Tag Archives: upper deck 1997

NFL

McCardell, Keenan ‘Thunder’ (2)

Playoff Contenders 2001, #40
Upper Deck 1997, #65

CARDS: Atomic 2001, Playoff Contenders 2001, Upper Deck 1997
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o The Minnesota Vikings
FAILURE: TTM 2022, C/o Home

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

NOTES:

I had been wanting to get a few more Jaguars’ players autographs, and with very few of them who signed I thought I’d loop back and get Keenan, since I’d never gotten him TTM. Since I met him way back in 2012 or 2013 at Houston Fan Fest, I had developed a passing interest in Atomic and Playoff Contenders sets. The die cut gimmick with the large logo really got me, and the autographs look great on it so, it’s slowly become my 2001 favorite.

The Unknown Commodity card from Upper Deck was selected because it’s very much a card that emulated the zeitgeist of the era. Over the top large lettering as the background with an image on top of it. I mean, it’s not bad. Certainly catches the eye, but at the same time, feels dated and makes you smirk a bit.

McCardell has been enjoying a surge through the coaching ranks. After a stop at Maryland as the WR coach, as of 2022 he’s with the Minnesota Vikings in the same capacity.

NFL

Lilly, Bob “Mr. Cowboy”

to71 lillypset90SB lillyCard: Pro Set 1990 Super Bowl Supermen, Pro Set 1990 SB VI, Topps 1971
Acquired: IP 4/16/2015, Sam’s Wholesale Lakeline Grand Opening.
TTM 2015, C/o Home
Sent: 10/19    Received: 10/24     (5 days)

I had not been very enthusiastic about Lilly’s signing at the Lakeline Grand Opening of Sams, as I had been pretty much caught with my pants down on this one. I had neither the Topps 1971 or the Upper Deck Legends 1997 issues that were part of my set obsessions, but Kudos to my friend Spoodog, for comping me this card of Lilly’s to get signed. I am a huge fan of the Topps 1971 set,  as it’s a timeless group of cards. It immediately made me excited for the Lilly signing as the only two other cards I had just an afterthought.

do09 lillyBesides his time playing football, Lilly is an avid photographer. He loves interacting with fans, and he gets high marks as a TTM responder for a very nominal fee. The Cowboys and the NFL HoF keep him very busy as he is one of the most requested NFL alumni for functions, speaking engagements, and signings. You can visit his website at www.boblilly.com.

A few months later after a lot of trouble, I sent out for Bob TTM and enclosed a small signing fee.  He responded in under a week and signed both the Upper Deck Legends card (I had such a hard time getting) and also a Donruss Threads card.

udlgd97 lillyLily was the first ever pick of the expansion Dallas Cowboys in 1961. (He was also drafted by the AFL Dallas Texans as well.) A giant, dependable, and durable (just missed one game during his career) defensive tackle, he manned the position for the Cowboys for 14 seasons. Over that time he demonstrated incredible reaction time, strength, and speed for the era as a key cog to the Cowboys defensive alignment. He became the franchise’s first Hall of Fame inductee in 1980.

G/GS 196/196     Tac    N/a       Sac     Fum
Int  1       Yds    17      Avg  17.0       Td    1      Lg     17t