Tag Archives: score 2014

NFL

Orakpo, Brian (4)

CARDS: Topps Magic 2009, Topps 2014, Score 2019, Panini Donruss 2018, Score 2014, Bowman 2009, Panini 2019, UT Upper Deck 2011 HACK
ACQUIRED: IP, 2025

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

Brian’s been really good to fans over the years appearing around Austin for signings. I got a really late notice of this one, and had to choose between this signing and two to three others- proof positive that maybe, just maybe 5 years after COVID we’re getting back to normal with signings. After getting the blessing from my wife to go, I arrived a little early and then waited downstairs at the HEB. He then passed me by on the escalator so I went into hot pursuit mode and followed him to the event.

He was in a great mood. I gave him one of my Upper Deck UT 2011 HACK cards, and he loved it! I demonstrated that it was a ‘real card’- glossy and not with some flimsy thickness by banging it slightly on his arm. It was a last second idea to get these cards signed in bronze, but it turned out to be a stroke of genius as these autographs came out spectacular!

I had to dig to find the UT HACK card I did. I wasn’t too happy with how it turned out as the marquee was darker than I expected. Nonetheless with the autograph it vaults into my top three customs with an autograph.

We then talked for a few minutes about the card market, since he knows I’m a collector. (I got the impression he was thinking about investing in it either through participating in breaks or co-hosting one.) I am firmly of the belief based on the sets I collect and watch through eBay that the market is tapering off and I shared that with him. Also the fact there are just too many people making it too hard just to collect the sets they want, and how it used to be you’d go to the store, and buy a 20-30 dollar blaster and get 2 autographs. Now you’re lucky to get a parallel… Anyway it was such an illuminating conversation that I decided to take a photo with Rak!

AAF, NFL

Richardson, Cyril

Cards: Score 2014, Bowman 2014, Topps 2014 Mini
Acquired: IP 2019, SA Commanders Team Signing Dick’s Sporting Goods at The Rim

Big man Cyril Richardson played guard at Baylor from 2010 to 2013. He was considered one of the more physical players in the 2014 NFL Draft and was selected in the 5th round by the Buffalo Bills. ( – The Texans even in 2014 were desperate for offensive line talent and I had hoped the team would select Richardson to develop .) He played in 12 games as a rookie for the team and spent the following season in 2015 on their practice squad. Cyril was released in 2016 and then joined the Bears practice squad to finish out the year. He’d be released during final cuts in 2017.

Cyril was signed by the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football in 2018 and started at guard for the team for the 2019 season.

After Mekale McKay and Derron Smith both competed for the best designed card, I told them I was saving the best for last and gave Cyril his mini card. Cyril grabbed it and flashed it proudly at the others as they all gave a hearty laugh.

He currently is a member of the Seattle Dragons of the XFL.

NFL

Henne, Chad

Cards: SPX 2008 (277/599), Score 2009, Score 2014, Prism 2014
Acquired: EBay 2015, TTM 2016, C/o Home
Sent: 5/10   Received: 5/19  (9 days)

Chad Henne is an absolutely underrated quarterback.  Whenever he takes the field in place of Blake Bortles for the Jaguars against the Texans, I get very nervous. He frequently will just take off and run for 4-7 yards instead of trying for a low percentage completion.

After Chad built an impressive resume at Michigan as a 4 year starter, he was selected in the second round of the 2008 draft by the Miami Dolphins.  The heir to the throne of Chad Pennington, he played sparingly his rookie year, appearing in 3 games in mop up duty.  Chad took over the gig full time in 2009 (after a shoulder injury to Pennington) and in 14 starts, compiled a 7-6 record as a starter, throwing for almost 2900 yards and 12 TDs.  He again returned as starter in 2010, completing 301 of 490 attempts with 15 TDs.   Chad could not hold onto the starting quarterback job in 2011, fighting Matt Moore the entire season.

The Dolphins decided to go in another direction at quarterback in 2012, drafting former Texas A&M signal caller Ryan Tannehill. In the meantime, Henne was the odd man out and signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Initially he’d be Blaine Gabbert’s backup, but as the team continued to struggle,  Chad was thrust into the lineup. He’d post 11 TDs on 308 attempts, averaging a bit over 208 yards a game.  Henne was the anointed starter of the Jaguars in 2013. He’d throw a career high 503 times for 3241 yards and 13 touchdowns.  (The Jaguars would sweep the Texans for the first time in- a very long time that year.)

The Jaguars decided to start over again at the quarterback position in 2014, selecting Blake Bortles in the 1st round of the NFL Draft.
Chad’s playing time has decreased significantly since then. He saw action in 3 games in 2014, but was quickly supplanted by Bortles as the starting quarterback. Since then Blake has been almost impervious to harm, so Chad has not been on the field at all. He’s restructured his contract twice to help out the Jaguars salary cap.  Henne is a veteran now and has seen his way around many defenses in the past.  He may not have the best TD to INT ratio, but I sense there is still some tools there that some quarterback guru could groom.

In 2017 with a new coaching staff in place and a new GM in Tom Coughlin that had no ties to Bortles whatsoever- it’s clearly obvious that the franchise has become impatient with Blake. They’ve put him on a short leash with Henne waiting to start in the wings.