Tag Archives: ttm football autograph

NFL, WLAF

Shelton, Richard

psetwlaf91 sheltonCards: Ultimate WLAF 1992, Pro Set WLAF 1991
Acquired: TTM 2012, C/o Home
Sent: 11/16/12     Received: 1/4/14   (419 days)
Failure: TTM 2010, C/o The Tennessee Titans

I had a feeling that I might get something from my old address, I just didn’t expect it to be from so long ago. I had failed previously to get Shelton via the Titans for whom he was a long time scout back in 2010, but armed with his home address I just wasn’t ready to give up yet. With this TTM from 2012 it pushes my successes from that year to nearly 70%.

Richard  was a standout defensive back and punt returner for Liberty. His college totals include 12 picks, 136 tackles, 21 punt returns for 176 yards and a TD.  He was originally taken by the Denver Broncos in the 1989 draft. Unable to make the team Shelton bounced around the league with the Seahawks and Steelers before being drafted by the Montreal Machine of the WLAF in 1991.

ultwlaf92 sheltonRichard had a strong season for the team and became one of the league’s better known success stories along with Chris Mohr and Anthony Parker. He finished 1991 with 28 tackles, 3 interceptions for 65 yards and a TD. He also demonstrated his knack for special teams both on kick returns and punt returns, as Richard became the first player in the league to score a touchdown on a kick return and punt return in the same game. Richard also earned WLAF Player of the Week honors against Birmingham when he picked off a pass and returned it 63 yards for a score and also returned a fumble 25 yards in the Machine’s 23-10 win. After the season Richard earned All World League Second Team Honors, and resigned with Pittsburgh.

In the season finale in 1992 against the Browns, Richard made 3 interceptions for 57 yards and a TD, earning player of the week honors.  The next season in 3 starts he’d have 2 fumble recoveries coming off the bench. After his career ended in 1993, Shelton moved right into coaching and scouting and is currently a scout for the Tennessee Titans organization.

NFL 44/8     Tac  N/a    Sac   0      Fum  4      Int   3     Yds  72      Avg  24.0   Td  1   Lg 57t
WLAF   Tac  28      Sac  N/a    Fum N/a    Int 3    Yds  65    Avg 21.6    Td  1    Lg 63t
Kr 2     Yds 108    Avg 54.0    Td 1    Lg 90t   |
Pr 25   Yds 228    Avg 9.1       Td 1     Lg 67t

College Football HoF, NFL

Thompson, Anthony

aprks90 athompson fraprks90 athompson ba

Cards: Pro Set 1990 MAW, Action Packed Rookies 1990
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent:  7/6    Received: 1/28/14   (206 days)

pho athompson2A two time Big 10 rushing champion, Anthony Thompson put the Indiana Hoosiers football program briefly back on the map with his solid NCAA career from 1986-1989. He’d finish second in the Heisman Trophy race in 1989 to Andre Ware, but win the Maxwell Award after finishing his senior season with 358 carries for 1,793 yards, and 24 TDs rushing.   Anthony amassed 5,299 yards and 67 rushing TDs, including an NCAA single game record of 377 yards rushing against Wisconsin in 1989, breaking the record held by Rueben Mayes and Mike Pringle.  His 67 rushing TDs were at the time an NCAA record as well, but have both been since surpassed.

A deeply pious individual, Anthony never knew his patience would be so tested at the pro level. The 1990 draft was considered to be a decent followup to the 1989 blockbuster, and runningback was a pretty deep class. It’s amazing looking back at how Thompson was the 8th RB taken off the board- at only the 31st overall pick (2nd round). The Cardinals were a team mired in misery. The punching bag of the NFC East, Phoenix had not had a runningback rush for over a 1,000 yards since Ottis Anderson was jettisonedpho athompson1 in favor of Stump Mitchell back in ’85. Thompson was immediately pencilled in as the starter, but as a contract holdout dragged on, a late start allowed 7th round pick Johnny Johnson usurped the starting role. There were flashes from Anthony when Johnson was not in the lineup, as Thompson averaged over 100 yards per game for a 3 game stretch his rookie year, but outside of that, it was a frustrating campaign in Phoenix. Anthony was released by the Cardinals during the third week of the 1992 season.  Given an audition by the Los Angeles Rams, he suited up for 7 games for the team that year, but played primarily on the scout team. He’d be waived by the team in 1994, but not before he was immortalized in Tecmo Super Bowl.

pset90 athompson MAXAnthony eventually went back to college and finished his Batchelor’s of General Science in 2002, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007. He currently is a Pastor in Indiana.

A class act all the way around, Anthony actually sent me a manila envelope with my cards and the two additional photo cards covering his career at Indiana. It may have taken sometime, but it was totally worth it considering the return.

G/Gs  37/7    Rush  251    Yds 831    Avg 3.3     Td 6      Lg 40   |
Rec   14      Yds  74      Avg 5.3     Td 0    Lg 14

 

College Football HoF, Heisman Trophy Winner, NFL

Sims, Billy “Kung Fu”

udcollgd11 simsCards: Topps 1984, Upper Deck Legends 1997, Upper Deck College Legends 2011, OU Upper Deck 2011 MM.
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home.
Sent: 1/2     Received: 1/21   (19 days)

Billy Sims had a relatively short NFL career due to injury, but he left it all on the field, and harnessed accolades and awards along the way. Sims, the 1978 Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma, rushed for 1,896 yards and 22 touchdowns that year,  and would later be selected with the first pick of the 1980 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions.

ouud11 sims mmThe tiny dynamo took the #20 that he made so famous at OU during his college career and won NFL Rookie of the Year Honors that season, leading the NFL with 16 touchdowns (13 rushing and 3 receiving). In 1981, he’d up his numbers with 1,437 yards and another 13 TDs rushing in 14 games. While the 57 day long strike reduced Sims contribution to only 9 games, he’d still have 639 yards, and the team made the playoffs for the first time in 20+ years in 1982. Billy took the NFL by storm his first three seasons earning All-Pro honors from the NFL in each of those years. He’d have his final 1,000 yard season in 1983 rushing for 1,040 yards in 12 games. During the season he rushed for to82 sims replaya career high single game 189 yards against the Packers. The one man wrecking crew was beloved by the people of Detroit, and led the Lions to its first division championship in also over 20 years.

1984 was a catastrophic season for Sims and ultimately the Lions. In the 8th game of the season against the Minnesota Vikings, Sims took a routine handoff and got his foot awkwardly caught in the Metrodome turf.  Unbelievably his season was over- and the Lions spiraled out of control. The Lions were 23-11 since Sims joined the team. Without him, Detroit went the rest of the way 1-6-1 that year.  Sims had ligament damage to his knee, and the injury was so severe that he failed every physical he took after rehab.  As fast as Sims established himself as the Lions career leading rusher, both in yardage and touchdowns, Billy’s career was over.  He was only 30.

Sims has been held with reverence since by the franchise. Detroit likes to unofficially retire jerseys from circulation for extended periods of time, and such is that, the Lions refused to issue his #20 jersey until NFL great Barry Sanders asked to wear it. Billy was also well known for his celebratory high stepping as he scoredudldg97 sims touchdowns, and his strong and creative running that allowed him to pick a hole and make 3 yard gain out of nothing. There was just about nothing Sims could do. Leaping over a pile (like in his Upper deck Legends card), or catching a pass out of the backfield. Sims averaged 11.1 yards on 186 career receptions.  Despite playing only one full season in his short lived 5 year NFL tenure, Billy averaged over 1,000 yards per year.

While Sims has had a share of well publicized financial missteps much like Earl Campbell, Billy has bounced back and currently has chain of Billy Sims BBQ restaurants. He also spends time as a motivational speaker and is involved in sports marketing.

mem simsInducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995, Sims has also had his likeness immortalized as a statue on the OU campus as a Heisman Hero. His nickname was given to him by Chris Berman from ESPN, because during the highlight of a game against the Houston Oilers, Sims lept through the air over a defender and kicked cornerback Steve Brown in the head.

Billy is a wonderful signer through the mail for fans. He signed these
4 cards in less than a month for me, and also enclosed a free drink coupon for his restaurant in case I was ever in the area.  You can visit his restaurant site at billysimsbbq.com.

G/Gs 60/58    Rush 1131  Yds 5106   Avg 4.5     Td 42    Lg 81t |
Rec 186    Yds  2072   Avg 11.1   Td  5   Lg 87