The defense looked good in getting seven sacks, and recovered three fumbles, but the big star of the game was Travis Benjamin with receiving touchdowns of 60 and 50 yards, and a punt return touchdown of 78 yards.
For that reason I am going to highlight some of the Travis Benjamin cards in my collection.
The Trading Card Database shows me that I have 23 different Benjamin cards in my collection, six of which are autographed cards. This is probably my favorite of the autographed ones:
 |
| 2012 Topps Valor - Legionary Autographs #LA-TB
|
From looking at his autographs in my collection, on most of the others it seems to show the start of a T (looking more like a 7) with a line trailing off to the right for the rest of Travis, inside a giant B with a line trailing off to the right to represent Benjamin. On this card, the B seems lazier, if it really can be. Or at least that is what the rest of them look like to me.
I generally like the Topps Valor cards. They have a nice feel to them, and the backgrounds are distinct enough to stand out from other sets. And I like how easy it is to identify the parallels as they break down into subsets of different characteristics such as Strength, Courage, and Glory.
 |
| 2013 Topps Archives #38 |
I probably like this card more for referencing the 1976 Topps set than anything else but his eyes are interesting, perhaps focusing on an incoming tackler?
 |
| 2012 Score #400 |
This is a great shot. Score usually comes out pretty early, and this photo from his rookie year was probably taken at one of the early camps after the draft. I hope he caught it! |
| 2012 Panini Absolute #189 |
I like how this card scanned, with the colors coming out in the background.Here is the only 2015 card I have of Travis Benjamin:
 |
| 2015 Score #172 |
 |
| Expect these numbers to jump dramatically this year |
He switched his number from 80 to his current 11 before the 2014 season.
It was nice to see the punt return touchdown, and the fact that he was actually giving us returns rather than fair catches. Hopefully he'll provide us with many big play returns throughout the year!
I'll finish up with a card for fans of "The U":
 |
| 2012 Fleer Retro - Metal #M-66
|
He's from Florida, and credits his speed and agility to chasing rabbits as a kid.
Is he originally from Pahokie?
ReplyDeleteLooking it up, he is from Belle Glade, and went to Glades Central. Pahokee seems to be their main rival.
DeleteBelle Glade and Pahokee are in Palm Beach County -- out beyond the sugar cane fields and on the shores of Lake Okeechobee. Those are some poor people out that way. ESPN The Magazine did a feature on the kids that grew up out that way who chased rabbits for food and ended up playing football.
DeleteI was reading an article about the 2005 NFL Draft and how 20 teams passed on Aaron Rodgers in that draft, including your Cleveland Browns. This gem about the Browns was in the story:
ReplyDelete"Cleveland also had a new regime with general manager Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel. They signed 33-year-old Trent Dilfer, who had been Seattle’s backup the previous four seasons, to be their starter early in the offseason. And their decisions to pass on Rodgers and then draft Akron’s Charlie Frye at No. 67 overall suggests the two quarterbacks were similar prospects in their mind."
So, Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye over Aaron Rodgers. Pretty much.
As Miracle Max says, "...why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?"
DeleteThe main thing about that, though, is that if Rodgers had been drafted by Cleveland, he wouldn't have had time to sit a couple of years and hone his craft. He would have been thrown to the wolves at some point during his rookie season, and who knows how that would have turned out.
But isn't fun to play the Counterfactual game?!
DeleteFalcons drafted Brett Favre... nice cards man. Sucks they're starting McCown
DeleteI don't mind going back to McCown. Manziel still has a lot to learn, and easing him in won't be bad. He'll still wind up starting other games this year.
Delete