Card: Press Pass 2005, SP 2005
Acquired: 2016, EBay

A multi-sport athlete, Vernand Morency equally excelled in baseball and football, spending 4 years in the minor leagues as an outfielder with the Colorado Rockies. Vernand joined the  Oklahoma State Cowboys in 2002.  After starter Tatum Bell went down near the end of 2003, Vernand stepped in and carried the team the rest of the season (135 carries for 918 yards and 8TDs) and throughout 2004 (258 carries for 1,474 yards and 12 TDs). Appearing in 30 games, Morency’s 2,661 yards ranked eighth on the school’s career-record list at the time of his departure.

He’d be selected in the 3rd round of the 2005 NFL draft by the Houston Texans and was expected to share the load with workhorse back Domanick Davis.  He finished his rookie season with 46 carries for 184 yards and 2 TDs, and 20 kick returns for 437 yards. In the meantime, the Texans would plummet to the bottom of the NFL standings and most of the staff would released. New coach Gary Kubiak was brought in, drafted Wali Lundy, and had to deal with Domanick Davis on injured reserve.  Morency in the meantime worked his way into the doghouse as his blocking was- well- lacking for the better word for it. He’d be traded after just one game into his second season to the Green Bay Packers straight up for RB Samkon Gado.

Morency became incumbent runningback Ahman Green‘s backup. He’d put together a decent season rushing for 421 yards on 91 carries starting in 2 games, and return 31 kicks for 670 yards. He’d play one more season for the Packers in 2007.  Vernand was released in 2008 but did not pick up with another team.

Vernand landed on his feet quite quickly and went to Wharton Business School,  and has been involved in financial and philanthropic ventures around the country.   I figured there was no chance that I’d ever get his autograph so I went ahead and sniped two certified autographs off of EBay.  Beyond that he played for the Texans, and much discussion has been had over his autograph- considered by many to be the worst professional autograph ever.  I selected this autograph because it’s considered his full autograph. Later he’d sign cards with just a ‘V’ which looked like a check mark such as in the SP card above.

G/Gs 39/3       Rush  171       Yds 726       Avg 4.2        TD 4       Lg  39
Rec  57                Yds  404          Avg 7.1        TD 0             Lg  29
KR  51                  Yds 1107       Avg 21.7      TD 0            Lg  35