The NFL's Biggest Surprises . . . Continued
In the March 2010 issue of Beckett Football that’s on newsstands and in hobby shops now, we profile seven of the 2009 NFL season’s biggest surprise players. That is, players who enjoyed breakout performances on the field and in the hobby in 2009 that forced collectors to stand up and take notice.
You know, players like Miles Austin, Austin Collie, Sidney Rice and Jamaal Charles to name four. Well, the truth of the matter is that we didn’t have enough room in the March issue to include all of the biggest breakout players, so decided to share four more with you online.
Mike Wallace, WR, Steelers
The Surprise: Ten receivers were drafted before Wallace, but only four had more yards in their rookie season. He led all rookies in yards per catch with 19.4. His six touchdowns were tied for second most among rookies. He made great catches all season and should become Pittsburgh’s No. 2 receiver when Hines Ward retires.
Surprise Cards: Wallace has 33 Rookie Cards as of Feb. 15, and the best ones are topping out at $50-$60. With the Steelers missing the playoffs, it’s unlikely that Wallace RCs will pick up a lot of steam, but top choices are 2009 Limited #206 ($50) and the new 2009 Playoff Contenders #124 that sells for about $30-$60.
Josh McDaniels, Coach, Broncos
The Surprise: Rarely does an active coach make hobby headlines, but rookie head coach Josh McDaniels, just 33 years old, had the Broncos off to a hot start early in the season. He was in the news this off-season being at the center of the Jay Cutler trade, and having to deal with controversial actions by receiver Brandon Marshall. The Broncos finished 8-8.
Surprise Cards: Every now and then non-mainstream cards will surface and get hot. McDaniels is young enough to have a 1995 Ohio High School Big 33 card. Big 33 is a high school all-star game, and cards have been made of the participating players for years. He is pictured as a “kicking specialist.” It’s valued at $30.
Jerome Harrison, RB, Browns
The Surprise: The Browns may have finally found a solid No. 1 running back. Jamal Lewis just finished his 10th season, and Cleveland has needed a consistent runner for years. Harrison, who had totaled just 448 yards in his first three seasons, finished 2009 with 862 yards and an average of 4.4 yards per carry. He also had 220 yards receiving and five total touchdowns. Harrison exploded onto the scene in Week 15 when he rolled up an eye-popping 286 yards and scored three touchdowns. In the last three weeks of the season, he totaled 561 rushing yards on 106 carries.
Surprise Cards: Harrison was a fifth-round pick in 2006 (the 13th running back taken), but he still has several good Rookie Cards to pick. He has the autographed 2006 Exquisite Collection RC #83 for $80 (up from $50 recently) and the 2006 Playoff National Treasures #145 JSY AU RC for $40.
Fred Jackson, RB, Bills
The Surprise: Jackson’s career has been on the upswing for a couple years. In 2009, he started 11 games, broke the 1,000-yard mark and scored four total touchdowns. In the last four weeks of the season, Jackson totaled 420 yards, including a 212-yard game against the Colts. He averaged 4.5 yards per carry this year, and even had more than 300 receiving. Thanks to injuries by Marshawn Lynch, Jackson stepped up and could have a great chance at taking over the starting job.
Surprise Cards: As an undrafted player out of Coe College (where?), Jackson has just three Rookie Cards from 2008, even though he entered the league in 2006. All three RCs can be had for a couple of bucks: 2008 Absolute Memorabilia #17, 2008 Score #39 and 2008 Select #39. He does have six autographed cards, including a 2009 Leaf Limited Prime Pairings Autographs with Lynch.
Coe College is in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It is a nationally ranked liberal arts college with a strong DIII football program. And… we’re proud of Fred Jackson, his success on the field and character off the field.