Tag Archives: upper deck finite 2003

NFL, ufl

Bollinger, Brooks

CARD: TNT UFL 2011, Leaf Rookies & Stars 2003, Upper Deck Finite Rookies 2003
ACQUIRED: TTM 2025, C/o Home
SENT: 5/9 RECEIVED: 5/27 (18 days)
FAILURE: TTM 2011, C/o Home

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Brooks Bollinger saw action in 44 contests playing QB at the University of Wisconsin.
  • In his Senior campaign he threw for 1,758 yards and 14 TDs to just 4 picks.
  • Over his college career he completed 398 of 740 passes for 5,406 yards and 36 TDs (17 INT).
  • 6th round pick of the New York Jets in 2003.
  • 3rd string QB behind Chad Pennington and Vinny Testaverde that year.
  • Saw emergency action from time to time over his career with the Jets.
  • Traded to the Vikings in 2006.
  • Seldom saw the field over his career with the Vikings.
  • Signed by the Cowboys in 2008 and saw action after starter Tony Romo went down and backup Brad Johnson proved ineffective.
  • Joined the Lions in 2009 but didn’t make the squad.
  • Opted to play in the UFL with the Florida Tuskers.
  • Completed 121 of 179 passes for 1,518 yards and 14 TDs (3 INT) and compiling a 6-0 record as a starter.
  • Returned to the league in 2010, but beset by injuries… opted to retire after season.
  • Brooks dabbled in coaching after his pro days were over at both the high school level and briefly at the University of Pittsburgh.

ACCOLADES:

  • University of Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame 2017
  • UFL MVP 2009

NOTES:

Brooks had been on my list since the early days of TTMing. When I started creating these custom cards of the UFL back in 2010, I knew I wanted to get him eventually. I tried back in 2011 but failed, so I just bode my time and picked up these two additional cards.

I had a version of the card I printed out on flimsy card stock way, way back in 2011. Since I had improved the quality of the paper and print, I went ahead and reprinted it and his card came out nicely.

CFL, NFL, University of Texas

Babers, Rod “Kool Aid”

 

Cards: Upper Deck Finite 2003, Bowman 2003
Acquired: In Person, 11/9/11 Card Traders of Austin UD 2011 UT Football Card Launch Party
See also: Babers, Rod (2), Rod Babers “Black Caesar” (3)

Rod Babers is a legend for the University of Texas where he started 36 games, and returned 3 of his first 5 thefts for touchdowns. He earned 1st Team All Big 12 honors in 2002 and excelled in tight coverage. He’d finish his career at UT with 131 tackles, 4 sacks, 5 picks, 3 FF and 3 TDs, -and as a Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist.  At 5’9″, 190, Babers was undersized for the position, but made it onto the radar of NFL scouts with his career numbers and speed (4.3 40).

The New York Giants would draft him in the 4th round (123rd pick) of the 2003 draft, but he’d walk out of camp- distraught over the death of his grandfather. The Giants, unable to justify keeping him cut Roderick. He’d quickly sign with the Detroit Lions where he played the next two seasons suiting up for 7 games recording 5 tackles. In 2005, Rod was signed by the Bucs, and also played for the Broncos and Bears that season.  He’d move to Canada in 2006 to play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL, retiring after the season.

Babers quickly found a home working on 1300 “The Zone” in Austin, Texas as one of the crew of the Longhorn Station and you can frequently hear him on the airwaves cutting it up and talking about football and the cougars around Austin. Recently he had been doing multiple autograph appearances, so I put in an order on a few cards of his to see if I could add him to the collection, but a local card shop I had been frequenting recently had a promotion for a new set of Upper Deck Cards. Luckily I had ordered these cards a few days before from Burbank Sports Cards, and they delivered them in no time flat. (They may cost a little bit more, but BSC typically has the largest selection and variety and treat their internet customers with the same respect that they do their in person collectors.)  Overall these were pretty nice cards for the collection to get autographed. I did really hate the computer serial number coding that they used at the time to denote limited edition cards, but overall both of these cards hit their mark nicely.

Rod was impressed with my football knowledge and plugged me on the radio when he noticed that I was a Texans fan. Josh and I made lots of noise from time to time before they went out to commercial break to plug the event as though it was really happening. We all had a great laugh and Rod asked us to be sure to come out again and have a good time.