Cards: Action Packed 1990, Action Packed 1991, GameDay 1992
Acquired: TTM 2018, C/o New Jerusalem House of God
Sent: 1/13 Received: 3/17 (64 days)*
See Also: Irving Fryar
* Donation Enclosed
I had seen a fair amount of TTM returns coming in for Irving Fryar for a nominal donation. Armed with a few extra cards I always wanted to get autographed, I decided to give him another shot.
To be honest, things have been rough for Fryar since his playing days, as he has been in and out of trouble with the law for mortgage fraud. He was released in 2016 after serving 8 months in prison.
GameDay and Action Packed were among the most gimmicky of the early 90s cards you could get, but early on they rewarded you with outstanding action shots of your favorite players. I couldn’t decide between these 3 cards, so I went ahead and sent all three out and took a shot. I really liked the GameDay card. It’s impactful and the framing is deliberate and precise. You can feel that Fryar is right at the moment of making that catch. The Action Packed 1991 is a very nice profile picture taken and framed at just the right size. While the 1990 Action Packed card does nothing to stand out from his other cards, it is a rarity to see- little less to have autographed.
The heir apparent to Aaron Murray at QB at Georgia, Huston Mason saw some emergency action in relief of Murray, before taking over full time as starter in 2014. He passed for 2,167 yards, 21 touchdowns, and four interceptions on 188 of 277 throws that year- making him the most accurate passer in Georgia history. Mason made the best of his career in college, but scouts were unimpressed with his arm. He would not be selected in the 2015 NFL draft and eventually signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins. Later he’d briefly pop up in the CFL with the Roughriders. To keep his football mind fresh he’s done some high school coaching and most recently participated in The Spring League during 2017. He’s also dabbled in broadcasting as well for ESPN3.
Pretty solid card here from Sage of Hutson Mason. The colors really stand out on the canvas and while he doesn’t have the ball he certainly serves some leadership with his extended finger pointing there off canvas.
Lynden Trail was one of the darlings of the Houston Texans venture onto Hard Knocks. Going to college at Norfolk State, he finished his Senior season with 91 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks. Undrafted in 2015, Trail signed a free agent contract with the Texans, but he tore his quad during the preseason and received an injury settlement from the Texans. He’d recover and sign with the Washington Redskins spending time on and off their practice squad throughout 2016. A project player with great physical attributes (6’7″, 269), Lynden has seen the field briefly during the NFL regular season recording 2 tackles and a pass deflection. After a brief stint with the La Rams that year, he’d rejoin the Redskins. I saw him play in the Spring League during 2018, and soon thereafter he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL.
I had high hopes for Trail as a project for the Texans but obviously they didn’t have the patience that I did. He’s a real down to Earth story of humility and the everyday man you cheer for.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.