Tag Archives: ttm football autographs

CFL, WLAF

Alexander, Andre

ultwlaf92 a alexanderCards: Ultimate WLAF 1992, Wild Card WLAF 1992
Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Private
Sent: 1/4      Received: 1/25  (21 days)

A Facebook dispatch that actually paid off, I had written Andre sometime last year, but as we all know if you don’t know somebody it gets put in that pesky ‘other’ folder, so I threw out a friend request also to see if it’d catch his eye. Along with a batch of other WLAFers that I had found but had never been able to peg down, I just chalked it up as a loss and moved on. Lo and behold about 3 or 4 months later, he accepted my friend request. It took me a few months, but Andre one day was reminiscing about the past, posting photos of his days in the CFL and Fresno State, so I scanned in the two cards here, and posted them up telling him not to forget his roots. At his request I then put one up of his college teammate Dwight Pickens, and then we started talking. He not only agreed to signed the 2 cards I enclosed, he also got Dwight to sign his as well. As an added bonus, I sent him a few of his cards and other teammates cards from Fresno St to keep.

wcwlaf92 a alexanderAndre had a pretty solid Senior season for the Bulldogs in 1988. While the team had issues at quarterback, the other offensive playmakers were solid. Alexander finished as the #1 receiver on the team that year with 33 receptions for 703 yards and 3 TDs. A long bomb threat, he averaged 21.3 yards per catch. Undrafted, Alexander made the transition over to the CFL where he played for the Calgary Stampeders. The small statured Alexander made 19 receptions for 311 yards and 2 TDs.  Andre decided to join the WLAF and was a perfect fit for the Run N Shoot offense of Mouse Davis and the New York- New Jersey Knights. He hopped right into the starting lineup as the Knights’ punt returner. Alexander returned to the team in 1992 and hauled in 14 receptions for 256 yards and a TD. The WLAF went on hiatus after that year, and Andre returned to NorCal where he lives today.

While people tout the quarterback lineage of Fresno St, which certainly challenges Maryland on a level of college acclaim in that department, its really at receiver that there have been quite a few players that have made the jump to some sort of professional level.  The school became well known as the ‘WLAF connection’ and even had an article in GameDay magazine touting its pipeline. Along with Alexander, Dwight Pickens, Myron Jones, Malcolm Floyd, Kevin Sweeney, Mike Withycombe, and Gene Taylor were all guys who made the puddle jump to the WLAF.

Rec 18   Yds 319    Avg 17.1      Td 1     Lg 43t    |
Kr  1     Yds  21      Avg 21.0       Td 0     Lg 21      |
Pr 20   Yds 143    Avg 7.2         Td 0      Lg  18

NFL, University of Texas

Metcalf, Eric (2)

pset89 metcalfap90 metcalfsco90 metcalf HC

Cards: Score 1990 Hot Card, ProSet 1989, Action Packed 1990, Fleer 1995

Acquired: TTM 2014, C/o Home
Sent:  4/4  Received: 4/21  (17 days)
See Also: Eric Metcalf
Failure: TTM 1992, C/o The Cleveland Browns

With these four cards, I pretty much have knocked Eric Metcalf’s cards off my list- that is his Browns cards. Getting Eric’s autograph in any other uniform other than a Browns uniform would be like asking for Brett Favre on a Jets card to me. When I ran out to get Eric at Third Base a few years ago, I grabbed as many cards as I could, but didn’t have these, since three of them were lost in the mail all those years ago.  I had forgotten how nice these cards that I missed out on were.I reloaded and waited for a suitable time to shoot these cards out. Eric is very good to TTM fans- at least since I scolded him about it a few years ago. He’s one of my favorites from my childhood, so it was fitting I come around for a TTM hit.

Eric’s been busy in Seattle since returning there. He’s been involved in coaching track and field, most recently joining the staff at Washington as a volunteer assistant for horizontal jumping. Eric had an amazing track career at UT, winning the NCAA Championship in the long jump in 1986, and again in 1988.  A four-time All-American and that still holds the Texas school record for the outdoor long jump with a best of 27-8.25, Eric qualified for the finals of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials, placing eighth. 

 

NFL

Butler, LeRoy

sco90 butlerCards: Action Packed Rookies 1990, Score 1990
Acquired: TTM 2013, C/o The LeRoy Butler Foundation*
Sent: 9/10     Received: 9/26    (16 days)
*donation of $10 per flat.

LeRoy Butler’s story is an inspiring and amazing tale, as he spent the early years of his childhood confined him to a wheelchair.  As he recovered from his impairments, he got up, and never appeared to stop running.  LeRoy was part of a devious secondary for the Florida State Seminoles playing alongside Deion Sanders and high school friend, – runningback Edgar Bennett. He’d replace Sanders in the lineup at cornerback, converting from Safety in 1989. A solid tackler with a good nose for the ball, Butler played well for the Seminoles that year, etching 7 picks and 94 tackles. His 139 return yards that year broke the record set by Sanders, while his 106 yards against Syracuse broke Sanders’ single game mark.  LeRoy also spent time returning kicks, displaying his quickness and speed. He was also named first team All-American from both the AP and UPI in 1989. LeRoy finished his college career with 194 aprks90 butlertotal tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 9 interceptions for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Green Bay selected LeRoy with their second round pick of the 1990 draft. Used sparingly his rookie season, Butler still managed 3 picks, 19 tackles, and a forced fumble. That was enough for the coaches to promote him to starter at right cornerback in 1991 and Butler turned in another 3 pick season. As the Packers continued to remake their secondary with the addition of Terrell Buckley in 1992, Butler moved to his native strong safety position.  In the meantime the Packers also drafted Butler’s friend Edgar Bennett as well. It’s here that Butler enjoyed the best football of his career and perhaps for any safety in the league. After a quiet ’92, LeRoy in 1993 had his first AP season, with 6 picks and 2 fumble recoveries. It’d be in this season that he’s best remembered for taking a lateral from teammate Reggie White (who was gassed) and ran a fumble 25 yards into the endzone. At the end of the play LeRoy jumped up into the stands, thereby creating what is known today as ‘The Lambeau Leap’. Butler continued to play the next 9 seasons in Green Bay winning Super Bowl XXXI earning AP honors in 1996, 1997, and 1998. During the 1996 season, LeRoy intercepted 2 passes and returned one of them 90 yards for a score against the San Diego Chargers. Butler suffered a separated shoulder during the 2001 season, ending his season after 9 games.  Quietly though it also ended his career as during training camp the following season, it was discovered that it didn’t heal properly.

Since then Butler has devoted himself to charitable activities and speaking engagements.  A member of the NFL’s All-1990s team, the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, and the first defensive back to earn 20-20 club honors, the hope is as more defensive backs finally get some recognition from the NFL HoF, Butler will also get the honor he’s long deserved.

G/Gs 181/165      Tac 721       Sac 20.5    Fum 13   Int 38    Yds 533     Avg    Td 1   Lg 90t