Hassan Jones

Sent: 4/27/13
Received: 5/8/13
Time: 11 days
Autographed Items Received: 1990 Pro Set, 1992 Pacific

This one is still perplexing. I had seen several people report successes from Hassan Jones on Sportscollectors.net so I dug up the only two cards of his I have in my commons box and mailed them off. A week later, I got my envelope bag only to find the cards unsigned along with a handwritten note from Hassan. Hassan said that I was just in time because he had started collecting fan information and wanted me to send a signed resume and a contact number and then he would sign my cards. After a few minutes of debate, I made an accurate but condensed version of my résumé and sent it off again. Guess it worked!

Hassan Jones was a solid third receiver to compliment the great duo of Anthony and Cris Carter for the Vikings from 1986-1992. Hassan finished his career playing 7 games for the Chiefs in 1993. Unfortunately he's had a string of poor choices post-retirement including several criminal acts (domestic violence, DWI, etc). I kinda had a hard time with this one, since he hasn't been the most upstanding person, but still....his career and these cards were part of my childhood so I went for it. Incidentally, the cards look awesome signed.

Jerry Markbreit

Sent: 4/25/13
Received: 5/4/13
Time: 9 days
Autographed Items Received: 1991 Pro Set, handwritten note.

Jerry Markbreit was on my television constantly during my golden era of football watch. He was the premiere referee of the 90's and worked 4 Super Bowls, still a record. At age 78, Jerry was still working for the NFL training refs up until the ref strike last year. Roger Goodell, however, is an idiot and fired all the longtime refs for refusing to train the replacements. Jerry was kind enough to write me a note back, saying that the most exciting game he ever worked was the 1990 NFC Championship, which the Giants won over the 49ers 15-13. Jerry also said that he had a high school teacher who was an official, and he influenced him to become one. Since being an NFL referee is "part-time", Jerry was a trade manager for 3M and worked in advertising sales. Jerry has also authored three books.

Pro Set included a group of referee cards in their 1991 set, which I believe to be the only cards of these guys. I've had this one in my "to send" section for years, and I realized I needed to get it done this time. Glad it's in my autograph binder now.

Kenny Walker

Sent: 4/20/13
Received: 5/3/13
Time: 13 days
Received: 1991 Star Pics, 1992 Pacific

Kenny Walker was one of only two deaf players to play in the NFL. Kenny was left deaf at the age of 2 due to a bout of meningitis. Undeterred, Kenny pursued his athletic career and wound up starring for the great Tom Osborne coached Nebraska Cornhuskers teams. The Broncos took a chance on him with an 8th round pick in 1991 and he played two seasons with the team, including a starting role in 1992. Sadly, the Broncos and the rest of the league in general were just ill-equipped to handle Kenny's disability and he was out of the league after 1992. Since then, Kenny has gone into coaching, briefly with Gallaudet University, and he is currently employed with Highland Ranch High School working with deaf students.

The Star Pics card was from the complete set I bought for $5 20 years ago. Always fun to add more of them signed to my collection.

Dan Williams

Sent: 4/25/13
Received: 5/3/13
Time: 8 days
Autographed Items Received: 1993 Topps

I have a soft spot for so-called draft "busts". Dan Williams was the 11th overall pick in the 1993 draft, and the Denver Broncos traded up to snag him at that spot. Dan saw his first three seasons plagued by injuries and he did not claim the starting defensive end role until 1996, which happened to be his last year in Denver. In 1997, Dan signed with the Chiefs and came alive with 10.5 sacks. The Chiefs tagged him as their "transition player" similar to today's "franchise" tag. Dan was extremely bitter about this and refused to play the 1998 season. He never regained form after that and his career came to an end after the 2001 season. He now resides in Roswell, GA.

This card came from my "special" binder where I had all my 1993 rookie cards. That class was supposed to be outstanding but turned out to be mostly pedestrian with a few big exceptions. Glad to have this one in the autograph binders now.

Jackie Harris

Sent: 4/25/13
Received: 5/1/13
Time: 6 days
Autographed Items Received: 1993 Topps

Jackie Harris was a workman-like tight end with good blocking skills and better pass-catching skills. A 4th round pick of the Packers in 1990, Jackie spent four seasons with Green Bay, including a couple of them as a target for a young QB named Brett Favre. From there, Jackie spent four seasons with the Buccaneers and two seasons with the Oilers/Titans. In 2000, I was a happy Cowboys fan when Jackie signed with Dallas. However, with a horrible team around him and no good QB to get him the ball, Jackie had a low-key two seasons in Dallas, retiring after the 2001 season. These days, Jackie and his wife own a string of Christian radio stations in Arkansas and are successful business owners in his hometown of Pine Bluff.

I enjoyed plucking this card out of the commons box and getting it signed. Fr what I remember of a few years ago, Jackie was a non-signer, so it was good to see him signing now. Also, the card really looks exceptionally good signed.

Sam Graddy

Sent: 4/20/13
Received: 4/30/13
Time: 10 days
Autographed Items Received: 1992 Pacific

I love this one. The only sporting event that rivals the NFL in my esteem is the Summer Olympics. The 1984 Olympics, in particular, are special to me since I've had a big book about it since I was a little kid. Today, I killed two birds with one stone.

Sam Graddy was a world-class sprinter at Tennessee-Knoxville and won the national championship in the 100m in 1984. At the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Sam won the silver medal in the 100m and a gold medal in the 4x100 relay. Amazingly, one of his teammates on that relay team was Ron Brown, and the two of them went on to play in the NFL together for the Raiders. In 1988, Sam signed with the Broncos and he only appeared in 7 games. Out of football in 1989, Sam appealed to Al Davis' eternal love for speedy receivers and was signed by the Raiders. He spent three seasons with the Raiders where he served as primarily a return man. Today, Sam works as a Development Director for University of Tennessee.

Sam was kind enough to write me a nice handwritten note back. He mentioned that he and Ron Brown are still good friends and that he will always be grateful to Al Davis for his opportunities.

Perry Williams

Sent: 4/20/13
Received: 4/27/13
Time: 7 days
Autographed Items Received: 1989 Pro Set


Perry Williams played 12 seasons as a very underrated corner back for the great Bill Parcells-lead Giants team. He was a starter on two winning Super Bowl teams. Perry retires after the 1993 season, never playing for another team. Impressively defying the "dumb jock" stereotype, Perry has worked for Farleigh-Dickinson University since 1995 as an administrative director and as an adjunct professor. He also moonlights as a motivational speaker. Interestingly, I found an interview in which he says he hasn't watched an NFL game since he retired.

This card was from a couple of packs of 1989 Pro Set that I bought on a whim a few years ago. I never send my cards in a protective top loader because, quite honestly, I don't care about condition that much. Perry, however, was kind enough to put the card in his own protective sleeve to send it back. Nice gesture!