Tag Archives: ttm autograph

AAF, NFL, XFL

Horn, Reece

Card: Topps XFL 2020
Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o Home
Sent: 5/4 Received: 5/26 (22 days)

Reece Horn played wide receiver at Division I football for the University of Indianapolis from 2012-2015. In both 2014 and 2015, Reece eclipsed the 1000 yard barrier, posting 1046 yards and 12 TDs in 2014, and 1396 yards on 108 catches in 2015. Playing 48 games for the Hounds, he posted 272 catches for 3562 yards and 31 TDs. In addition he spent time returning punts, and had 2 TDs in his senior year- including a 92 yarder.

After going undrafted in 2016, he spent the preseason with the Tennessee Titans, then took his game to the European circuit, playing in both Italy and Austria. In 2019, Reece signed with the Alliance of American Football. He was allocated to the Memphis Express.

The Express had offensive woes that stemmed from the quarterback position. Their #1 QB pick didn’t even make it through camp, and after Brandon Silvers became entrenched as starter, Johnny Manziel was brought in to keep the heat on him. As the season continued on however, Reece established himself as the go to receiver on the Express offense. He never failed to catch less than 4 passes per game, and in back to back games (in Week 6 and 7), Reece went over 100 yards (129 in Week 6 and 113 in Week 7). On the 2019 AAF season, Reece caught 28 passes for 429 yards and a TD. He returned to the NFL seeing some preseason work with the Miami Dolphins.

Reece was selected by the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL 2020. I remember hearing the pick and saying to myself, “That’s a good pick. Ugh, I wish the Roughnecks had gotten him.” He finished with 27 catches for 246 yards and a TD. His best game came in the final contest against the Wildcats when he caught 9 passes for 90 yards and a TD in a 34-31 loss.

I went to the Houston Roughnecks / Tampa Bay Vipers scrimmage before the season began with my buddy Lance. I felt that the players I really needed to concentrate on were from the Vipers, so I camped on their side of the field where they put their gear down. I knew Reece was on the Vipers from his days on the Express, but I was pretty surprised he didn’t have any cards of any sort. When he came over, I stopped him out of respect and told him I knew who he was and wanted to shake his hand, and that I knew that he was the machine behind the Express’ improvements over the last few weeks of the AAF season.

In Reece’s letter back to me, he thanked me for being a fan, and told me that the best is yet to come!

NFL, WLAF

Woods, Thomas ‘TD’

Card: Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2019. C/o Home
Sent: 9/30/19 Received: 1/21/20 (113 days)

An 8th round pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1990, Thomas ‘TD’ Woods played college ball for the Tennessee Volunteers from 1986-1989. At 5’6″, 182 TD was one of the smallest speedsters to hit the gridiron. He caught 124 passes for 1617 yards and 7 TDs, and 60 punt returns for 656 yards and a TD as well. After not making the final roster of the squad, TD was selected by the Barcelona Dragons of the WLAF. In 1991 he caught 20 passes for 223 yards, returned 13 kicks for 263 yards, and returned 9 punts for 123 yards.

In 1992, Woods became the primary receiver after the departure of Gene Taylor. He caught 51 passes for 546 yards, and a barn burning 86 yard TD. Thomas was also the primary punt returner, with 19 punt returns for 147 yards.

He returned to Tennessee and finished out his degree in 1996. Since that point, TD has spent a lot of time at the college level as a wide receivers coach for Appalachian State, Western Carolina, Mississippi, Jacksonville State, Tulane, and Eastern Illinois.

TD has two cards in the Ultimate World League 1992 set. I had hoped he’d sign both of his cards, but I was happy to get one of two out of him, after searching high and low for years, for his address.

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College Football HoF, NFL, XFL

Long, Chuck

Cards: Score 1989, ProSet 1989
Acquired: TTM 2020, C/o Work
Sent: 5/17 Received: 5/23 (7 days)

Chuck Long made his mark at Iowa. Playing for the Hawkeyes from 1981 to 1985, showing growth in every season as he cemented his name in Iowa lore. In 1983, he threw for 2434 yards- on a gaudy 10 yards per completion. Chuck would be named to the All Big 10 in ’84, passing for 2871 yards, completing an unheard of 67.1% of his passes (216/322) and throwing 22 TDs. He’d finish his final year in 1985, breaking his single season passing records again, passing for 2978 yards, 26 TDs, on 351 attempts, and 231 completions. Chuck Long left the school owning virtually nearly all the Hawkeye’s passing records, both for single season and career passing numbers. His impressive resume included 70 career TDs, 721 completions on 1111 attempts, and 9671 yards.

Chuck was the second overall quarterback taken in the 1986 NFL draft, (behind Jim Everett) at #12 overall by the Detroit Lions. Chuck worked his way through training camp, and was entrenched behind incumbent Joe Ferguson. Head Coach Darrell Rogers planned to groom Chuck as the quarterback of the future, sitting on the bench that year.

Unfortunately almost right out of the gate, Joe Ferguson went down in the opener against the Cowboys, forcing Chuck into action early. Chuck played the next three games going 21 of 40 for 247 yards, and 2 TDs to 2 interceptions. In 1987, Chuck was handed the reins to the franchise. He responded by going 3-9, throwing for a career high 2598 yards and 11 TDs, however he led the NFL with 20 picks. With Rogers on a short leash for 1988, the Lions got off to a fast start winning their opener against the Falcons 31-17. Chuck was workmanlike efficient, going 13 of 19 for 107 yards and 2 TDs. Then the Lions proceeded to lose the next 6 games. Chuck was benched and soon thereafter Rogers was fired. He’d spend one more year in Detroit- but was firmly behind not only Rodney Peete, but Bob Gagliano, and Eric Hipple as well. Chuck was traded to the Rams in 1990 where he backed up Jim Everett at quarterback, before returning to the Lions to ride the bench in his final season in 1991.

Chuck went into coaching where he quickly rose up the college ranks, first at his alma mater Iowa, and then over to Oklahoma. He earned his first head coaching gig with San Diego State in 2005. He finished his tenure at SDSU at 9-27, and then was named offensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks. In 2020, Chuck was named the offensive coordinator of the St Louis Battlehawks of the XFL. The Battlehawks finished second in offensive yardage averaging 349.6 yards per game, before the league was aborted due to COVID fears.

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