CARDS: UT Upper Deck 2011 HACK, UT 2026 ACQUIRED: IP, 2026
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Ramonce Taylor played RB at Texas from 2004 to 2005.
As a Freshman he ran for 284 yards on 28 carries scoring his first college TD against Oklahoma State, primarily backing up Cedric Benson.
He also completed a pass for 48 yards against Missouri.
During the Rose Bowl against Michigan on New Year’s Day, he returned 7 kicks for 201 yards, helping the Longhorns beat Michigan 38-37.
In 2005, Ramonce rushed for 513 yards on 76 carries, scoring 12 TDs.
Twice during the team’s national championship run, he ran for a career high 102 yards.
He also displayed a gift for receiving, catching 27 passes for 265 yards and 3 TDs.
In the National Championship game against USC, Ramonce Ran 4 times for 12 yards, but most importantly scored a TD in Texas’ 41-38 win.
Over his college career he rushed 104 times for 797 yards and 13 TDs, to go along with 30 receptions for 329 yards and 3 TDs.
He also had 26 kick returns for 701 yards.
In 2005, Ramonce made a series of bad decisions, which cascaded and culminated in him being dismissed from the football team.
Caught between a rock and a hard place he ended up declaring as a Junior, but after a bad combine, he slipped off NFL team’s draft boards.
Despite making some more questionable decisions, Ramonce kept in football shape.
In 2009 he got back on the football radar with the Rio Grande Valley Dorados of the AF2.
Very quickly he jumped to the CFL, and was with the Blue Bombers for the preseason, before returning back to the Dorados.
Spent 2009 with the Edmonton Eskimos but didn’t see any playing time.
2011 saw Ramonce return to the AF2, this time with the Rio Grande Valley Magic.
He’d then spend the remainder of his career in North Texas first with the Allen Wranglers in 2012 and then the Texas Revolution the following two years.
In 2017, Taylor played in the CIF for the Centex Calvary where he was a jack of all trades for the team playing QB, RB, KR, and on defense.
Since that time Taylor has gone into coaching.
NOTES:
Ramonce arrived to the event early, which was good for me. It was a drive from Austin to Temple, and it saved me a few hours. He really liked his card, even though the vendor had provided his own version from the UT set as well. I was impressed because Ramonce knew where the photo was from and correctly identified it as the game winning TD catch from the Red River rivalry.
Everything’s really changed. It almost all connects from Austin to Temple without a break. When I was a kid my parents would meet my grandparents halfway between Austin and Waco about once a month in Temple. We’d have lunch at this buffet there next to an inn called the ‘Smorgasbord’. It’s now called something like ‘The Cowboy Stop’ or something.
I’ve been digging through my mom’s room… organizing things- It’s a tough process to handle when a loved one has dementia. I found photos of those good times at The Smorgasbord, with me becoming super excited for gifts and presents from my grandparents in paper bags while wearing a Captain America tank top.
As part of the league’s leading defense, he posted 3.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles and 1 fumble recovery in 6 contests.
In 2020, he spent about 4 months on the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL.
Continued to chase his football dreams, playing for the Billings Outlaws of the CIF.
Suffered an ACL injury in 2023 and was placed on IR after just 5 contests.
Returned to Outlaws after team joined the Arena Football League in 2024.
NOTES:
Cool card here of Dylan. I had tried previously in 2020 after Mark’s Signing Bonus had scored an autograph from him but never got a response, so after 5 years, I thought I’d give it another shot. When the envelope arrived in the mail postmarked from MT I knew it was him without even opening the envelope. Dylan’s father Mitch played in the NFL from 1991-1994.
Doran Grant played college ball at Ohio State from 2011 to 2014.
At DB/CB he tallied 140 total tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 19 pass deflections, 9 interceptions for 146 yards and a TD.
Selected in the 4th round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Steelers.
Over the next few seasons, Doran was on and off the Practice squad of the Steelers, Bills, Giants, Jaguars, and Bears.
Late in 2018 signed with the Atlanta Legends of the AAF.
Finished with 12 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 4 pass deflections in 8 contests.
Played for the Defenders of the XFL in 2020 starting one contest.
Posted 7 tackles and 1 pass deflection for DC in 5 games.
He’d sign with the Blue Bombers after the XFL folded due to COVID.
After the CFL cancelled the season due to COVID, he opted out of play.
Grant went into coaching where he has been coaching at the high school level.
NOTES:
My friend Seth helped me get Doran way back when he joined the DC Defenders. He said all the players were excited to sign their cards at the team meet and greet. The certified is basically a zoomed up version of his base card. Still it looks good and I am fortunate Seth was kind enough to help me out.
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
