Cards: UT UD 2011 Icons, UTD 2011 Acquired: TTM 2019, C/o Home Sent: 9/3 Received: 9/19 (16 days)
Bobby Wuensch played offensive tackle for the blue chip studded Texas Longhorns from 1968 to 1970. He’d earn All-SWC and All-American Honors in 1969 and 1970. With Bobby in the lineup the Longhorns went 30-2-1 over that span, and he’d also be named a Co-Captain of the 1970 National Championship team. A Southwest Conference and Cotton Bowl All-Decade Team member (1970s), Bobby was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the 12th round of the 1971 draft, but did not play in the NFL. He was inducted into the Longhorn Ring of Honor in 1990, and consistently ranks among the Top 50 greatest Longhorns.
Bobby wrote me a nice note with my autograph request and as of 2019 lives in Houston.
Cards: UT Upper Deck 2011, UT Upper Deck 2011 All Time Alumni Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home Sent: 9/17 Received: 9/27 (10 days)
Bret Stafford was a prototypical drop back passer and one of the first modern era quarterbacks to stand tall in the pocket for the University of Texas, from 1984-1987. He set the school record for most passing yards in a season (2223, 1986), and also career passing yards (4731)- both since surpassed.
Frequently engaged in a quarterback competition or sharing a two-headed quarterback rotation with Todd Dodge for the majority of his time at Texas, Stafford’s numbers were largely skewed by his lack of playing time and having a different offensive coordinator every year. He also transitioned through the Fred Akers era into the David McWilliams epoch.
Although largely forgotten in the pantheon of Longhorn greats, Stafford was a winner with the Longhorns posting 19 victories as the starting quarterback including a 32-27 win over Pitt in the final Bluebonnet Bowl in 1987, when he threw for over 360 yards and 3 TDs.
Stafford was probably the first quarterback I watched play for UT. I had a middling interest in the sport at the time, and I remember reading about the highlights of the Bluebonnet Bowl and being very proud of him going out like that in his final game.
I liked both his Upper Deck entries, but I wasn’t really a fan of the sepia toned All-Time Alumni card- considering how much color photography was used by then in sports.
As I have continued to mature in the hobby, I’ve become stale. I take less and less risks when I send out to addresses. I just haven’t been sending out to unproven addresses. Stafford had no successes on any of the autograph boards I frequent, but he had no attempts, little less an address to send of to, so I figured I’d give it a shot. It didn’t take Bret long to respond to me- and I was pretty excited about receiving these two back.
Card: University of Texas Upper Deck 2011 Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o Home Sent: 9/19 Received: 9/24 (5 days) Failure: 2018, C/o Work
Mike Cotten played quarterback for the Texas Longhorns from 1959 to 1961. He and I shared a lot of commonalities in our lives which is really cool so I thought I should go and reach out. A large player for that era (6’10”, 190), Mike was not only hard to take down in the backfield, but also a calculated and patient thrower. In 1961 he threw for 500 yards (44/77) with 7 TDs to only 2 interceptions. Mike also rushed 64 times for 150 yards and 3 TDs. A perpetual thorn in the side of rivals Texas A&M and Oklahoma- Cotten never lost a game to either school during his 3 years as QB for the Longhorns. He set numerous records for the school and pioneered a few modern offensive formations under the tutelage of Darrell Royal.
Mike was not selected in the 1962 NFL Draft. After serving a tour in Vietnam, he returned to Austin and became a lawyer. As of 2019 Mike lives in the Central Texas Area.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
