asked him about his monster grill facemask, (that you can see on his Bowman and SAGE Hit cards). What was his plan? Would he eventually have a grill going up the entire mask? When would it end? He laughed and said at the previous Super Bowl he was inspired by Justin Tuck of the Giants who led the d-line and had that multi-bar facemask.

He asked the equipment guy if he could get one for him from Riddell. Their response was, “I dunno…” but come Spring in 2012 it was ready to roll. Suddenly the multi bar facemask became all the brief rage. You had guys going all out (See Tavaris Barnes). Then as quickly as it happened, the NCAA and the NFL put an end to that form of expression. No explanation given. I’m sure they would have cited, ‘player safety’ but within 3 seasons it was over. No more multibars.

It’s always good to meet fellow collectors- especially card nuts like myself. While Mark G. was there to keep me grounded and provide me with a few cards I didn’t have, I met his friends Josh (an absolute monster UT collector) and Andrew (a collector with a solid depth of cards).

After discussing with Josh for a while our fandom, I had mentioned how I missed out on Alex Okafor’s UT Panini 2015 Parallel card. He offered to trade it to me for something else. -I know he really, really wanted my UT Hack, but I didn’t have anymore extras. He ended up trading me for a Panini Prism Okafor that I had gotten in exchange for the other Hack I traded to someone else- so it worked out! An absolute banger of an event.

Since retirement, Alex has pursued his passion: Teaching, improving education, reducing bullying, and reading. During his time in Kansas City he started a program that brought players into local classroom to read to kids at public schools. Currently he’s on the school board in his local hometown.

TACSACFUMINTYDSAVGTDLG
14731.5612626.0026
NFL

Randle, Joseph ‘Joe’

Card: Score 2013 Hot Rookies (11/25)
Acquired: 2016, EBay

Joseph Randle is a painful tale.  After an impressive college career at Oklahoma State from 2010-2012, in which he rushed for 3085 yards and 40 TDs, Randle decided to turn pro.  He was selected in the 5th round by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2013 NFL Draft.

He earned the backup spot behind DeMarco Murray his rookie year, starting 2 games (when Murray was injured), and scored his first professional TD in a 31-16 romp of the Washington Redskins in week 6.  Even though he started no games in 2014 Joseph saw his workload increase, and he saw a career high 345 rushing yards, including a 65 yard blistering scamper.  The timing couldn’t have been better, as Murray would bolt via free agency.

Randle would be named defacto starter in his absence for the 2015 season.  Fans clamored that Randle was a sleeper in upcoming fantasy football drafts, but cracks had already started appearing in Joseph’s football foundation, as he started running into legal trouble in October of 2014.

He’d be arrested for simple theft, which caused him to be the butt of late night jokes for a few weeks, because it was over cologne and underwear. 4 months later in February of 2015, he’d be arrested again, this time for marijuana possession- but the charges were later dropped.  It was a pivotal fall from grace from the heir apparent to the Cowboys rushing mantle. During the bye week of the season the Cowboys installed Darren McFadden as starter, and tried to get Randle psychiatric help.  He’d be cut shortly thereafter, and then received a 4 game suspension from the NFL.  Joseph was lost.

Things didn’t end there as far as Joseph’s legal issues are concerned.
He’d be arrested in November of 2015 for assault of security guards at a local casino.  He’d keep in NFL shape, but no teams were calling. Joseph continued to seek counselling in the meantime.  Then in February of 2016 he’d be arrested for an outstanding warrant for speeding.  At the time of his arrest, he’d sadly state, “This is the end of my career.”

Joseph later claimed that teams were interested in working him out, but Joe- whether it was from drugs, alcohol, or maybe even a lingering concussion, continued to spiral out of control.  He’d be again arrested later that month for an assortment of charges, including battery and possession of drugs- most of which would later be dropped.  His bond would be pulled after he failed to appear in court.  In February of 2017 he’d be arrested again on disorderly conduct and battery while in a Kansas jail.  He’s been held in solitary for a great deal of his confinement, and as of early 2017 still awaits trial on many charges stemming from his recent behavior.

Joe is a terribly tragic case. It’s not really certain if it is concussion related, mental illness related, or drug and alcohol related- but one thing is for sure: A young man’s life has fallen through the cracks of a system that should have helped him.