Forgotten Places:Jerome Bettis

When many of us think of Jerome "The Bus" Bettis, we think about the bruising back from Notre Dame or the guy who bruised defenses for the Steelers. But, how many of us actually remember him playing for the LA/STL Rams?

I bet not many.

Yes, there was a time he wore this from 1993-1996 after being drafted 10th overall in the 1993 draft by them:

Then in 1996, after a downed 1995 season due to a coaches decision to up their passing game, he put this uniform on after a Pittsburgh trade and really made a name for himself. He ran well over 1,000 yards from 96-01. He went on to win the Super Bowl a few years later then retired on top.

 

I think in the end, Pittsburgh got a great deal for only a third round pick for a Hall Of Fame running back. Imagine what may have been for the Rams had they kept.

So how many of you remember Jerome pre-Pittsburgh days? And what was your favorite Bettis moment overall?

Forgotten Places:Ichiro

This is probably one of the only times a forgotten place is one the player currently plays on.

But when we all think Ichiro, don't tell me you don't picture this....

Even as a Yankees fan I picture him in Seattle first before NY.

It's a place he played for from 2001-2012 and where he put up some incredible numbers. Then he came to NY for three years and sorta got put on the back burner, but since it was NY, you still knew his name. Now he sits in Miami where you barely hear a word about him unless the 3,000 hit talk happens.

I sometimes forget he is still in the league or even plays for them til I stumble upon a card. And even then I am like, "he plays for the Marlins???"

I am sure most of you don't feel this way but that's how I feel. Miami has been a forgotten place for many players (except a few) and as a collector I was hoping he would head back to Seattle to end his career and maybe get his 3,000th hit for them.

What do you guys think? Ichrio+Marlins? Do you agree it has been a forgotten place?

Forgotten Places:Kurt Warner

When most of us think Kurt Warner, I believe the Rams come to mind first. At least to me it does. But, I think we all forget that Kurt played for two other NFL teams as well.

(Thanks to a reminder from Tony at Off Hiatus Baseball blog, I had forgotten to add during my research of Kurt, despite not playing for them and was just a practice squad member, he was also apart of the Packers team in 1994)

The other majority of us who do not associate Kurt with the Rams, may associate him with the Arizona Cardinals who he helped lead to their first ever Super Bowl birth and almost victory if it wasn't for that amazing Santonio Holmes catch.

But, what most of us forget including me is that he also PLAYED for another team in between these two. That team is....

The NY Giants. Yes, my NY Giants. So today's forgotten place is the NY Giants. It's so forgotten and such a short term thing, I don't even have a card of it to include in this post (it is a want list item however)

After the Rams released Warner at the end of the 2003 season, the Giants picked him up giving him a 2-year deal in 2004 the same year they drafted Eli Manning. Warner started out playing very well with the Giants helping them go 5-2 before losing two in a row and dropping them to 5-4 which lead to his benching and the beginning of the Eli Manning era. Eli faced a rough year and the Giants went on to lose many more games after that, but Kurt decided not to stick around and voided his second year of the contract at the end of the season. It was a great decision for him who went to Arizona and changed their outlook. 

To me, it was a bad decision that season to bench him that early as they still played well with Kurt before sticking Eli under the bus. But, in the end, I guess you can say things worked out the best as Kurt led Arizona to their first ever Super Bowl appearance and Eli winning two rings for the Giants.

This was only a small part of Kurt's Cinderella story. Arena football and bagging groceries play a role as well. It's amazing if you have your mind in the right place and keep reaching for your goal, what you can actually accomplish.

How many of you remember Kurt Warner the Giants QB??? Packers practice squad QB?

Forgotten Places:Drew Brees

With NFL Free Agency frenzy underway, I wanted to find a player who we seem to forget was somewhere else since they have made such a HUGE impact with their new team. The first player that came to mind, well, Drew Brees.

Not many of us, except maybe Chargers fans, remember Drew Brees as a Charger. He was drafted in the 2nd round in 2001 by them. Became the starter there in 2002 and then was a Pro Bowl player in 2004 before suffering a shoulder injury which led to Phillip Rivers and a Brees release.

 

The Drew Brees story only got better from there as he signed as a Free Agent with the Saints in 2006. Since then, he has made the Chargers regret letting him go. He not only has earned 8 Pro Bowl trips and has led all NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns, passing yards and 300-yard games since then, he also led the Saints to a Super Bowl win and was the MVP of that game. How many Super Bowls have the Chargers won or been in since his release? 0.

 

 

Drew is not only a great player on the field that makes 5,000 yard seasons look like candy, but he is also a great person off the field and a role model. True character and leader all around.

I can't think of another football player that has made more of an impact on their new team vs their old. When I think Drew Brees, I think Saints.

How many of you remember Brees as a Charger?

Forgotten Places:John Smoltz

Upon sorting I came across a John Smoltz St. Louis Cardinals baseball card and I was setback by it. John Smoltz played for the Cardinals???? I guess I had forgotten about it.

When I think of John Smoltz in uniform I think of this:

You know, his dominating years as both starting pitcher and reliever for the Atlanta Braves.  The guy who was an 8 time All-Star, NL Cy Young Award Winner and a World Series Champion with the team.

 

Not this guy who I don't remember as a Cardinal..or technically a Red Sox pitcher either in that 2009 season. But, I guess it happened.

 

In Smoltz's time with the two teams, he posted terrible numbers going 3-8 with an 6.35 ERA. Not up to his standards by far. It seemed Atlanta made the right choice not offering more than they did and it seemed John made a mistake carrying on his career after Atlanta. Not the way you want to end your career but at least he didn't push himself for another season.

John is just one of many players I found that I had forgotten had been at other places. There are just some players you recognize with only one organization. That's what this new segment will be about. What player will I choose moving forward? Well, keep an eye out and you will see!