Tag Archives: ttm autograph

NFL

Anderson, Ken

Top Notch Signature Select Custom

CARDS: Donruss 2020, Pro Set 1990 Super Bowl XVI, Upper Deck Football Heroes 2008, Topps 1979, Upper Deck Legends 1997, Top Notch Signature Select
ACQUIRED: TTM 2018, 2021, C/o Home
SENT: 1/2/21 RECEIVED: 1/13/21 (11 days)
SENT: 9/10/18 RECEIVED: 1/29/21 (872 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Ken Anderson played QB for Augustana College from 1967-70.
  •  Finished college career ranked fifth in NCAA history for career total offense yardage (6,679).
  • 3rd round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1971.
  • Became starter in 1972.
  • Played for the Bengals for his entire 16 year career.
  • Led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance (XVI).
  • Set the NFL single season record for completions 70.6 (since surpassed – Drew Brees).
  • Led league in completion percentage in 1974, ’82, ’83.
  • Led league in passing yards in both 1974 and 75.
  • Led league in passer rating in 1974, ’75, ’81, and ’82.
  • As of 2023 holds the Bengals records for completions, passing yards, TDs and rushing yards by a Cincinnati QB.
  • Coached with the Bengals from 1993-2002, Jaguars from 2003-06, and Steelers from 2007-09.
Topps 1979, #115
Upper Deck Legends 1997, #76

ACCOLADES:

  • Tribe of Vikings Hall of Fame 2003
  • NFL MVP 1981
  • Cincinnati Bengals Ring of Honor
  • Pro Bowl 1975-76, ’81, ’82
  • All-Pro 1981
  • Second Team All-Pro 1975
  • NFL Offensive Player of the Year 1981
  • NFL Comeback Player of the Year 1981
  • NFL Man of the Year 1975
Pro Set 1990 Super Bowl XVI Insert, #16
2008 Upper Deck Football Heroes, #238

NOTES:

I had sent out to Ken back in 2018, but since he lives in SC, he was square in the path of I think Hurricane Sandy that month. Looking back now, it seems that my request from that year was in the bottom of his mailbag. Ken ended up responding to my retry before my original request, if that makes any sense. His 872 day response falls short of the top 10 waits by about 150 days.

I didn’t buy any NFL cards from 2020, but my friend Joe who helps me run a Facebook group had so many of the Donruss he sent me the entire set. I like the design of it but, considering how much prices have gone up I wouldn’t buy any of these in the wild unless they were discounted.

I really like ‘Long Tom’ cards like the Gameday set, so I thought I’d try my hand at making a few customs. It was a pain to do initially as no printer handles this size, but I designed the canvas to have some areas of white so that it was perfect for the autograph. His autograph looks great on this. I’m not sure if I’ll do anymore of these cards, but time will tell.

I am firmly in the camp that Ken Anderson belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His numbers compare favorably with fellow WCO alum and HoFer Dan Fouts yet Anderson played during the Dead Ball era earlier in his career.

Donruss 2020, #70
AAF, NFL, The Spring League

Mettenberger, Zack

Topps AAF 2019, #ZM
Topps AAF 2019, #96
Panini Prestige 2015, #123

CARDS: Topps AAF 2019, Topps AAF 2019 Certified, Panini Prestige 2015
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Work
SENT: 10/15 RECEIVED: 10/24 (9 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Zach Mettenberg was a prototypical pocket passer with a strong arm who played at Butler Community College (2010) and LSU (2011-13).
  • Over time with Tigers, threw for 35 TDs and 5783 yards on 407 completions.
  • Selected by the Tennessee Titans in the 6th round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
  • Mettenberger played at an interesting transitional time for the Titans, at the tail end of the short Jake Locker epoch and the beginning of the Marcus Mariota era in Tennesssee.
  • During his rookie year, Zach took over for Locker at QB throwing for 8 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and 1,412 passing yards.
  • Most memorably, Mettenberger had a short running feud with Houston Texans DE JJ Watt.
  • Mettenberger spent his second season backing up new starter Marcus Mariota.
  • Again stepping into the starting lineup in injury relief for Mariota, Zach threw for 4 TDs to 7 INT.
  • Spent 2016 on the rosters of the Chargers and Steelers but didn’t see any action.
  • After a year off from football, played in the Spring League in 2018 during their Austin showcase.
  • Signed with the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football in 2018.
  • Later during the league’s QB draft in 2019, was the final selection off the board by the Express.
  • Joined a crowded QB room, but made the roster behind Christian Hackenberg and Brandon Silvers.
  • Started 4th game of the season against the San Diego Fleet, completing 18 of 25 passes for 174 yards, leading the team to its first win of the year.
  • The next week, was sacked multiple times and injured during the contest against the Salt Lake City Stallions.
  • Wasn’t selected in the 2020 XFL draft and returned to the Spring League.
  • Went into coaching and in 2022, joined the staff of Alabama as an analyst.

NOTES:

I had been waiting to pounce on Zach for sometime since his days in The Spring League. During that game that I saw him play in, a cold front came in dropping the temperatures at the outdoor event by 30-40 degrees. It was bitterly cold. The crowd treated the game more like a scrimmage. Hardcore fans like myself enjoyed the experience, but the majority of the crowd was dead silent and Mettenberger made sure to make a show of it screaming and yelling and having an insanely good time. I was too intimidated to ask him for his autograph. Also of note, sitting nearby and incognito was former Dallas Cowboys’ QB Babe Laufenberg that I missed out on. -I’m still kicking myself about that one.

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NFL

Lewis, Greg (2)

Playoff 1992, #16
Star Pics 1991, #82
Pro Set 1992, #485
Topps Stadium Club 1992, #31

CARDS: Pro Set 1992, Topps Stadium Club 1992, Star Pics 1991, Playoff 1992
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Work
SENT: 10/15 RECEIVED: 11/26 (42 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

I had been circling back around to Greg since I got his Action Packed 1991 Rookies card via an acquisition. I really liked his Star Pics card, but I was struck by his Stadium Club entry as well- which has some really nice color in it. Playoff really came out at the tail end of when I was collecting back in the early 90s, and I’d always wanted to give the set a bit more love since the ink is absorbed so well by the metal finish.

As I was writing this, I was thinking about ‘the tail end of when I was collecting back in the early 90s’, and how now I’ve now basically entered into a second collecting recession. I don’t have any interest in buying boxes of first run cards right now. There are too many speculative buyers out there driving up an overpriced market. The design has gone into a disappointing direction, and there’s little room for value such as autographs included in the boxes. I wouldn’t be surprised if a contraction is coming to the trading card market soon.