Tag Archives: ttm autograph

University of Texas

Brown, Mack

Cards: UT Upper Deck 2011
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Texas
Sent: 4/13    Received: 4/18   (5 days)

Mack Brown has assembled quite an impressive resume in college football and seems quite content to remain among the upper echelon of coaches at that level, but before that what most fans of the University of Texas don’t know is that Mack Brown is a Seminole. Yes, he graduated from Florida State and started student coaching after an injury caused an early exit in 1974. It has been a long road for Brown along the way, with stops at Southern Miss, Memphis State, Iowa State, and LSU. By this point he had held quarterbacks, wide receivers, and the offensive coordinator positions by 1982.  In 1983, Mack earned his first head coaching stint, leading the Appalachian State Yosef to a 6-5 record, but quickly joined the University of Oklahoma staff as offensive coordinator for 1984.  He’d head over to the Tulane Green Wave to be athletic director and head coach, turning a dead end program around for an Independence Bowl appearance in 1987.

In 1988, the University of North Carolina was looking to fix its woeful football program. Taking note of Mack’s turnaround of Tulane, the University signed him up. After an initial rough patch, the team gelled under his recruitment and started a return to respectability by 1991 finishing at a 7-4 record. 1992 saw Mack’s Tar Heel program finish 9-3 and win the Peach Bowl. The school enjoyed its finest football in some 50 odd years under Mack’s direction through 1997.  He’d leave North Carolina for the University of Texas after the season, (to take over for reassigned head coach John Makovic,) finishing his career at UNC with 69 wins.

A new era of Texas football began that year, under Mack’s direction. He claims that his first ‘recruit’ was convincing Ricky Williams to stay at Texas for his senior season. It has been during his tenure at the University of Texas that Brown has displayed a dominant knack for recruitment, and preparing many players for the professional level. In 14 seasons as head coach, the University of Texas has appeared in 13 bowl games under Mack including 4 bowl games. The Longhorns have also ranked in the top 5 6 times over that span as well.  In 2005, Texas went 13-0, with Vince Young at quarterback, and defeated the star-studded USC Trojans at the Rose Bowl 41-38. Mack also was given the NCAA Football Coach of the Year award.  As of the conclusion of the 2011 season, Mack has a 141- 39 record at UT, and is 227-113-1 all-time.  While he has been rumored from time to time to be in line for an NFL gig, the University of Texas has had no qualms about locking him in for basically a lifetime salary and can coach here until he is ready to retire.

After getting scalded at the Orange-White scrimmage this year, I wrote Mack courtesy of his website. I was surprised to get a quick response from Kasey, his personal assistant, who apologized for my situation. He offered to get any autograph I wanted as long as I had them personalized. It was a quick 5 day turn around for both Mack and Major Applewhite in the same envelope, making this Longhorn fan quite happy.

College Football HoF, NFL, WLAF

Hines, Clarkston

Card: ProSet WLAF 1991
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent:  6/18    Received:  7/11    (23 days)
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Home, TTM 2011, C/o Work

Clarkston Hines had huge numbers playing for small fish Duke with quarterback Anthony Dilweg, becoming only the second player in NCAA history at the time to post 3 1,000 yard seasons. In fact, he demolished the school’s record book and finished 6th All-time with 3,138 yards and 38 touchdowns over his career. At 5-11, 163 though he was considered undersized but the Bills took him in the 9th round of the 1990 draft. Stacked at receiver though with Andre Reed and James Lofton firmly entrenched as starters, Hines would not make the roster.

Drafted by the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks in the WLAF with a supplemental choice of the 1991 draft, the team was a patchwork monstrosity at quarterback once the season began, but their receivers fared quite well. Clarkston was the big play threat. He’d finish 9th in the league with 31 receptions for 614 yards and a titanic 19.8 YPC. He had his best day against Orlando posting 6 receptions for 117 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 55 yarder. After the season, Hines elected not to return to the WLAF.

He currently is Vice President of DaVita Inc and resides in North Carolina. The under the radar athlete also has received numerous awards since retirement including being inducted into the Duke Sports Hall of Fame (1999), The ACC 50th All Time Team (2002) and the College Football Hall of Fame (2010).  I’ve had a difficult time getting Clarkston, failing both at home and work over the last 2 years, but luckily another member of SportsCollectors.net was willing to float the address to me and the 3rd time is a charm. He also sent me a testament letter about Christ as well.

Rec 31    Yds  614      Avg  19.8        Td  3      Lg 61

CFL, NFL, WLAF

Bell, Kerwin (2)

Cards: WildCard WLAF 1992, Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Jacksonville University
Sent: 1/10        Received:  2/17  (38 days)
Previous Post: Kerwin Bell
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Jacksonville University

I had tried previously in 2010 to get the former Florida and WLAF Orlando Thunder signal caller on a few additional cards, but didn’t have any luck there. Recently there have been a few signings by Bell passed through SportsCollectors.net so I decided to take another chance C/o Jacksonville University again. With these two cards being signed, I can officially close the book on Kerwin Bell, unless I was to stumble upon a Jogo card or two of him in his CFL gear.

A Florida Gators quarterback from the 80’s, Bell finished his Senior season with 2687 yards and 21 TDs. After bouncing around the NFL for a few seasons, the WLAF would call his number in the first round of their positional draft in 1991. He’d be on fire the first two weeks of the season and rake in Offensive Player of the Week honors both weeks for the Orlando Thunder. Kerwin set the league season game records for most completions (29), most TDs passing (5), most attempts (43), and most attempts without an interception (44).

Inexplicably, the Thunder turned around in 1992 and picked up Scott Mitchell from the Dolphins and gave him the keys to the car. Bell would ride the bench, but would go onto greater glory after the season, playing in the CFL for the Sacramento Goldminers, Edmonton Eskimos, Argos, and Blue Bombers. He’d also have a brief stop with the Colts during this period, completing 5 of 5 passes for a TD, retiring in 2001. Unofficially it is the highest QB rating among non-qualifying quarterbacks in NFL history.

Bell was inducted into the Gator HoF as a Gator Great in 1997.