CARD: Topps XFL 2020 ACQUIRED: IP 2023, San Antonio Brahmas v Orlando Guardians
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Eli Rogers played WR for Louisville from 2011-14.
Consistent and dependable, Rogers never failed to catch less than 41 passes every year.
Over his 4 years with the school he posted 176 receptions for 2020 yards and 12 TDs.
He also moonlighted on punt returns, with 29 career returns for 248 yards.
He spent the entire 2015 campaign on IR with the Steelers after signing as an UDFA.
Earning the final (5th) WR spot with the Steelers that year, he ended up starting 8 games, recording 48 receptions for 594 yards and 3 TDs.
24 of his receptions went for first downs.
With an increasingly crowded WR room and an ACL injury, Rogers saw his playtime decrease over the next two seasons.
After being cut in August of 2019, he’d find his way to the XFL 2020 as a selection of the DC Defenders.
He’d catch 19 passes for 164 yards.
After bouncing around between the Montreal Alouettes (2021), and the Bandits (2022), Eli was a first round pick of the Orlando Guardians in 2023.
Despite the franchise’s early on QB woes, Eli posted 20 catches for 173 yards and a TD.
NOTES:
Eli was one of the first players out onto the field for the Guardians, as he serves as a return man for the Guardians. I moved to this really sweet spot that puts me in earshot of the players. I called out his name and he saw me with my card and pen and flashed a smile. After warm-ups finished and the players started returning to the locker rooms, Eli came over and signed his XFL 2020 card for me. We joked about how I was an OG fan of the XFL in 2020 and how the Defenders were fun to watch, before he kindly signed this card for me.
CARDS: Topps XFL 2020, Topps XFL 2020 Now ACQUIRED: IP 2023, San Antonio Brahmas v Houston Roughnecks
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Nick Holley was a multi-talented athlete that did it all for Kent State on offense from 2013-17.
He played WR, RB and QB over his time at the school.
As a RB in 2016, he carried the rock 195 times for 920 yards and 10 TDs.
Going undrafted, he eventually latched on with the Rams in 2018.
In 2020, he joined the Houston Roughnecks.
A key contributor to the Roughnecks 5-0 run, Holley could be seen in the slot for H-Town.
He posted 21 receptions for 267 yards and 2 TDs.
Nick returned again to the XFL in 2023, with the Roughnecks as a late signing.
He started 3 games, catching passes for 47 yards and a TD.
Inextricably he’d be cut, much to the disappointment of Roughneck fans whom he became a fan favorite of.
The Brahmas immediately claimed him, and within two games he was a key contributor to the Brahmas beating the Orlando Guardians, catching 4 passes for 103 yards in their win.
On the ’23 season Nick finished with 14 catches for 192 yards and a TD.
NOTES:
Nick was a major factor in my XFL Fantasy Championship run, so I had to get his autograph on his cards. Nick joined the Brahmas before playing the Roughnecks, so I packed his cards and bet he might stop by the visitors side to talk to Roughneck fans and players. I was right, and I was able to get him to come over and sign these two cards for me. The Topps Now card of Nick, I’d probably have never risked in the mail as the print run on this card is just 169.
James Butler played RB for 3 years at Nevada from 2014-16.
He ran for over 1300 yards and 10 TDs in both 2015 and 2016.
Transferred to Iowa for Senior year in 2017.
Undrafted in 2018, but was a member of the Raiders practice squad.
Signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in 2019 but was cut at the end of camp.
Returned to Raiders practice squad for the 2019 season but was not resigned.
Joined the XFL Houston Roughnecks Run N Shoot attack for the 2020 season.
Was a spark at RB for the Roughnecks, both on the ground and as a receiving threat.
Carried the ball 46 times for 221 yards (4 TDs) to go along with 11 catches for 42 yards and a TD
After scoring a TD in a home game against the St Louis Battlehawks, jumped into crowd creating a celebration dubbed, “The Houston Hop”.
COVID ended the XFL 2020, but James rejoined the CFL- with the BC Lions.
Rushed for 497 yards on 101 carries (2 TDs) and caught 39 passes for 243 yards and a TD in 2021.
Had first 1,000 yard effort in 2022 rushing for 1060 yards on 210 carries while also catching 53 passes for 384 yards for the Lions.
NOTES:
Well I had season tickets to the Roughnecks and of 3 games that they were able to play I was able to attend 2 of them before COVID knocked the league out. I went with my friend Kevin to the game, and with our endzone seats, I was able to engineer a guest star on James Butler’s Houston Hop, as I muscled my way in at the end of the highlight film. Look at that Legends jersey! Long live the AAF!
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
