Tag Archives: ut upper deck 2011

NFL, University of Texas

English, Doug

Cards: Topps 1980, UT Upper Deck 2011, UT Upper Deck ATA 2011
Acquired: TTM 2016, C/o Work
Sent:  12/12   Received:  12/24    (12 days)

Doug English is an under-recognized defensive lineman out of the University of Texas. Over the years he’s known for being a member of the Detroit Lions Silver Rush Defense, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011, Longhorn Hall of Honor, the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.

Wearing the number 74 in honor of his favorite player Bob Lily, English went out and wrecked havoc on opposing defenses during his time in the SWC from 1972-1975. With explosive quickness, tenacity, size, and smarts, Doug parlayed his dominance into a second round selection by the Detroit Lions in 1975, who used him alongside Bubba Baker. English spent his entire career in Detroit, sans a one year retirement in 1980 due to injuries and a lack of passion for the game. Over his career in the NFL, English garnered 4 Pro Bowl appearances and one All Pro Nomination (1982).

Doug was named the Lions defensive MVP In 1979, after recording 122 tackles (90 solo) and 6.5 sacks, His unofficial count of 59.0 sacks ranks 6th all-time on the Lions charts- and he is considered the franchise leader among interior linemen. His best season came in 1983 when Doug had a career high 13 sacks, helping the Lions claim the 1983 NFC Central Division title. He shares the NFL record for most career safeties (4), and is one of a select few players to record 2 in a season. He retired in 1986.

Doug currently resides in Texas where he has business ventures. I was able to get his autograph on these 3 cards.  His All-Time Alumni card is quite heroic, and I am surprised that with his accolades he was not selected for an Upper Deck Legends card or something of the sort.

G/Gs  131/114            Tac  N/A          Sac 59.0           Fum  9
Int 0          Yds   0            Avg -.-       TD 0         Lg   -.-

 

 

NFL, University of Texas

Baab, Mike ‘The Baabarian’

sky92_mbaabudut11_mbaab
psetplat93_mbaabpset90_mbaabpset91_mbaabscosup90_mbaabCards: ProSet 1990, Pro Set 1991, ProSet Platinum 1993, Score Supplemental 1990, Skybox 1992, UT Upper Deck 2011
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Home
Sent: 2/16/15    Received: 4/3/16  (416 days)

Mike Baab was a fixture at center for the Cleveland Browns after being selected in the 5th round of the 1982 draft.   He is remembered perhaps most strangely for a film that he put together with his Browns teammates called “Masters of the Gridiron”, which was not only inspired by the Chicago Bears Super Bowl Shuffle, but also He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, and the section of the crowd at the stadium that called themselves Baab’s Barbarians.

Mike played with the franchise through the 1987 season where he became a leader in and out of the locker room.  He then was unceremoniously traded to the New England Patriots one week before the regular season was to began in 1988.  (Apparently head coach Marty Schottenheimer wanted to start Gregg Rakoczy at center and Mike did not want to be a backup.) The move so angered Baab that he stormed out of the team facilities and players began to openly dissent- most namely starting quarterback Bernie Kosar who criticized the move.

While Baab toiled away in New England in 1989 and 1990 (which back then amounted to a Siberian prison camp) starting 28 of 32 games, the Browns offensive line suffered and the quarterbacks took a vicious pounding. Suprisingly he was left unprotected by the Patriots following the 1990 season, so Baab put his feelers out about returning back to the place he called home for most of his football career: Cleveland.

Mike returned to Cleveland and anchored the Browns line through the 1991 season.  He’d be lured to Kansas City for one final season before finally putting up his cleats and moving back to Central Texas.

Mike was inducted into the Longhorn Athletics Football Hall of Honor in 2008.  A letterman at Texas from 1978 to 1981, Baab was voted team captain for the Longhorns as a senior. That year, he helped Texas post a 10-1-1 record, including a 14-12 upset of then-No. 3 Alabama in the Cotton Bowl, en route to second-team All-America honors.

There were so many good past and present cards of Mike, I did abuse this one slightly.  Baab was kind enough to sign these cards for me, albeit after a long wait.

Some real solid cards of here of Mike. I think my favorite of this group is the Skybox entry. The framing element that they use with the last name, really gave these cards a nice poster effect.  At the time I was surprised that these cards didn’t get more traction in the market because they were very cutting edge. I have a soft spot for the ProSet 1991 card. It’s got a nice rough close up of Baab backing up and demonstrating some sleight of hand technique while his pad rolls up his hand.  These cards pretty much encapsulated the height of my collecting days and the rebirth of it with the Upper Deck UT 2010 entry.

 

CFL, NFL, University of Texas

Worster, Steve ‘Big Woo’ (1949-2022)

Cards: UT UD 2011 National Champions 1970, UT UD 2011 ATA, UT UD 2011 Icons, UT UD 2011 NCAA AA.
Acquired: TTM 2015, C/o Home. Trade 2015.
Sent: 3/16    Received: 3/27  (11 days)

Bruising fullback Steve ‘Woo-Woo’ Worster was part of a devastating backfield that included  such talent as Chris Gilbert, Jim Bertelsen and Ted Koy. To accommodate all of those skill players, Coach Darrell Royal implemented the Wishbone system at the University of Texas.

While at UT Worster ran all over opposing defenses, running for 806 yards on 161 carries, and chipping in 13 TDs in 1968. In ’69 Steve had 136 carries and 9 TDs. It’d be in 1970 that he had his true signature year, leading the Longhorns to the National Championship. During that season, Big Woo galloped 160 times for a career high 898 yards, a 5.6 yard per carry average, and 14 TDs. Over his time at UT, Worster was a 3 time SWC champion, a 2 time All-American, and a 2 time National Champion (1969, 1970). His cumulative totals were 457 carries for 2,353 yards, a 5.1 yard per carry average,  36 touchdowns, and  11 receptions for 113 yards.

Steve was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 4th round of the 1971 draft, but did not play for the team.  Unable to agree on a contract, Steve headed North to the CFL and joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but after 4 games he grew disenchanted with the game and decided to leave the game behind.

He returned to Texas, completed his degree, and got into sales. He’s currently retired and lives outside of Beaumont.

Thanks to Zevonfan on Sportscollectors I was able to find an address for him. He signed every card I had of him, minus his UT Upper Deck 2011 base card. On it was a note indicating that the photo from the front of the card was not his. The photo was of Jim Bertelsen and not of Worster and is considered an unreported error card.

A few months after that Zevon on SCN proposed a trade with me.   He really, really wanted a Haywood Jeffires from my collection and  in exchange he dangled the Worster base set card I needed. (The problem is, no matter how many I get of Jeffires, it’s become this bizzare tradition that I treasure.) Well luckily enough I ran into him at the Oilers 25th Anniversary Party, where he signed everything I had.  This allowed me to consummate the trade, thus allowing me to knock out a potentially difficult Worster card off my list.

EPITAPH:

On 8/13/22 Steve passed away at the age of 73, after battling health problems over the past few years.