Showing posts with label Florida Gators. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Florida Gators. Show all posts

Friday, December 23, 2011

2010 Sage HIT Brandon Spikes


Who is this? Patriots Linebacker Brandon Spikes.
What is this? An autograph card from 2010 Sage HIT.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Brandon at Patriots' Training Camp in 2010.
How much did it cost? I got this card when I bought a set of 2010 Sage HIT.

Why is this so special? Brandon was a two-time All-American at the University of Florida, where he was a part of their 2007 and 2009 BCS National Championship teams. But, despite his stellar collegiate career, he slipped to the Patriots in the second round (62nd overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft.

When he has been on the field, Brandon has been a key contributor on the Pats' "No Name" defense. In his rookie season, Spikes played in 12 regular-season games, logging 61 tackles and one interception, but missed the last four games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy (allegedly for a medication that included a banned substance).

This season, Spikes has been limited to seven games and has not played since he saw action against the New York Giants on November 6th. However, although he has missed considerable time, Spikes did manage to make 44 tackles. The Patriots' hope that Spikes can make a full-recovery for the Playoffs and help a struggling Pats' Defense.

Despite his struggle to stay on the field, I still have high hopes for Spikes' long-term prospects. A competitor who always seems to be around the ball, he is the kind of player that the Patriots' had when they won their three Super Bowls.

Visually, I like how the blue sharpie looks on this card, although I thought that it was interesting how Spikes signed his name on the card.

Monday, August 1, 2011

2010 Topps USA Brian Johnson


Who is this? Pitcher/Designated Hitter Brian Johnson of the Florida Gators, Team USA, and Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
What is this? An autograph card from the 2010 Topps Team USA Box set.
Where'd I get it? I got this card signed by Brian before a Yarmouth-Dennis game against the Brewster Whitecaps last week.
How much did it cost? I bought the whole set for around $9.

Why is this so special? It isn't everyday that you find a pitcher who is also one of the best hitters in college baseball. Brian has been an important part of Florida's College World Series teams in 2010 and 2011 and is one of the most interesting prospects in the 2012 draft.

While his signature does leave something to be desired, the blue ink does look sharp and he was nice enough to sign three cards for me (two 2010 Topps and one Bowman Platinum).