 Joe DeLamielleure Cleveland Browns 1984 Topps No. 51 |
 Joe owns a print shop |
When venerable offensive lineman Joe DeLamielleure joined the Cleveland Browns in time for the 1980 season, he was well on his way to earning a spot in the hall of fame. However once he came to Cleveland, DeLamielleure became the first offensive lineman in NFL history to block for a 2,000 yard rusher and a 4,000 yard passer.
The latter came courtesy of Brian Sipe, who threw for 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns, during his NFL MVP season in 1980. That was also the season the Kardiac Kids made their thrilling run into the playoffs that season. He also blocked for O.J. Simpson as a member of the Electric Company offensive line while with the Buffalo Bills, when Simpson became the NFL’s first 2,000 yard rusher.
Five other linemen have joined the exclusive club that DeLamielleure founded the club. The other members include Jackie Slater, Doug Smith, Irv Pankey, Kevin Glover and Tom Nalen, however only Joe D’s duo were both named the NFL’s MVP and the won the league’s passing crown.
Joe D’s first season in Cleveland was his sixth and final trip to the Pro Bowl. Throughout his 13-year NFL career, DeLamielleure proved to be one of the most durable lineman in the history of the league by playing in 185 consecutive games.
After five seasons with the Browns, Joe D returned to Buffalo in 1985 for one final season in the NFL. Before landing in Cleveland, he played seven seasons with the Bills after being drafted in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft out of Michigan State University.
DeLamielleure was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003 and was named to the NFL’s 1970 all-decade team.
In 1992, DeLamielleure briefly played with the Charlotte Rage of the Arena Football League. He also served Duke University’s tight end coach in 2000.
 Keith Byars Philadelphia Eagles 1989 NFL ProSet No. 313 |
 Keith Byars Philadelphia Eagles 1989 NFL ProSet No. 313 back |
Keith Byars may have been drafted as a running back however in the NFL he was transformed into a receiver listed as a running back. Byars, who finished second in the 1984 Heisman Trophy balloting to Doug Flutie, was drafted with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
The bruising running back out of Dayton Roth High School led the Eagles in rushing as a rookie with 577 yards, which turned out to be a career high. As Randall Cunningham emerged as the Eagles’ franchise quarterback, Byars’ rushing yards held steady during his first three seasons in the league.
However by the 1988 season, Byars started become more of a threat as a receiver than a runner. That season, the Ohio State Buckeye caught 72 passes for 705 yards and four touchdowns. At the time, Byars’ 72 receptions that season was the third highest total in Eagles history.
Byars continued as a receiver for Buddy Ryan’s club. During the 1990 campaign, Byars increased his production to 819 receiving yards on 81 catches. which turned out to be his career high and the third most receptions in the NFL that season.
During his 15 year NFL career, Byars totaled 5,661 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns compared to 3,109 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. He also threw for five touchdowns, including four in 1988.
Following seven seasons with Philadelphia, Byars spent three-and-a half seasons with the Miami Dolphins, the first of which in 1993 resulted in Byars only trip the Pro Bowl.
He finished up the 1996 season with the New England Patriots en-route to Super Bowl XXXI. Byars caught four passes for 42 yards and a touchdown in a 35-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers Byars’ only appearance in the championship game.
 Ken Anderson, of the Cincinnati Bengals, and Joe Montana, of the San Francisco 49ers, led the AFC and NFC in passing yards respectively. The two signal callers meet in Super Bowl XVI with the 49ers besting the Bengals 26-21. |
 "Ken Anderson Cincinnati Bengals 1982 Topps No. 257 back |
For the Cincinnati Bengals and quarterback Ken Anderson, 1981 turned out to be one the best seasons in franchise history with the team making its first Super Bowl appearance. However for Anderson, the season had a rather ominous start as he embarked on his MVP season.
In the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, Anderson threw three interceptions in the first half to allow the Seahawks to take a 21-0 halftime lead. Bengals head coach Forrest Gregg benched Anderson at halftime in favor of backup Turk Schonert, who led the Bengals to a 27-21 victory.
Gregg contemplated starting Schonert or Jack Thompson the next week, but he decided to give the veteran Anderson another chance. The Augustana College product responded by throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-30 win over the New York Jets.
When the regular season was over, Anderson had completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 3,754 yards and 29 touchdowns, with only 10 interceptions.
Anderson became the first Bengal to win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award. He also earned the league’s Comeback Player of the Year Award en route to helping the Bengals win the AFC Central division.
His remarkable season did not stop there. Anderson guided the Bengals past the Buffalo Bills in the opening round of the playoffs, which also marked the franchise’s first postseason victory. Then a week later, he helped Cincinnati win the legendary Freezer Bowl over the San Diego Chargers to earn a spot in the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XVI was a bit of a reunion for Anderson and the Bengals. On the opposing sideline was San Francisco 49ers head coach Bill Walsh, who originated the West Coast Offense as the Bengals quarterback coach under Paul Brown from 1968-75.
Anderson threw for 25 of 34 passes for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions, and ran for another touchdown in the Bengals 26-21 loss. At the time, his 25 completions and 73.5 percent completion percentage were both Super Bowl records.
Since his retirement in 1986, Anderson is considered one of the top players not enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. In 2008, the NFL Network named him one of the top 10 players not in the hall. He has been nominated for the hall of fame several times, and twice has been one of 15 finalists for enshrinement.
Anderson served as an assistant coach with the Bengals from 1993-2002, including a stint as the offensive coordinator from 1996-2002. He then became an assistant coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2003-06. After being fired in Jacksonville, Anderson was named the quarterbacks coach for the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers under then-new head coach Mike Tomlin.
Anderson earned a Super Bowl ring when the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII in 2009.
 Leroy Hoard Cleveland Browns 1990 NFL ProSet No. 714 |
 Leroy Hoard Cleveland Browns 1990 NFL ProSet No. 714 back |
Leroy Hoard reportedly once told one of his coaches, “Coach, if you need one yard, I’ll get you three yards. If you need five yards, I’ll get you three yards.”
Whether the statement actually came out of Hoard’s month is debatable, however it is close to the truth.
Hoard was drafted by the Cleveland Browns as a bruising tail back/full back in the second round of the 1990 NFL Draft out of Michigan. For most of his stay in Cleveland, Hoard has stuck behind Kevin Mack, Eric Metcalf, Tommy Vardell and even Joe Morris. He specialized in short yard situations most notably on third down or near the goal line throughout his 10-year NFL career.
However in 1994, Hoard became the Browns’ top option in the running game. That season he ran for 890 yards and five touchdowns, both were career highs for the New Orleans native. His high productivity that season helped the Browns earn a wildcard birth and a spot in the divisional round of the playoffs before falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 29-9.
Hoard was rewarded for his efforts with a trip to the 1995 Pro Bowl.
The next season Hoard, was again the Browns’ top rusher but he split time with Earnest Byner, who returned to Cleveland after five seasons with the Washington Redskins. The platoon effort caused Hoard’s numbers slip to 547 yards with no touchdowns before the Browns’ exited to Baltimore.
Hoard did not stay with the Ravens for very long. After just two games and 61 yards on 15 attempts, he was on his way to the Carolina Panthers, where he lasted just three games after gaining 11 yards on five carries.
He finally latched on with the Minnesota Vikings for the final six games of the 1996 season as Robert Smith’s lead blocker. Hoard remained in Minnesota until 1999 when he retired.
Throughout his career he scored 36 career touchdowns, although 23 of them came during his final stop. He ended up with 3,964 yards on 1,008 carries.
 Dan Wilkinson Cincinnati Bengals 1994 Rookie Class No. 8 |
 Dan Wilkinson pursues the Pitt Panther quarterback during the Buckeyes' 63-28 win in 1993 at the old Pitt Stadium. |
Dan Wilkinson only suited up for Ohio State for two seasons, but in a short time he became the Buckeye’s Big Daddy. After earning All Big Ten Honors in both seasons as a Buckeye, the Dayton Dunbar High School product was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals with the first pick in the 1994 NFL Draft.
With dominating size, strength and speed opposing offensive lines were forced to double team Wilkinson. He took the Big Ten by storm after redshirting as a true freshman in 1991. The 6-5, 300 pound defender recorded back-to-back first-team Big Ten honors as well as a consensus first-team All-America selection in 1993.
Wilkinson actually came to Columbus as an offensive tackle. While a member of the scout team, Wilkinson dropped 48 pounds to switch to the defensive side of the ball.
He responded by recording 46 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and 6.5 sacks during his first season on the defensive line. The next season he notched 44 tackles, 13 for a loss, and two sacks during the 1993 season.
After being tapped by the Bengals to anchor the defensive line, Wilkinson spent four disappointing season in stripes.
He was traded to the Washington Redskins following the 1997 season. He spent five seasons in the nation’s capital before joining the Detroit Lions for three seasons. He ended his 13 year NFL career with one season with the Miami Dolphins.
Wilkinson ended his long professional career with 182 career starts, 388 tackles and 54.5 sacks.
Since leaving the gridiron, Big Daddy has started to tackle the small business world. Wilkinson pursued his passion for fixing up automobiles by opening several AAMCO Service Centers in Southern Ohio, according to 2008 Columbus Dispatch profile. Big Daddy, who restored a 1970 Cadillac as a teenager in Dayton, planned to open as many as seven AAMCO garages starting with a location in Chillicothe.
 Tommy Vardell Cleveland Browns 1994 Fleer No. 104 |
 Tommy Vardell Cleveland Browns 1994 Fleer No. 106 back |
Nearly a decade ago another Stanford running back pounded through opposing defenses – most notably Notre Dame. The performance of Toby Gerhart against Notre Dame in the 2009 regular season finale brought back memories of Touchdown Tommy Vardell.
Vardell, a big bruising running back for the Stanford Cardinal, earned his famous nickname for his memorable performance against the Fighting Irish. Then Stanford coach Denny Green dubbed him Touchdown Tommy after scoring four touchdowns in the 1990 contest.
As a Cardinal, Vardell rushed for 1,843 yards with 37 touchdowns in his college career. He never fumbled as a collegiate player, ranks second in Stanford history for most touchdowns and third for most rushing yards. His single season rushing record of 1,084 yards in 1991 was eclipsed by Gerhart’s 1,136 yards in 2008.
The Cleveland Browns plunked Vardell out of the 1992 NFL Draft in the first round with the ninth overall pick.
He played in nearly every game during his first two seasons and was part of Bill Belichick’s running back by committee. During his second season in Cleveland, Vardell led the team with 644 yards on 171 attempts.
Despite having a college nickname that indicated he knew how to find pay dirt, Vardell could not live up to the billing in the Cleveland, where he was plauged by knee injuries. During four seasons with the Browns, he found the end zone three times. During his eight-year NFL career that included stints with the San Francisco 49ers in 1996 and 1999 and the Detroit Lions from 1997-98, Vardell totaled 18 scores.
Since retiring from football, Vardell co-founded Northgate Capital, a private equity investment firm, along with former 49er teammates Steve Young, Brent Jones and Mark Harris. Vardell currently serves as the firm’s managing director.
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 Dan Williams Denver Broncos 1993 Upper Deck Star Rookie No. 2 |
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 Dan Williams Denver Broncos 1993 Upper Deck Star Rookie No. 2 back |
A newspaper article in 1996 proclaimed that the highlight of former Toledo Rockets defensive end Dan Williams career was the day that the Denver Broncos selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 1993 NFL draft.
The article in the Rocky Mountain News was written the day after Williams was released by the Broncos following four injury filled seasons. The newspaper proclaimed that day was the low point of his professional career.
The Broncos traded their first round pick and added a third round pick to the Cleveland Browns to move up three spots to pick Williams with the 11th overall. Williams was and still is the only Toledo product to ever be selected in the first round of the NFL draft. He was selected ahead of Robert Smith, Dana Stubblefield and Michael Strahan.
In three seasons with the Rockets, Williams recorded 256 tackles, 60 tackles for a loss, 28 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was a two-time All-MAC first-teamer.
However Williams’ first three seasons in the NFL were injury plagued , before finally becoming a starter in 1997.
Unfortunately for the Broncos, the highlight of Williams’ pro career ended up being the 1998 season. Williams latched on with Denver’s division rival the Kansas City Chiefs. Williams was instantly more productive in a Chiefs uniform than he ever was with Denver. During his first season in KC, he recorded a career high 10.5 sacks, which was 6.5 more than he recorded during his entire stay in Denver.
Williams continue to live up to his first round potential with the Chiefs over the next two seasons. He recorded five sacks in 1998 and 7.5 during his final season in the NFL in 1999. He also recovered five of his seven career fumble recoveries while in a Kansas City uniform.
 Bruce Kozerski Cincinnati Bengals |
 Bruce Kozerski Cincinnati Bengals |
It may have seemed like a good idea at the time when the designers at Fleer decided to produce the 1991 football set with the images of NFL players popped out of the photo and placed on top of a colorful background. They probably were envisioning spectacular images of quarterbacks and running backs forever remembered on the colorful cards.
However it seems they never considered having to use the same design to spotlight an offensive lineman the was being double teamed by his opponent. The image of Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Bruce Kozerski double team by a pair of defenders from the Los Angeles Rams has to qualify as one of the most hideous sports cards of all time.
Kozerski is shown muscling his way past the two defenders who are pictured only from the waist down. The image showcases the two Rams defenders practically draped over the shoulders of Kozerski as he pushes forward downfield.
Such a bad design is not fitting for a player who earned the nickname “Mr. Versatile” because he played every position on the offensive line for the Bengals during his career. In 1988 he won the starting center job and helped set the pace for an offense that led the NFL in rushing during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
Kozerski, who played his college ball at Holy Cross, was picked in the ninth round of the 1984 draft by Cincinnati. He was named an alternate to the 1988, 1989 and 1990 AFC Pro Bowl squads.
He retired following the 1995 season and is currently the head football coach and a teacher at Holy Cross High School in Covington, Ky.
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 Anthony Munoz Cincinnati Bengals 1983 Topps |
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 Anthony was an outstanding baseball player in high school and college as a pitcher. |
The Cincinnati Bengals had many offensive stars come and go during their pair of Super Bowl runs in the 1980s however one of the constant forces on these teams was Anthony Munoz.
The University of Southern California product excelled as a straight-on blocker. He was agile, quick, and strong in addition to having great foot quickness and agility necessary to block quick defensive ends. The offensive lineman even recorded seven receptions for four touchdowns during his 13-year career.
Munoz played in 11 straight Pro Bowls from 1981 to 1991 and was named the NFL Offensive Lineman of the Year in 1981, 1987 and 1988 as well as the NFL Players Association Lineman of the Year in 1981, 1985, 1988 and 1989.
Munoz’s greatest honors came when he was named to the NFL’s 1980s All-Decade team and the league’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. As his streak of Pro Bowl appearances was coming to a close in 1991, Munoz was also awarded the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for his volunteer and charity work, as well as his excellence on the field.
This all led to Munoz becoming the first ever Bengals player to be ensured into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998. The only other Bengal connection to Canton is the team’s founder and first head coach Paul Brown.
Many believe Munoz only played for the Cincinnati Bengals throughout his professional career, which is partially true. Munoz’s failing knees caused him to reunite with former Bengal coach Sam Wyche, when he signed as an unconditional free agent with Tampa Bay. Munoz made a brief, albeit unofficial uni cameo during the 1993 preseason with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He retired after being cut before the regular season started.
 Dennis Hopson Chicago Bulls 1990 Fleer |
Before Ohio State’s Evan Turner recorded a triple-double in a win over Alcorn State Monday night, only one other player in school history ever accomplished that same feat.
Dennis Hopson recorded the only previous triple-double in Ohio State history on Dec. 4, 1986 against Ohio University during his senior season.
As a Buckeye, Hopson was named the 1987 Big Ten Player of the Year and a second team All-American pick. The Toledo native left Ohio State as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 3,633 points and the all-time steals leader with 319 swipes, a mark that was broken two years later by Jay Burson.
Hopson was selected with the third overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets. He was selected ahead of future stars Scottie Pippen, Kevin Johnson, Horace Grant, Kevin Johnson and Reggie Lewis.
Hopson struggled within a miserable Nets franchise that did not win more than 26 games in a season during his three years with the team. He averaged 15.8 points per game during the 1989-90 season, his final with the Nets.
New Jersey traded Hopson to the Chicago Bulls following the 1990 season in exchange for three draft picks. While with the Bulls, Hopson appeared in 61 games were he averaged 11.5 minutes and .5 points per game during the first championship season for Michael Jordan and the Bulls. However Jordan was not too keen on Hopson.
After just two games into the 1991-92 season, the Bulls dealt Hopson to the Sacramento Kings for Bob Hansen and a second round draft pick. Despite averaging 20.5 points for the Kings, Hopson’s NBA career was over in the summer of 1992.
With his NBA career, Hopson took his game overseas and played professionally in Spain, France, the Phillipines, Turkey, Isreal and Venezuela from 1992 to 2000.
Following his playing days, Hopson soon landed in the coaching ranks starting as the head coach of the American Basketball Association’s (ABA) Toledo Royal Knights, however the team folded after just four games. He joined Rollie Massimino’s staff as an assistant coach at Northwood University, a NAIA program in West Palm Beach, Fla. in time for the 2007 season. In 2009, he became an assistant basketball coach at Bowling Green State University.
