Derrick Walker

• Sent: 6/23/10
• Received: 6/30/10
• Time: 7 Days
• Autographed Items Received: 1992 Ultra, 1992 Wild Card, 1993 Topps

Derrick Walker was a tight end who had a great college career at Michigan, playin on the very last team ever coached by the great Coach Bo Schembechler and parlayed that into a decent 9 year career in the NFL. He spent 4 seasons with the Chargers, 4 with the Chiefs, and then finished out his career with 1 season in Oakland. I guess he really enjoyed the AFC West. He was used primarily as a blocker and never caught a whole lot of passes.

I hate the fact that 2 of these 3 cards smudged. I guess Mr. Walker signed and then immediately stuck them all together to put back in the envelope. The back of the 1993 Topps (the only one that came out great) has a big smear of the signature from one of the other ones. Oh well. They're still better than the not-signed versions that I had 8 days ago! Glad to have these go from the common box to the autograph binders.

Gerald Williams

• Sent: 6/16/10
• Received: 6/26/10
• Time: 10 days
• Autographed Items Received: 1991 Pro Set, 1992 Pacific

I returned home just now from my weekend at the Coast, and found this return waiting for me. Gerald Williams was an interior defensive lineman for 12 seasons in the NFL. The bulk of that time was spent with the Pittsburgh Steelers where he played in Super Bowl XXX. At the end of his career, he spent two and a half seasons with the Panthers and finished up 1997 with the Packers. After his retirement, he returned to the Carolina Panthers organization, serving as a scout for many years. At different times, he was a pro scout and a college scout. In 2009, Williams joined the coaching staff of the Division II Catawba Indians, serving as their Tight Ends coach. He is still in that position today.

I truly appreciate every single autograph that I receive. These guys don't owe me anything, so anything they do for me is a bonus. Gotta admit, though...it sucks when these guys use Sharpies that are probably a hundred sigs past their prime. Oh well, I still appreciate the gesture.

Kent Hull

• Sent: 6/11/1o
• Received: 6/25/10
• Time: 14 days
• Autographed Items Received: 1991 Pacific, 1991 Score 1992 Pacific, 1993 Topps, 1994 Topps

As a center, Kent Hull anchored the very good Bills offensive line of the 80s and 90s. Hull spent 11 seasons in Buffalo, where he was instrumental in the success of future Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas and Jim Kelly. He also played in 4 consecutive Super Bowls (unfortunately, losing them all). Prior to his NFL career, Hull was one of many future NFL starts to spend three years with the upstart USFL. His time with the New Jersey Generals was made notable by opening holes that allowed Herschel Walker to rush for 2400+ yards in one USFL season.

Nothing real special about these cards. Straight out of the commons box, but not common anymore! On another note, I sure am racking up the 1992 Pacifics. Maybe I should start thinking set collecting.

Naaahhhhhhh.

And with that, I'm off to Corpus Christi for a weekend of fun in the sun (and swimming in the oil slicks!).

Bruce Armstrong

• Sent: 6/16/10


• Received: 6/24/10


• Time: 8 days


• Autographed Items Received: 1991 Topps, 1991 Pacific, 1992 Pacific, 1992 Wild Card

Bruce Armstrong was an exceptionally good offensive tackle for the Patriots and played extremely solid ball for 14 seasons, retiring in 2000 after spending his entire career with New England. He was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2007 and should probably be getting more consideration for the NFL Hall of Fame, as you'd be hard-pressed to find a better Tackle during his career. In 1992, he suffered a tear of his MCL and it was thought that it could be a career-ender. He came back the next season and went on to make four more Pro Bowls. I played offensive tackle back in my pee-wee league days, so Armstrong was one of those guys whose career I followed when I could.

Who remembers the old Wild Card football cards? They were only produced for two years (1991 and 1992). In the packs, you could look for certain cards that had a numbered stripe in the lower left-hand corner. If you found one, you could send it in to the manufacturer and they would send you back whatever number of cards was on the stripe. Weird concept, and I never bought a pack. However, an older guy (a minister that came through our church a few times) was a big sports card collector. He found out I collected too, and gave me a box of about 300 "premium" cards that I wouldn't have normally bought. There were maybe 50 Wild Card cards in there. This Armstrong card was one of them.

Alfred Anderson

• Sent: 6/15/10
• Received: 6/23/10
• Time: 8 days
• Autographed Items Received: 1991 Score, 1992 Pacific

Alfred Anderson was a bruising runningback who spent his entire 8-year career with the Minnesota Vikings. He served as fullback, but also got his fair share of carries. I remember him splitting time with Darrin Nelson, Rick Fenney, and some of the other Vikings RBs of the day. He played his college ball up the road from me at Baylor University (just like his longtime teammate Ray Berry) where he was a superstar.

Grabbed these straight from the ol' common box. They turned out really nice with Mr. Anderson's blue sharpie signature.

Fred Smerlas

• Sent: 6/14/10
• Received: 6/23/10
• Time: 9 days
• Autographed Items Received: 1985 Topps, 1992 Pacific

Fred Smerlas was a standout nose tackle for 13 seasons in the NFL. His best years came with the Buffalo Bills where he made 5 Pro Bowls and stuffed the middle of that defensive line against the best running backs they could throw his way. He played with a gritty, blue-collar style and was not afraid to get dirty. He finished up his career with a year with the 49ers and then two years with the Patriots (who were his hometown team). Smerlas has made quite a career for himself. He has written an autobiography (By a Nose), co-hosts several radio shows during football season, and has shown an interest in politics. He has considered running for Congress as a Republican and has indicated that it still may happen in the future.

I was a big Fred Smerlas fan growing up. When I was 4 or 5 years old, my grandpa and I would sit for hours every Saturday and sort my football cards into piles. For whatever reason, our favorite "pile" was the pile of Nose Tackles. Sure enough, a few years later, I wound up playing nose tackle for several years throughout junior league and my first couple of years of school ball.

I knew I wanted to send these cards out, but for some reason it took me FOREVER to find the 1992 Pacific. I knew I had a card somewhere in my collection that had Smerlas in a Patriots uniform. I went through my box multiple times before finding it. Turned out, it had stuck behind another 1992 Pacific card. Glad I found it, makes a nice addition to my collection.

Bobby Hebert

• Sent: 6/14/10
• Received: 6/21/10
• Time: 7 Days
• Autographed Items Received: 1993 Topps, 1992 Stadium Club, 1992 Pacific

Bobby Hebert, aka "The Cajun Cannon", was a Quarterback who was wildly popular for 8 seasons with the New Orleans Saints. In 1993, he signed with the Falcons and had a spectacular debut year for them, culminating in his only career Pro Bowl appearance. The next year, he was replaced with Jeff George, but stuck around as a backup. He got his chance again 2 years later after George's infamous sideline dust-up with June Jones. Hebert retired in 1996. Nowadays, he's back in Louisiana and hosts a Sports Radio talk show. 14 years after his retirement, he is still a very popular figure across the state.

I went through my collection and found that I had about 9 Bobby Hebert cards in various places. I chose these three to send this time. Maybe I'll send some more to him a few years from now.

Ray Berry

• Sent: 6/12/10


• Received: 6/19/10


• Time: 6 days


• Autographed Items Received: 1990 Fleer, 1990 Pro Set, 1991 Score, 1992 Ultra, 1992 Pacific

Ray Berry was a solid linebacker for 7 seasons with the Vikings. Prior to that, he played his college ball up the road from me at Baylor. He spent his final NFL season in 1993 with the Seattle Seahawks.

I sent more cards than I normally do, but Ray Berry is one of those guys who showed up in every single card set issued from about 1989-1992. As such, I had a bunch of his cards in my collection. The 1990 Fleer is actually a card I found in my garage and dates all the way back to my "playing with the football cards" days. The corners were pretty rounded, but I thought it would be neat to get it signed since it was a card that I actively "used" a lot as a 9 year old kid. The rest of the cards were just plucked right out of my big box o' commons.

Natu Tuatagaloa

• Sent: 6/8/10
• Received: 6/17/10
• Time: 9 days
• Autographed Items Received: 1992 Stadium Club

Natu Tuatagaloa was a reserve defensive lineman who floated around to several teams in the early 90's. His biggest success was with the Bengals, but he also spent time with the Seahawks, Saints, and Oilers. He was known for his work ethic and drive and was a Captain of the California Golden Bears football team during his time there. Since his retirement, he has become a successful business man and local politician in his California hometown.

This is one of those everyday cards that had been relegated to my commons box for 15+ years. I was really excited about this return because #1) the autograph looks great and #2) it was totally random that I sent to him. Usually, I'll send to people who I see a success for on Sportscollectors.net or some other site. In this case, I just came across his card and did a quick Google search. 9 days later, I've got a nice new sig for the collection.

Dan Doornink

• Sent: 6/9/10


• Received: 6/17/10


• Time: 8 days


• Autographed Items Received: 1980 Topps, 1985 Topps

After spending his first season with the New York Giants, Dan Doornink went on to become a mainstay in the backfield for the Seahawks for seven seasons. He was actually born and raised in Washington, played his college football at Washington State, and then spent the majority of his pro career with the Seattle Seahawks. Talk about being a hometown hero! Fascinatingly enough, during his football career, Mr. Doornink kept up with his medical studies and became a medical doctor upon his retirement from the NFL in 1985. He currently practices Internal Medicine in Yakima, WA. This request was sent to his office!

Now for a note about one of the cards. When I was 19 or 20, I was friends with a guy from church who was a little bit older than me. He had a large football and basketball card collection and when his wife got pregnant, she made him trim the collection down. He sold a lot at a garage sale, but he brought a box of about 300 1980 Topps football cards to me. This card came from that group.

Todd Christensen

• Sent: 6/9/10
• Received: 6/16/10
• Time: 7 days
• Autographed Items Received: 1984 Topps, 1985 Topps, 1988 Topps

Good return today from one of the premier tight ends of the 1980's. Todd Christensen came into the league and didn't make it out of preseason with the Cowboys and then spent a lackluster year with the Giants. The Raiders took a chance on him (back when they still made good decisions) and he spent 9 stellar seasons in Oakland/Los Angeles, making 5 pro bowls and being an integral part of two Super Bowl winning teams. After his career ended in 1988, Christensen moved into broadcasting including stints as a color commentator for NFL broadcasts (I remember his as being knowledgable and extremely opinionated) and hosting the original version of American Gladiators. Today, he is a color commentator for the MountainWest Sports Network.

Last year, I was going through the cards in my garage when I discovered about 50 cards that I have NO recollection of. One of them was this 1984 Topps. I seriously have no idea how or when these cards came into my possession. The 1985 Topps was part of a near-complete-set of them that I bought off eBay last year. I got the 1988 Topps from the good people at 5th Quarter Football Cards.

One last fun note, Mr. Christensen, who is a devout Mormon, signed two of the cards with Bible verses (Jude 22 and Romans 13:7-8). The third card, he signed with "XV, XVIII" to indicate the Super Bowl winning teams he played on. Nice extra touch.

Rick Mirer

• Sent: 6/1/10
• Received: 6/14/10
• Time: 14 days
• Autographed Items Received: 1993 Topps, 1995 Pinnacle, 1994 Score Future Franchise

I remember 1993 as what was supposed to be a huge rookie class. Firmly at the top of that class were two young quarterbacks - Drew Bledsoe and Notre Dame's Rick Mirer. Notre Dame was still quite a QB factory in that day and he was highly touted coming into the pros. Unfortunately, that didn't quite work out. Bledsoe turned in a solid-but-not-spectacular career as a starter, but Mirer only spent a couple of years as a full-time starter with the Seahawks. He did manage to spend many years in the NFL, bouncing from team-to-team as a journeyman backup. His stops included the Bears, Jets, 49ers, and Raiders. He retired in 2004.

This was a great return, in that I only sent two cards and I received three! Mr. Mirer was kind enough to enclose one of his own cards signed (the 1994 Score Future Franchise). He also put all three cards in his own protective sleeve for the trip back to me. He's a class act.

Mike Kenn

• Sent: 6/3/10


• Received: 6/12/10


• Time: 9 Days


• Address: Home


• Autographed Items Received: 1991 Fleer, 1992 Topps, 1992 Fleer, 1993 Topps

Mike Kenn was a tremendous tackle for the Falcons for an incredible 17 seasons. The feat of his longevity is even more impressive, due to the fact that he started 251 games in his career. He was "only" 275 pounds, which by today's standards is quite light for an offensive lineman. I'm not sure why he hasn't come up as a serious candidate for the Hall of Fame, but I think he should certainly be in the conversation.

The cards are another interesting story. Way back in 1994, when I first started caring about the "condition" that my cards were in, I bought a bunch of card protective pages and put in some cards of players that I considered potential future hall-of-famers. Yes, I was a dorky sports fan as a 13 year old. Anyway, I put the pages in a little binder and they kinda got forgotten. I found the binder in amongst a bunch of stuff that I moved out of my childhood home 5 or 6 years ago. It was a cheap binder and the heat of the garage had melted the pages together. Strangely enough, about 75% of the cards were still in good shape. All 4 of these cards came from that binder.

Tony Woods

• Sent: 6/1/10
• Received: 6/9/10
• Time: 8 Days
• Address: Home
• Autographed Items Received: 1992 Pacific, 1993 Topps

Tony Woods was a good pass-rushing defensive end on the late 80's-early 90's Seahawks teams. He later spent 1 year with the Rams and finished up his career with a couple of seasons with the Redskins.

In my post about Ricky Reynolds, I mentioned the 1993 Topps cards that I got out of that wax box in 1994. Well, the 1992 Pacific is like that too. I actually bought a couple of different boxes and have close to the entire set. I already have probably 150+ 1992 Pacific cards signed. I love the cards as they feature a lot of obscure players and the cards are simply-designed and perfect for autographing. These came out great.

Ricky Reynolds

• Sent: 6/1/10
• Received: 6/9/10
• Time: 8 Days
• Address: Home
• Autographed Items Received: 1990 Pro Set, 1993 Topps

Ricky Reynolds was a very solid CB on the very poor old Buccaneers teams. He was underrated because nobody ever got to see him play. He went on to play a couple of seasons with the New England Patriots at the end of his career.

These are really beautiful, bold signatures. For this mailing, I dug up a couple of cards that I've had in my collection for a long time. The 1993 Topps cards that I send come from a wax box I bought back in 1994 with some money I earned mowing lawns. It's kinda cool that these cards have been sitting in a box, moving with me from my parent's house to my first "adult" house to now in my house with my wonderful family. 16 years later, these cards graduate from the commons box to the "Autograph Binders".

Dennis Smith

• Sent: 6/1/10
• Received: 6/7/10
• Time: 6 Days
• Address: Home
• Autographed Items Received: 1990 Pro Set, 1992 Pacific, 1994 Skybox Impact

Because I had cousins who lived in Denver back in the late 80s and early 90s, I was railroaded into being a Broncos fan. I stayed true to the Cowboys and the Oilers, but a solid third on the list were the Denver Broncos. Man, I loved the old teams and those old uniforms. Dennis Smith was an exceptionally talented safety, known for his hard-hitting. His style of play served as a blueprint for Steve Atwater, who came along after him.

Because of the old nostalgic memories of him, he was my first request I sent out upon getting back into this great hobby. He did not disappoint. In only 6 days roundtrip from my home in the Austin area to his home in Los Angeles, I got all three of my cards back signed.