Tag Archives: ttm football autograph

NFL, WLAF

Jackson, Hue

ultwlaf92 monarchs tpCard: Ultimate WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o the Cincinatti Bengals
Sent: 2/7     Received: 2/18   (11 days)

After a pretty decent stint at quarterback for Pacific during the mid 80s, Hue Jackson immediately stepped into the coaching ranks at his Alma Mater in 1987.  A short stint at Cal State Fullerton allowed Hue to make the jump to the professional coaching ranks in 1991 for the London Monarchs under head coach Larry Kennan. There he did triple duty as special teams, wide receiver, and runningbacks coach. The team was the most explosive offensive unit in the league with a number of offensive players being named to the All-World team that were under Jackson’s guidance. After the Monarchs won World Bowl I Kennan returned stateside to coach for the Colts, putting assistant Ray Willsey in charge. The 1992 season was not so fortuitous for the team, and London ended 1992 on a not so amazing 2-7-1 note. After the season, the WLAF reorganized- not to be seen again until 1995 as a completely European venture.

Returning to the US, Hue began to climb the coaching ranks with stops at Arizona State (1992-1995),  California (1996), and USC (1997-2000), before joining the NFL, with stops on the Redskins (2001-2003), Bengals (2004-2006), Falcons (2007), and Ravens (2008-2009). In 2010, Hue had an impressive run as offensive coordinator of the Raiders. Owner Al Davis took notice and promoted Jackson to head coach in 2011. In the midst of the season, Davis passed away, and the Raiders responded by defeating the Texans in Houston. It’d be the high point for the Raiders, as after a 7-4 start, they’d go 1-4 the rest of the way. Jackson got a raw deal, and after the single season as head coach, the Raiders terminated his contract, preferring a fresh start with new GM Reggie McKenzie. Afterwards Hue returned to the Bengals, where he has remained since, recently taking over in 2014 as offensive coordinator. I wrote the Bengals for his autograph for this set based on his WLAF pedigree. He is in the team picture somewhere- I’m guessing on the left side when he was the coordinator of many hats for the London Monarchs.

NFL   W 8    L  8     Pct .500

NFL, NFLE

Jackson, Fred

doR&S11 fjacksonCard: Donruss Rookies & Stars 2010
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent: 2/10   Received: 3/13    (30 days)

Fred Jackson’s journey to the NFL is a unique one graduating from tiny private liberal arts college Coe in 2003. During his senior season, he rushed for 1,702 yards and 29 TDs in 2003 for the Kohawks. Undrafted, Jackson had multiple tryouts in the NFL but was considered too small, so he joined the Sioux City Bandits (NIFL 2004, UIF 2005). A juggernaut in the two leagues, he’d be named MVP of the UIF in 2005.

In 2006, Jackson joined the NFLE, rushing for  731 yards and 2 TDs, and catching 27 passes for 317 yards. The Bills decided to take a stab at Fred in 2006, maybe on a whim, because GM Marv Levy was a former Kohawk alum himself. Jackson would make the squad and scored his first TD in 2008. He’d win the starting job from Marshawn Lynch and hasn’t looked back. Jackson had career highs in yards with 1,062 yards rushing and 1,014 yards kick returning, marking the first time in league history a player has ever done that. While he’d narrowly miss the 1,000 yard mark in 2010 and 2011, injuries have frustratingly cut into his playing time. In 2013, Fred finished with 890 yards and 9 TDs, including 105 yards on 18 carries and a TD, in a 19-0 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

I’ve seen a few successes here and there on Fred and so I decided to take a shot. I always love to get responses back from WLAF/NFLE alumni, and the fact that he’s still chasing his dream now makes it all the more sweeter.

 

NFL, ufl

Clarett, Maurice

bo03 clarettCards: TNT UFL 2011, Bowman 2005
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o Home
Sent: 12/19    Received: 2/11/14    (58 days)*
* Donation of $10 per flat included.

Maurice Clarett played a key role in Ohio State’s drive to the 2002 National Championship as a true freshman. He’d earn All-Big 10 Honors and be named Freshman of the Year, running for 1237 yards and 16 touchdowns on 222 carries. His game winning touchdown in double overtime in the Fiesta Bowl over the Miami Hurricanes put Clarett on the map nationally, but little did anybody know the difficult road he’d travel from that point further.

Soon thereafter it was revealed that Clarett had been receiving improper benefits (- more than he later earned at 10 games in the UFL,)  leading to his suspension for lying to NCAA investigators and his eventual departure from Ohio State. Maurice decided to declare for the NFL draft. The problem was, the NFL had an agreement in place with the NCAA not to allow high school students who had not been out of school for less than 3 years into the league. Clarett won in court in 2004, and declared for the 2005 draft. Maurice did not fare well at the combine, and was very humbled by the experience. His former Alma Mater refused to allow him to attend their pro day. The Broncos though liked what they saw out of Maurice though. He seemed to be a good fit for their ZBS based on his skillset, and ability to burst through the hole, staying low to the ground, and adjusting his speed and his direction well. They took him surprisingly in the 3rd round of the 2005 draft. Unfortunately Clarett was not prepared for the rigors of the league and found himself cut, before even playing a down.

tnt11 clarettWith his football glory completely stripped of him, and financial troubles setting in, compounded by his legal battle with the league, life was in a downward spiral for the one time shooting star. Clarett hoped to jump start his career again by playing in the NFLE or an Arena affiliate, but instead was arrested after a robbery and high speed chase in 2006.  With his 4 month daughter present at the court room, Maurice took a plea deal, and had 3 years to think about his life behind bars. Maurice began blogging. That’s when I began to catch up with Maurice. Reading his blog, it was obvious that he was ready and chomping at the bit to turn his life around. In 2010 he earned an early release.

The UFL thought that Clarett was a great fit for the league, and he was signed by the Omaha Nighthawks a few days later. The Nighthawks were loaded with former NFL veterans on offense. Jeff Garcia led the way at QB, along with Ahman Green at RB, and Jeb Putzier at TE. Clarett was to be Green’s understudy and heir apparent to the former Packers star. He’d score his first professional touchdown in a Week 7 contest against Las Vegas. He’d not return to the league as financial pressures began to mount, until the UFL’s quiet demise in 2012.

Maurice has spent a lot of time doing speaking engagements, encouraging other future stars not to lose sight of their goals. He’s also become an outspoken celebrity on depression. In 2012, he was invited back home to Ohio State to a reunion of the 2002 National Championship team, wrote an autobiography tell all, and recently was in an ESPN 30 for 30 interview.

I had made this custom of Maurice some time ago, and always wanted to get it signed. Thanks to Deadhorse from the Sportscollectors.net message board, I was able to locate a possible address for him, and shot these two cards out with a donation to his foundation. I had thought that these were long gone, even though 60 days for me is not much to sweat about, so to have these show up on my 4th successful day in a row was a real charge.

UFL       Rush 37       Yds   154        Avg 4.2        Td  1       Lg  15    |
Rec  12      Yds 98      Avg 8.2       Td 0      Lg 17