Tag Archives: St. Louis Rams

NFL

Green, Harold

Card: Action Packed 1992, Action Packed Rookies 1990
Acquired: TTM 1993, C/o The Cincinnati Bengals

Harold Green was selected in the second round of the 1990 draft by the Bengals, who were concerned about Ickey Woods rehabilitation from a knee injury. A slashing style runner with good hands, Green was an imposing player from South Carolina.  He played 6 years for the Bengals, 1 for the Rams, and 2 for the Atlanta Falcons before retiring in 1998.

In his best year in 1992, Green ran for over 1,000 yards and was named to the Pro Bowl. In 1993 the Bengals offensive line was decimated, and the offense was criticized for being predictable under second year head coach Dave Shula.  Harold’s statistics and average per carry nosedived  from 4.4 to 2.7. Harold’s role in the Bengals offense would continue to decline until his departure in 1996, after the team drafted cursed Ki-Jana Carter in 1995 number 1 overall.  Green during his tenure with the Rams won the team’s ‘Carl Ekern Spirit of the Game Award’ and it was his last modestly productive season, before toiling away his final one and a half seasons on the Atlanta Falcons whom he played for in Superbowl XXXIII. Harold was inducted into the South Carolina 100th Anniversary Team in 1992, and has worked with South Carolina’s athletic department. He owns two car dealerships.

G/Gs 124/81   Att 1151   Yds  4365   Avg 3.8   Td 13   Lg 75t  |
Rec  213    Yds  1644    Avg  7.7    Td  4    Lg  47

 

NFL

Collins, Todd

Card: Star Pics 1992
Acquired: TTM 1993, c/o New England Patriots

An incredibly fast linebacker that ran a sub 4.3 after rehabbing from knee surgery, Todd Collins was a powerful hitter that was considered a top 5 linebacker in the 1992 draft.  Collins originally committed to play for Georgia, and then transferred first to Tennessee, and later to tiny Carson-Newman. Collins was eventually drafted by the New England Patriots and played for them from 1992-1998, and the Rams through 2000. starting in a Super Bowl once for each team.  Injuries shortened his career and he retired briefly for a season in 1995, but Collins was a ferocious competitor who fought through pain including a separated shoulder, a bum knee, a broken foot, and a strained neck over his tenure in the sport.  In a quirky side note, before a big games Todd practiced a superstition of rubbing stones and charms over previous injuries he’d sustained. Teams even began selling an incense before the game that he apparently liked to use to profit off of his behavior.

In 1992 I began sending out for autographs bulk through the mail to teams. I’d write a letter with 20-30 cards included with it trying to get a bunch of autographs at once. Most of the time I’d get letters back saying I needed to send cards to specific players, but on the rare occasion I’d get lucky with a bulk autograph return. I focused on the really bad teams, the 1-15s and 3-12s of the year because I theorized that they’d probably get less fan mail and Todd was one of my successes during one of my Patriot blitzes.

G  106      Tac  329      Sac  3.5      Fum   4      Int  2      Yds  15     Td 0