Archive for nfl rookies
Idol Worship: Which Player Do You Follow?
Posted by: | CommentsAs a serious sports fan, nothing disappoints me more than a professional athlete showing poor judgment. I don’t know about anyone else, but if someone offered me the chance to be rich and famous with the only requirements being play sports and don’t do anything stupid, I would probably end up locking myself in my house between games just so I didn’t make a mistake and mess up what a good deal I had going for me!
With football season well underway, fans are being presented with a new crop of rising superstars. So which players among these young NFL stars represent the combination of right attitude and athletic prowess that could make them the chosen few, the ones who we will be remembered decades from now as the best of the best both on and off the field? Here are my three favorite rookies who I predict we will look back on as the best of the best from the year’s draft class; not just as athletes, but as ambassadors of what is good in sports:
By all appearances, Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow looks to be a player kids can look up to.
Tim Tebow, quarterback, Denver Broncos: His off-the-field behavior doesn’t need to be scrutinized (he’s squeaky clean). Tebow, however, does possess ability on the field that can allow him to be more than an off-the-field sideshow. While not blessed with traditional passing mechanics and a playing style that is in some dreaded no man’s land between a pocket and a scrambling quarterback, many believe Tebow has the intangibles that will allow him to make good decisions under pressure. There’s no reason why Tebow can’t turn into a good game manager who knows exactly the right time for a pitch, shovel pass, or quick scramble that can turn out to be a game-changer.
San Diego rookie running back Ryan Mathews is a former Fresno State standout.
Ryan Mathews, running back, San Diego Chargers: Mathews is the real deal. He’s quick but stocky, built to take a hit and keep on running. He has the potential to become the kind of grinder that die-hard fans love; a guy who gets nicked up now and then buts keeps on going. He already showed this potential when he was taken out with an ankle injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Expected to be out for the rest of the game, he came charging back onto the field. Only the coaches’ collective hesitation with their No. 1 draft pick kept him from getting back out there. Not only that, he comes from humble beginnings as his mother delivered him at a very young age and had to raise him as a single parent. No doubt his humble upbringing will keep him grounded and his desire strong.
A former Golden Domer, Golden Tate is now running his routes for the Seattle Seahawks.
Golden Tate, wide receiver, Seattle Seahawks: When a guy’s greatest offense is trying to score a tasty doughnut at three in the morning, you know he’s is only out for some good clean fun. Tate has attended private school all the way up to his collegiate career at Notre Dame, so you know he was focused on sports and academics more than he was parties. Not only did he have a great football career at Notre Dame, but his talents on the baseball diamond prompted him to be drafted multiple times by MLB. Guys like Tate who could have had legitimate pro careers in different sports are rare, and he’s already getting looks as a return man and wide receiver in Seattle. He may not be an athletic freak like Calvin Johnson, but he has the ability to be sneaky good, and a career as a slot receiver/return specialist seems like a nice niche for him.
All of these guys have the potential to post solid careers in the NFL. However their true appeal is that they seem likely to stay away from the dark side of being a famous professional athlete, and these days that counts for a lot. I feel like when I collect cards, I like to own cards of guys who have the potential to have great careers, but also will not betray me and make me embarrassed to own a bunch of cards of a guy who isn’t exactly a great human being. Hopefully there will be more and more guys like these coming up in the future; sports could use a few more good guys if you ask me!
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We’re Golden. We Think!
Posted by: | CommentsI just finished up another rip-roaring Fantasy Football Draft with 11 of my buddies (or should I say colleagues?) here at Upper Deck. The UDFFL (Upper Deck’s Fantasy Football League) is chock full of guys who think they know exactly what they’re doing, but only time and some healthy campaigns posted by their top five or six picks will prove them right.
Which brings me to my first bone of contention: Was I really that foolish to grab St. Louis QB Sam Bradford in the 15th round with my own version of the “Mr. Irrelevant” pick? I mean really. But man did I get some ribbing from the boys. Granted, I already had Drew Brees as my starting QB and Vince Young as my backup, but what the heck? I had already drafted four RBs and five wideouts, along with my tight end (Antonio Gates), kicker (Nate Kaeding, thank god Fantasy ends before the playoffs begin), and the Saints “Dee,” so why not pick up some trade bait with my last pick? Think about it; I dropped my 15th selection on Bradford, the NFL’s overall No. 1 Draft Pick from this year. I’ll dump him in Week 3 for an emerging wide receiver when one of these chumps realizes that Philly’s Kevin Kolb isn’t turning out to be the second coming of Donovan McNabb or that Carson Palmer really is getting old in Cincy, even with T.O. lining up on the outside.
- Lots of hype surrounds Bradford. He may very well be the second coming of ‘Slingin’ Sammy’ Baugh.
But what struck me as interesting throughout the draft was everybody’s reluctance (or should I say well-honed strategy) to stay away from most of the rookies. Not surprisingly, Fresno State’s Ryan Mathews was the first freshman to get scooped up (with the 13th overall pick). Our lead designer, Neal, made the move, but since he’s a Chargers homer anyway, it didn’t faze me. With L.T. off to the Big Apple and Darren Sproles standing at five-foot-nothing, Mathews looks like the new workhouse in San Diego. He scored 19 TDs in college last year and posted eleven 100-yard games. He should be the real deal. At least Neal certainly hopes he is.
- Workhorse: The hard-driving Mathews should get to carry most of the load in San Diego’s backfield.
Which rookie was next, you ask? With the 38th overall pick, running back Jahvid Best was selected by one of our copy editors, Roger. Here’s a guy (Best, that is) who tallied 16 touchdowns last year for the Cal Bears and posted five 100-yard rushing games. He’s no Ryan Mathews, mind you, but he’s no slouch either. Granted he’s not a proven stud like many of my backfield picks (Jonathan Stewart, Joseph Addai and Brandon Jacobs, to name a few), but he’s got potential. We’ll just have to wait and see how often the Lions actually can get inside their opponent’s 20-yard-line. I’m thinking slim and none, for the most part. I mean, we are talking about the Detroit Lions, aren’t we?
Best is hoping to bring some versatility to Detroit's backfield this season. Only time will tell.
Okay, so who was the next rookie taken? With the 70th overall pick, Buffalo’s newest backfield acquisition, C. J. Spiller, was snatched up by one of the UDA guys, Steve S. The big man at Clemson is now supposed to be the new man in upstate New York. Lord knows, the Bills need some help, and C.J. could be the answer to their prayers. Steve S.’s office is next to mine, so I’m sure I’ll hear the roars from next door when the Bills start circling the wagons on September 26 against my team, the New England Patriots. Let’s not tell Steve how badly the Bills will get crushed on that fateful afternoon, but wish him well anyway with C.J. Maybe one touchdown and 60 yards on the ground from Spiller will be Buffalo’s big highlight from Gillette Stadium that day.
Six more rookies would be selected, including my gratuitous 15th round gesture for Bradford, before the UDFFL Draft ended. In order, they were Montario Hardesty (ninth round); Dez Bryant (10th round); Golden Tate, my second-to-last receiver taken (11th round); and both Demaryius “My Sore Left Foot” Thomas and Dexter McCluster (14th round).
Tate could be Golden in Seattle, just as long as Matt Hasselbeck can find him going deep.
What’s cool is that all of these first-year players will be appearing in Upper Deck’s fast-approaching 2010 Sweet Spot Football set, which is scheduled to launch next month right around the same time as Monday Night Football. All of the aforementioned rookies will be appearing in the set and every one of them will have autographed helmet cards to boot!
And for the record, just in case anybody was wondering, we conducted our fast-paced draft over the course of two well-orchestrated lunch hours by our resident ring leader, Big Ben. He looks like a cross between Junior Seau and Adrian Gonzalez, so nobody messes with Ben. Although truth be told, he’s the calmest, most courteous guy in the building. If higher management only was aware of what we were doing on our hard-earned lunch hours, they probably would have bought us lunch, right? Hey, it’s research after all. Come to think of it, maybe I’ll go upstairs right now and tell ‘em. Who knows? Maybe they’ll bring us bagels tomorrow.
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Where’s LeBron Playing Next Season?
Posted by: | CommentsOn Saturday, May 22, a bunch of us hard-working souls at Upper Deck ventured out to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to orchestrate three very important components at this year’s NFL PLAYERS Rookie Premiere Photo Shoot. First, we had to photograph each of the top college draft picks sporting their collegiate jerseys for upcoming football products licensed by NFL PLAYERS and the Collegiate Licensing Company. Next, we had to collect thousands of hard-signed autographs from the 35 participating players to be used as insert cards in the Upper Deck sets. Lastly, we taped each of the players answering questions about their collegiate careers and then asked their opinions on where LeBron James – one of Upper Deck’s exclusive spokesmen who’s considered the most sought-after free agent in the world – might be playing basketball next season.
We had an opportunity to get up close with each of the top college draft picks and solicit their thoughts on everything from their most memorable moments on the football field to what their collegiate programs might be like now that they’re moving on to the professional ranks. But probably the most thought-provoking question we asked each of them was where LeBron James might wind up in uniform next season.
The players’ guesses ranged from James staying in Cleveland to win an eventual championship for his hometown team, to moving out west to play for either the Lakers or Clippers, to going to the New York Knicks to revive the Big Apple’s basketball landscape. Some of the players, like Florida’s Tim Tebow and Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen, didn’t venture a guess per se as to which team he might wind up playing for, but did wish James well on his upcoming decision when he becomes an unrestricted free-agent on July 1. If nothing else, the players provide plenty of food for thought for LeBron himself.
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Top NFL Rookie from Week 5: Jeremy Maclin
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the most exciting reasons to collect NFL rookie cards is that you get to watch their values spike if the players perform well on the field. To capture that excitement, Upper Deck launched a new website in September to help collectors track 2009 NFL rookie cards, but also make predictions on which rookie would have the best week at OwnTheRookies.com.
Collectors who can successfully guess the player who will be Upper Deck’s “Rookie of the Week” will be entered into a drawing to win a box of 2009 NFL cards. For posting an off-the-charts performance and a multi-touchdown game, Philadelphia Eagles wideout Jeremy Maclin has earned top honors for Week 5. Congratulations to Daniel W. from Monroe, WA who entered codes from Maclin’s cards last week, and is this week’s winner!
In April, every team that was looking to draft a wide receiver had eyes for Maclin on their board due to his NFL-ready skill set. Most scouts were putting him at or around a top 10 pick, some even had him ahead of much-trumpeted standout, Michael Crabtree. Yet, as the first picks were selected and no receivers were chosen, teams in the lower half of the round got excited. When Oakland selected Darrius Heyward-Bey with No. 7, and then the Niners picked Crabtree at No. 10, there was a good chance Maclin would fall to one of the lower picks in the round. Philadelphia took him with the 19th pick overall, knowing that they could use him right away on special teams and as a second or third receiver behind rookie sensation DeSean Jackson.
Maclin had a quiet start to the season with very few catches and almost no yardage, but exploded with 142 yards receiving and two TDs against the Buccaneers this past Sunday. Maclin outplayed practically everyone on the field, and electrified the crowd with two long catches that put the Eagles up for good. Maclin was always thought to have amazing potential, and games like this make it all the more apparent to his coaches. He was touted as one of the best route runners in the draft, and as many veterans have noted, that talent is almost more important than speed. During Sunday’s game, this fact became pretty apparent, as well as Maclin’s burning speed to boot.
Luckily for collectors, Maclin will have some amazing cards this year, especially in the upcoming Upper Deck sets like SP Threads and Black due to be released in the coming weeks. When you factor in that he is doing a great job lifting existing value in cards as well, he represents a great investment for anyone. His autographed letter patches that will be released next week with SP Threads will be a fan favorite as usual, as collectors love to put together the nameplate of the player. They hold more value than normal cards for that reason, as there is a great sense of achievement in being able to display a player’s whole name on your display shelf.
Maclin was also featured in the “Same Day Signatures” insert set in 2009 Upper Deck Football, which features a hard-signed autograph of him in his Eagles uniform. This is something rarely seen this early in the season, as players are usually unable to sign during the actual season. Because of a lack of on-card NFL uniform signatures and the rarity of the cards (one per case), the Same Day Signatures collection is one of the most valuable released so far.
Lastly, I would check out his SPx “Rookie Material Signature” card inserted in Upper Deck’s recently released 2009 SPx set. In my opinion, it’s one of the better designed cards this year and is limited to just 50, depending on the parallel. Because the Eagles’ silver, green and black color scheme goes so well with the silver design of the card, it’s a great card to go after due to its simple beauty.
The fact of the matter is that Maclin will never have a hard time playing alongside a great QB in Donovan McNabb. This will be especially great news for the Eagles and Maclin collectors alike, as the Eagles have never been known for their prowess at wide receiver. Maclin should cement a young corps with Jackson and may turn out to be one of the better picks of the 2009 draft. He has some growing to do, as do most rookie receivers, but his potential and talent will trump any obstacle he runs into in terms of competition.
Check in next week for the newest rookie to win “Rookie of the Week” honors and don’t forget to enter in all your rookie card codes from the Upper Deck products you have collected so far. Not only can you win prizes, but the site has some great features that allow you to track rookies and their cards this season!
Adam Gellman runs the collecting blog Sports Cards Uncensored, and has been a collector of all things sports for over 15 years. To see more of his work, visit www.sportscardsuncensored.com (warning: strong language!).
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Mark Sanchez Makes Special Delivery!
Posted by: | CommentsOn May 16, the cream of the NFL’s rookie crop got their first crack at donning their new teams’ uniforms at the annual NFL Rookie Premiere Photo Shoot. And the folks at Upper Deck are only too happy to share with you the company’s new, league-approved “Top 10 Touchdown Dance Challenge” video captured at this year’s event inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Out of the 34 position players invited to this year’s event on May 16, ten of the more creative ones made the final cut as part of Upper Deck’s just-released video. The competition was fierce as every player was vying for the overall grand prize: an autographed Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls red jersey, courtesy of Upper Deck Authenticated! Upper Deck officials spent countless hours compiling notes and reviewing the entries to see who would make the grade and ultimately be recognized as the overall TD Dance Challenge champion. And perhaps more importantly, which rookie for the Class of 2009 would earn bragging rights for having the best touchdown boogie!
As the players walked up to Upper Deck’s video crew at Station 6, they started to feel the excitement as they all seemed to be visualizing their first touchdown scores in the NFL. And once they crossed that chalked line and entered the L.A. Coliseum’s east end zone, it was do-or-die time as they strutted their best touchdown dance celebrations.
The day’s cameras captured the freshman players’ most interesting maneuvers, some more hair-raising than the next. Classic moves were caught on tape where some players paid homage to past stars and current veterans who helped pave the way to the art of the touchdown dance.
Featured in the video compilation are top up-and-comers like No. 1 overall draft pick Matt Stafford (QB, Detroit Lions), who blows up the goal post with his entry entitled “Dynamite.” Another can’t-miss performance is one turned in by newly acquainted New York Jets teammates Mark Sanchez (QB) and Shonn Green (RB), who get familiar with one another in their routine christened “A Star is Born.” A Tiger Woods impersonation is turned in by Indianapolis Colts rookie Donald Brown (RB), while Tyson Jackson (DE, Kansas City Chiefs) and LeSean McCoy (RB, Philadelphia Eagles) do some dancing, and Derrick Williams (WR, Detroit Lions) provides an eye-opening interpretation of a one-armed worm. What’s more, Mike Wallace (WR, Pittsburgh Steelers) provides a unique way to make it back to the sidelines after scoring six points, while Deon Butler (WR, Seattle Seahawks) takes everybody back in time with his rendition of duck, duck, goose.
But when the dust had settled, and all the votes were in, it was Knowshon Moreno (RB, Denver Broncos) who took top billing. Although he performed two different entries that both landed in the final cut, it was his innovative lumberjack routine that scored top honors. See for yourself if Moreno’s moves would have been good enough to make a dent on “Dancing with the Stars.”
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