Tag Archives: St. Louis Rams

NFL, Super Bowl MVP

Rypien, Mark (2)

Card: Action Packed 1990
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Home
Sent: 12/12/16    Received:  1/3/17  (22  days)
See Also:  Mark Rypien

The first success I got in calendar 2017, Mark Rypien was kind enough to sign 1 of 3 cards I sent him. He inscribed the one card with Super Bowl XXVI MVP, which I thought was still cool.  Rypien’s family drips with athleticism.  His daughter has carried on in his footsteps and is a quarterback in the Lingerie Football League, while his Nephew, Brett is a starting quarterback for Boise St.

In 2014 the Washington Redskins inducted Mark into their Ring of Fame. Rypien spent eight seasons with the Redskins. From 1986 to 1993 he started 72 games for the Redskins, completing 1,244 passes for 15,928 yards and 101 touchdowns. Modestly, Rypien dedicated his enshrinement to his teammates and the 55,000 or so fans that showed up every week to cheer on the team during his magical 1991 Super Bowl and MVP run.

NFL

Cook, Marv (2)


Cards: Score 1993, GameDay 1992, Action Packed 1991, Action Packed 1992
Acquired: 2012, Akron Acquisition. 2017, TTM C/o Home
Sent: 9/28   Received: 10/07  (9 days)
See Also: Marv Cook

After his NFL career concluded in 1996, Marv has become a well respected coach at the high school level in Iowa City, IA winning numerous state titles. He has some great cards and after getting the Score 1993 in 2012 C/o the Akron Acquisition, I thought I’d go ahead and get a few more since he’s a great signer through the mail.

The Score 1993 card is a really conservative design, anchored well on the left and bottom- but among the pantheon of card designs this was a pretty boring look. A few nitpicks- They typeface used is too narrow making the team and position difficult to read. Maybe it’s just because of the color scheme, but this looks like it belongs on a Domino’s Pizza box.

Marv’s Action Packed entries are typical of this set. Good sports photography supported by the embossed gimmick. The minimal works here, because of the punchy mid-range photography, although in the 1992 entry the nameplate is lost in the photo.  On the 1992 entries it was a nice touch with the red stripe used for AFC teams while the blue stripe used for NFC.

I always had a weak spot for the GameDay cards. GameDay was interesting because it was the only Long Tom set on the market. I loved this set specifically for that look alone which not only separated itself from the competition on the market, but resembled a ticket, standing out from the crowd at an event. This card of Marv, I think the photo was from the game in which he caught a TD in an epic upset over the Houston Oilers at Foxboro Stadium.

 

NFL

Pettis, Austin

Card: Topps Finest 2011 (696/1000)
Acquired: BB 2018, Walmart Autographed Memorabilia

One of the finest receivers to grace Boise State, Austin Pettis essentially owned the Broncos’ career receiving charts finishing with 229 receptions (1st), for 2,838 yards (2nd), and 39 touchdown receptions (1st). Well decorated, he earned Second Team All-WAC in 2008, and First Team All-WAC in 2009 and 2010.  Austin had a decent combine, and led receivers in the shuttle drill, parlaying his performance into a 3rd round pick of the then St. Louis Rams in 2011.

He finished his rookie season suspended for PEDs, but managed to haul in 27 receptions for 256 yards. Pettis also saw spot duty on special teams as a punt and kick returner. Austin caught his first professional TD the following season in 2012 against the Packers, and finished the year with 30 receptions for 261 yards and 4 touchdowns.  He built on his numbers again in 2013, with a career high 38 receptions for 399 yards and 4 TDs.  In 5 games during 2014, Austin logged 12 receptions for 118 yards and a TD, but was cut in October.

Austin signed with the then San Diego Chargers for 2015. While he did have a solid camp, he was among the final cuts to the 53 man roster. Austin has gone into coaching since football and as of 2018 is a personal trainer/ wide receiver coach for OCPremium in California.

This is a nice patch card from Topps. It showcases 3 important elements very well: the autograph, the player portrait, and the patch. The design, while a bit busy with the dots, is unified in theory by its association and lack of color.

G/GP 47        REC 107      YDS 1034      AVG 9.7       TD 9      LG 36
KR    4             YDS 75         AVG   18.8               TD 0          LG 24
PR  29            YDS 254       AVG   8.8                TD 0         LG 39