Tag Archives: topps total 2005

NFL

Hoover, Brad

Upper Deck MVP 2001, #35
Score 2004, #50
Upper Deck 2001 Pros & Prospects, #13

CARDS: Topps Total 2005, Score 2004, Upper Deck MVP 2001, Upper Deck Pros & Prospects 2001
ACQUIRED: TTM 2024, C/o Home
SENT: 1/22 RECEIVED: 2/5 (14 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • A star at Western Carolina University, Brad Hoover played RB for the.
  • He rushed for 3,616 yards at Western, and scored 28 touchdowns over his college career.
  • Undrafted, he signed with the nearby Carolina Panthers and was moved to fullback.
  • Brad made the squad and quickly became a darling of the team due to his play, local ties, and inroads with the local community as a liaison.
  • Hoover saw action in all 16 games his rookie year in 2000, starting 4 contests.
  • He rushed for 290 yards on 89 carries, scoring 1 TD and catching 15 passes.
  • Over his career he became a stalwart blocker and sneakily dependable receiver out of the backfield.
  • In 2009, the Panthers selected a fullback during the draft marking the end of Hoover’s playing time in Carolina.
  • He retired after the season.
Topps Total 2005, #132

ACCOLADES:

  • Western Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame

NOTES:

So way, way back in 2004, I went back to work, hat in hand, to a place I used to work at. I absolutely hated the job, but one of the silver linings was that my coworkers immediately wanted me to play in their fantasy football league.

Tagging me as an easy mark, I hadn’t played in a few years and I was pretty raw. Unfortunately for them I still had a great hand at the waiver wire, and I took full advantage of it.

Backing into the playoffs as the last seed, I took a very unorthodox approach. I had nothing to lose playing against the most high power team in the league- so I specifically targeted players who were playing for pride, a new contract, or had more going for them then playing for a half and sitting. I cut most of my starting lineup and picked up situational starters like Nick Goings and Brad Hoover.

It paid off. Not only did I win the game, I ended up winning the championship in a major upset, angering the GM and most of the participants. It was good times.

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NFL

McKinney, Steve

totot05 mckinneyCard: Topps Total 2005
Acquired: 2014, Albany Acquisition

Seth McKinney was the Texans first free agent signee in the history of the franchise.  The Texans had a very poor offensive line in those early years, and outside of Steve McKinney and Chester Pitts, the team could find no consistency from their other starters.  From 2002-2006, Steve started every game at center for the franchise, but in 2007 suffered a torn ACL ending his season. With new head coach Gary Kubiak installing a ZBS system, he pulled the trigger on a trade to bring Chris Myers to Houston, effectively ending McKinney’s tenure in Houston.

Originally an All-Big 12 selection from Texas A&M, Seth was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the 3rd round of the 1998 draft. An All-Rookie selection, Seth played guard most of his time in Indianapolis before joining Houston in 2002. After his time in Houston, McKinney played for the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks, retiring in 2009.

A savvy businessman Seth has an eye for investments in the fast fast food industry. He was an investor with Freebirds Burritos, and owns a string of McDonalds restaurants.

CFL, NFL, University of Texas

Babers, Rod “Kool Aid” (2)

Cards: Topps Total 2005, UD UT 2011 CC
Acquired: In Person 2012, 1300 The Zone’s Houston Texans Playoff Viewing Party 1/7/12
Previous Post: Babers, Rod “Kool Aid”, Rod Babers (3)

At the University of Texas release party for the Upper Deck University of Texas cards last year, I met Rod who is a host of 1300 The Zone’s “The Afternoon Buffet”. He lamented to the people at UD about them not producing a card of him over the radio, – so I took it upon myself to produce a card for Rod. Off the cuff I had made a front, but had not produced a back due to time and printing constraints, and completely ripped off the UD design, just so that Rod could say he was part of the set.

When I met up with him at the Houston Texans’ Viewing Playoff Party at the Alamo Drafthouse, I asked for his autograph on a few more cards, which he had no problem doing. When I presented him with the custom fake I had made, he beamed and gave me a giant hug. Rod loved the shot from him versus Oklahoma, especially the fact that he was ‘Tebowing’ before it was cool.  Graciously, Rod told me the card truly made his afternoon even if the Texans didn’t win, and I told him that next time we’d meet up I hoped to have his trading card completed with a front and back for him to keep, which he told me I didn’t have to do.

After the Texans’ victory I talked to him a bit more, ribbing him for a few minutes and telling him that defensive lineman JJ Watt‘s interception for a touchdown, was already 1/4th Rod’s total number of picks at UT.  He laughed and stated that Watt was already one up on him in the pros, but he wouldn’t hold it against me since I gave him the custom.

Rod in his playboy way, also jokingly intimated that the card was so nice he was going to carry it around in his wallet, and use it to pick up women, to which I quipped to him, “That I was sure he had no problem with that!”