Tag Archives: ttm autograph

Arena, CFL, NFL, WLAF

Parker, Carl


Cards:  ProSet WLAF 1991, Wild Card WLAF 1992, Ultimate WLAF 1992.
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o home.
Sent: 6/11   Received: 6/26   (15 days)
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o Home RTS

Carl Parker was a standout receiver for Vanderbilt. The problem is Vandy is a doormat for many of the major football programs. Still over his three years with the Commodores, Parker totaled 118 catches and 1712 yards, including 42 passes for a 19.2 YPC and 12 touchdowns as a Senior. Carl signed with the Bengals in 1988 and was with them through 1989, before briefly catching on with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL in 1990. The Sacramento Surge of the WLAF drafted him in the 4th round of the 1991 positional draft in the 6th slot.

Quarterback Mike Elkins bonded with Carl quickly, and of the 13 touchdowns Elkins threw, Carl caught eight of them- good for second in the league. In fact, Carl caught touchdown passes in the last 7 contests, highlighted by his 2TD performance in the team’s upset of Frankfurt during the season finale. Parker received All-WLAF Second team honors, as the league’s 3rd leading receiver in both catches (52) and in yards receiving (801).  He also had 3 100+ yard receiving games, including 136 in a loss to London, and caught at least 1 ball in every game of the season.  Parker also did double duty on punt returns, ranking 4th in the league with an 8.5 yard average on 15 returns.

Carl returned for the 1992 season to Sacramento. It was a new team and a new attitude on offense, infused by journeyman David Archer at quarterback and future CFL All Stars, Eddie Brown and Mike Pringle on offense.  Carl had another good season with numbers worthy of being a number one on many teams, finishing 1992 with 42 receptions, for 657 yards, and 6 touchdowns. While the numbers weren’t as good as ’91, Parker helped the Surge raise the World Bowl trophy over their heads at the end of the season with their victory over the Orlando Thunder. The league though sought to restructure after the season, and the CFL admitted in the rival Surge and Riders. The Surge were rechristened the Gold Miners and Carl picked up a final season with them in the CFL. Carl played last for the first incarnation of the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League before finally hanging up his cleats.

WLAF Rec 94    Yds 1458   Avg  15.5   Td 14   Lg 48
Pr  15    Yds 127   Avg 8.5   Td 0   Lg 15

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