Tag Archives: upper deck legends 1997

Arena, NFL, ufl

Jackson, Harold (WR) ‘Sunny’

Topps 1970, #72
Upper Deck Legends 1997, #118

CARDS: Topps 1970, Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: TTM 2020, C/o Home
SENT: 11/30 RECEIVED: 12/9 (9 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Harold Jackson played college ball at Jackson State from 1964-68.
  • Not only was a prolific WR, but also a speedy track man, setting a record 9.3 second 100 yard dash at the school.
  • Led the SWAC in receiving in both 1965 (46 catches for 612 yards and 11 TDs), and in 1966 (56 catches for 878 yards and 8 TDs).
  • 12th round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in 1968.
  • After appearing in just 2 games his rookie season, was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
  • Led the league in receiving yards in ’69 with 1,116.
  • In 1972, led the NFL in both catches (62) and yards (1,048).
  • Harold was traded back to the Rams in 1973 for Roman Gabriel.
  • On 40 catches, he had a league leading 13 TDs.
  • Was traded to the New England Patriots in 1978.
  • In 1979, posted 1,013 yards receiving and a career high 22.5 yards per reception.
  • Played briefly in 1982 for the Vikings, and rounded out career in ’83 with the Seahawks.
  • Suited up during the Players Strike in ’87 for the Patriots, but didn’t play.
  • Has a long and prolific coaching career at a variety of pro, semi-rpo and college levels, as a positional and head coach.
  • Among his pro stops were with the Patriots (85-89), New Orleans Night (1991), Bucs (1992-93), Saints (1997-99), Hartford Colonials (2011), and Sacramento Mountain Lions (2012).
  • In 2014, Harold served as head coach for his Alma Mater Jackson State from 2014-15.

ACCOLADES:

  • AP 1973
  • 2nd Team AP 1972, ’77
  • Pro Bowl 1969, ’72-73, ’75, ’77
  • Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

NOTES:

I’ve never had anyone personalize my cards in quotations- but okay.

Despite finishing near the top of the statistical receiving charts at the time of his career- spanning 3 eras from the 60s to the 80s, Harold has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Whether it’s a combination of the infamous logger jam at receiver, or the fact his stats just don’t stand out as much because it was during the dead ball era, Harold is still waiting to hear his name called.

It’s interesting, cracking down on Harold’s stats, that he has such a high yards per reception (17.9 on 579 catches), but his longest catch is just 79 yards.

Great cards- Always love the Topps 71 set. It’s classy, and it’s grown on me over the years specifically. It’s still a casual collect for me, but among Topps sets it’s one of my favorites.

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57910,37217.97679
NFL

Francis, Russ ‘All-World Tight End’ (1953-2023)

Upper Deck Legends 1997, #104

CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: TTM 2022, C/o Home
SENT: 1/3 RECEIVED: 3/23 (59 days)

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Russ Francis was a three year starter at TE for the Oregon Ducks.
  • It was really in his Junior year in 1974 he put up some outstanding numbers, catching 31 passes for 495 yards and 4 TDs.
  • A monster prospect, clocking in at 6’6″, 245, Russ not only had the hands, he had the size as well.
  • Russ was a slam dunk first round pick of the New England Patriots in 1975, taken 16th overall.
  • Russ chewed up the scenery his rookie year with the Pats, with 35 catches for 636 yards and 4 TDs.
  • In 1980, Russ had a career high 664 yards and 8 TDs on 41 receptions.
  • After the Patriots refused to give Russ a bonus for his Pro Bowl appearance, combined with how the team treated teammate Daryl Stingley after his paralization, Francis opted to retire.
  • Russ became a broadcaster briefly with ABC Sports, but after having a conversation with 49ers Bill Walsh, decided to come out of retirement in ’82.
  • Russ joined the ‘9ers, through a trade, just in time to help them build their dynasty, and helping the team win Super Bowl XIX in 1984.
  • He’d post a career high 44 receptions in 1985.
  • Russ played 7 games with the ‘9ers in 1987, before returning back to the Patriots.
  • He played one more year with New England in ’88, spending the entire ’89 campaign on IR, retiring soon thereafter.
  • Russ has had a robust life since retirement, participating in Wrestlemania II, dabbling in politics, hosting radio, and outdoor shows.

ACCOLADES:

  • Pro Bowl 1976-’78
  • Polynesian Sports Hall of Fame (Contributor)
  • NWA Hawaii Tag Team Championship (1978)
  • Wrestlemania II

NOTES:

I really, really wanted Russ to be my first response of 2022, but he ended up responding a few months later. Still, a great response from Russ, who put a lot of inscriptions on the card. He also wrote a nice note saying that he, “Had a great time in Wrestlemania II!”

Russ has two nicknames. He was dubbed ‘All-Universe’ because he could do it all when he came into the NFL. His second, ‘All-World Tight End’ was given to him by Howard Cosell during a MNF contest.

I think Russ deserved this card as a legend, and a lot more credit than he gets. A prolific receiver during the dead ball era, if not for an injury and retiring suddenly, he easily could’ve topped out over 6k yards. Nothing to sneeze at when 5 seasons were during the infamous dead ball era.

Russ appears on the original Tecmo Super Bowl as a member of the San Fransisco 49ers. He is notable as he is the receiver for a play that can not be defended against that if you time the pass right, catches the ball on every throw, even under heavy blitz.

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393526213.44053

EPITAPH:

10/1/23- Russ had recently completed the purchase of the Lake Placid Airways Scenic Tours Business. He was on in a single engine Cessna 177 Cardinal with the SVP of the Pilot’s Association, when the plane started experiencing engine trouble after take off. The plane was unable to return to the runway. -Francis was just 70 years old.

Arena, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Branch, Cliff (1948-2019)

Upper Deck Legends 1997, #AL-80

CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2021

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Breathtaking track man and WR played in ’70 and ’71 for the Buffs.
  • Caught 36 passes for 665 yards and 3 TDs, while rushing for 354 yards on 31 carries (5 TDs).
  • Selected in the 3rd round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
  • Played during the prime years of the ‘Dead Ball Era’.
  • Had 60 catches, a league leading 1092 yards and 13 TDs in 1974.
  • Added another 893 yards and 9 TDs in ’75.
  • Had 1,111 yards, an 88 yard long, and a league leading 12 TDs in ’76.
  • Curiously his 24.2 yards per catch did not lead the NFL that year- despite catching 46 passes.
  • In ’77 posted 33 receptions for 540 yards and 6 TDs.
  • Continued to be a long bomb threat throughout the remainder of his career, posting an 86 yard catch in ’80 and a 99 yard TD in ’83.
  • Retired after the 1985 season.
  • Was the bridge between two eras of the Silver and Black winning Super Bowls XI, XV, and XVIII.
  • Played one season in the Arena Football League in 1988 for the Los Angeles Cobras.

ACCOLADES:

  • NFL Record – 99 Yard TD reception (tied)
  • All-Pro 1974-’76
  • Pro Bowl 1974-’77
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame 2022

NOTES:

It is a testament to the Silver and Black that Branch finally is in the HoF. Long overdue, he was being held back by his ‘Dead Ball Era’ stats, a logger jam of WR with sexier stats, and a stigma against inducting too many Raiders from that era into the HoF. Frequently the most dangerous offensive player on the field, Branch’s honor was long deserved.

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5018,68517.36799t

EPITAPH:

Cliff Branch passed away August 3rd, 2019 of natural causes. He was 71. He was posthumously was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.