Tag Archives: seattle dragons

AAF, NFL, XFL

Farrow II, Kenneth

Panini Contenders 2016, #264
Topps AAF 2019, #AU-KF

Card: Topps AAF Now 2.17.19 , Topps AAF 2019, Topps AAF 2019 Certified, Panini Contenders 2016, Topps AAF Now 3.2.19, Topps XFL 2020
Acquired: IP 2019, SA Commanders Team Signing Dick’s Sporting Goods at The Rim, IP 2023, SA Brahmas v Arlington Renegades
Failure: TTM 2019, C/o The Miami Dolphins

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Kenneth Farrow II played college ball for The University of Houston from 2012-15.
  • His best collegiate season came in 2014, rushing for 1042 yards on 186 carries- scoring 14 TDs.
  • Over Farrow’s college career he had 560 carries for 2980 yards and 34 TDs rushing, to go along with 74 catches for 546 yards and 3 TDs- in 48 contests.
  • Signed with San Diego following the 2016 NFL Draft.
  • Fought his way onto the roster and was 3rd on the depth chart at RB for the Chargers.
  • Dressed for 13 contests, starting 2, rushing for 192 yards on 60 carries.
  • Spent the end of 2016, and all of 2017 on IR.
  • Waived by team in 2018, and joined the Patriots for about a month during the regular season.
  • Subsequently signed with the AAF, joining the San Antonio Commanders.
  • The clear cut starting back for the Commanders ground game, Farrow ran for 106 times for 372 yards and 4 TDs in 8 games.
  • He ran for a league high 142 yards against the Birmingham Iron‘s top ranked defense in a 12-11 win during Week 4.
  • After the AAF folded, Kenneth briefly signed with the Miami Dolphins.
  • In 2020, Kenneth joined the XFL 2.0 as a member of the Seattle Dragons.
  • He ran for 156 yards on 38 carries, scoring 1 TD before the league folded due to COVID after 5 games.
  • Farrow returned again for the XFL 2023, joining the Arlington Renegades.
  • He saw action against the Brahmas- but tore his ACL late in the game ending his season.
  • See also San Antonio Commanders Autograph Souvenir
Topps Now AAF 2019, #12

ACCOLADES:

  • Week 4 AAF Offensive Player of the Week
  • AAF Record- Most yards rushing in one game (142)
Topps NOW AAF 2019, #22

NOTES:

Kenneth has a lot of great Spring football cards, and I wanted him on all of them. As I love my runningbacks, he was one of my favorite Commanders. When the league folded I ran out to a Chinese version of EBay and got a bunch of custom Commanders jerseys made. I was very excited to add Kenneth’s jersey to my collection (see photo). The problem was that it didn’t have the ‘II’ on the back- even though I requested it. It’s the effort that counts though.

Topps AAF 2019, #152
Topps XFL 2020, #8

I had been following Kenneth since his days with the Commanders, and I did this piece of art for him. He liked it so much, he promised me he’d give me his autograph at an event in the future- if he ever made it back around to this area. I bode my time.

Eventually he returned to the XFL 3.0 with the Arlington Renegades. When the team cut him before the season, I thought to myself, “Oh well,” But lo and behold two weeks before the Brahmas meeting with the Renegades, Arlington resigned him. I knew this was my best shot.

I look like a crazy person but Kenneth’s got it goin’ on.

I gave him a gentle nudge on Twitter with the picture, then took some photos of myself in my jersey. He liked it before the game, so I knew I had a good shot. When I got to the stadium, I snuck around to the visitors side of the stadium, eventually settling in where I was in view of him near the front of the visitors entrance stands.

Boom! He caught a pass and came rumbling over. “I see you! Thank-you for being a fan! I’ll get you after warm ups and sign anything you want!” Then he rolled off again. Everyone around me was pretty floored.

True to his word he came back after warm-ups concluded. He signed all the remaining cards I needed of him, and I gave him the art I made of him. We reminisced about the best of times with the Commanders briefly, before Brian Folkerts came over and De’Vante Bausby piped in about how classy my jersey was. It was great! Like a mini reunion. I was so elated. I felt so appreciated and I know the feeling was mutual.

Even though the Brahmas lost the game, I felt like a big winner that day.

Unfortunately during a play where Kenneth was plowing ahead for a big gain, he was tackled and injured. At some point enough is enough and with the injuries he’s sustained over the years, he’s lucky to still have it. After his surgical procedure he announced his very well earned retirement from the sport. Onward and upward!

Kenneth is a founding member of the UFPA (United Football Players Association)- An advisory board of players that specializes in helping players and unions outside the NFL and CFL negotiate union contracts with their leagues.

AAF, NFL, The Spring League, XFL

Tupou, Tani ‘Tongan Thor’

CARD: Topps AAF 2019
ACQUIRED: 2019, Box Breaker

Tani Tupou played college ball for the Washington Huskies from 2010 to 2015 at defensive tackle. He recorded 59 career tackles and was not selected in the 2016 NFL Draft.

The Seahawks liked what they saw out of Tupou during mini camp and invited him back. He made the roster and saw action briefly during the season opener but didn’t record any stats, and be released about a month later. In 2017, he successfully transitioned from the Spring League back to the NFL signing with the Atlanta Falcons. Tupou would be on and off the roster through the season and into early 2018.

After a brief stint with the Arizona Cardinals, Tani signed with the Alliance of American Football. He’d be assigned to the San Diego Fleet for the 2019 season, and recorded 13 tackles, 4 QB hits and a sack in the Fleet’s 3-4 alignment. In April of that year, the AAF folded, so he played for the XFL with the Seattle Dragons in 2020, and then later for the Jousters of the Spring League, during their showcase in San Antonio.

In 2021, Tani made the transition to play for the Colorado XO’s of the World Rugby League and is considered one of the top prospects.

AAF, CFL, NFL, XFL

Williams, Trey

Cards: Panini Contenders 2015, Crown Royale 2015, Panini Prestige 2015, Topps AAF 2019, Topps AAF 2019 NOW, Topps XFL 2020, Topps XFL 2020 Certified
Acquired: COMC, 2020. EBay, 2020. TTM C/o Home 2020
Sent: 11/12 Received: 11/21 (9 days)

Trey Williams hails from Texas A&M- a school full of rich history in producing runningbacks. While playing for the Aggies, he ran 204 time for 1343 yards and 18 TDs in 3 years (2012-2014). What was most impressive was his gaudy 6.6 yards per carry. He also caught 38 passes for 330 yards and a TD as well. Although he had a solid combine, Williams ultimately was not selected in the 2015 draft.

He’d sign with his hometown Houston Texans after the draft, then quickly join the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, the Patriots, the Dolphins, and finally the Colts- all before 2015 came to a close. After being cut by the Colts in mid-2016, Trey kept hustling. He signed with the Steelers early in 2017, then briefly joined the Argos in the CFL. In November of 2017, Williams signed with the Dallas Cowboys again where he’d be waived in final cuts during 2018.

I can’t imagine how frustrating it would be to have highlight film that made preseason sportscenter.. such as scoring a TD on his first ever preseason carry from 20+ yards out, or returning a punt for a 64 yard TD with the Steelers- but somehow miss out on making the squad.

Trey opted to head to the new frontier of the Alliance of American Football in 2019. He’d be assigned to the San Antonio Commanders. After missing the first two weeks of the season for personal reasons, Trey played in the next 6 finishing with 40 carries for 205 yards and a TD. He’d also catch 9 passes for 71 yards and a TD as well.

An exciting sparkplug, Williams provided a change of pace to lead back Kenneth Farrow II in the Commanders backfield. An outside the tackles kind of guy, Williams is very good at dodging people in space. This makes him quite effective at screen passes and out in the flat. He quickly became my favorite player just behind Greg Ward Jr.

His finest moment in the AAF came in Week 7 against the formidable Salt Lake City Stallions. The Stallions had a very stubborn defense. After trading field position for most of the game and keeping it close, QB Marquise Williams dropped a screen pass out to Trey. He bobbed and weaved through the SLC defense 36 yards and then dove into the endzone for a TD. It was really incredible to watch!

After the AAF folded, Trey joined the XFL 2020, where he was the first player selected in the open portion of the draft by the Seattle Dragons. He’d be reunited with his coach from the Commanders, Mike Riley, and a bevvy of former teammates including Kenneth Farrow. He ran 34 times for 122 yards and a TD for the Dragons, and catch 8 passes for 44 yards and a TD- before the league folded after week 5.

I first missed out on an in person signing in Houston during 2019. I would’ve driven there just to get his autograph on a bunch of cards and meet him, but I had been to in person events frequently that year, and I did not wish to antagonize my wife. I also had the Topps AAF Now card I was worried about risking, so these just sat, and then I added a few more to the stack including the XFL card.

After a while I just decided to buy a few certified cards of Trey, thinking I’d call it a day, but a few months later my partner in crime, Mark, acted on an address I had long suspected of being Trey’s- and hit pay dirt. It took me a bit to get back to Trey. I miss the Commanders and the AAF a lot, but frankly, we all know it wouldn’t have made it probably through 2020 – because of the pandemic. (See the XFL 2020.) Still after being stuck in the mud the last few months on AAF/XFL send outs, I went back to it taking the risk that Trey would ink these cards. I would have preferred a different color than silver- but I can’t look this gift horse in the mouth.