Classic card of the week

Reggie McElroy, 1989 NFL Pro Set

I have no column this week because I was on vacation last week and that’s just how I roll. (Feel free to voice your frustrations in the comments, if you can find room amidst all the other comments.) As usual when I don’t have a column, I will now write about Reggie McElroy.

I should first mention that this card comes courtesy of the always-reliable Bill, a Jets fan himself who credits most of his personal successes to Reggie McElroy for reasons that cannot be explained. Anyhoo, I urge you now to travel back in time, to 1988, to an era when a 6’6” 290 lb picture of raw athleticism is playing tackle for the New York Jets instead of tight end. That’s Reaganomics for ya’!*



The back of the card -- as back of the cards tend to do -- lists McElroy’s career accomplishments. To waste time and space, I will reprint them now:

One of only two players to start all 16 games on Jets’ injury riddled offensive line in 1988…Recovered fully from reconstructive knee surgery that sidelined him second half of 1986 and first half of 1987…Came back to start final five games of 1987…Had not allowed sack in 1986 prior to being injured…Jets’ second-round draft choice from West Texas in 1982…Missed all of 1982 NFL season with knee injury…Four-year starter at tackle for West Texas State…Was ROTC cadet major…Second lieutenant in U.S. Army.

That seems like a lot to remember. Especially the part about Reggie McElroy. Allow me, if you will, to help matters a bit by providing an even briefer synopsis of the career of Reggie McElroy, and by placing these extraordinary events in chronological order. Here goes:

West Texas State…ROTC…drafted by Jets…injures himself getting drafted…knee injury…unaccounted for…does not allow a sack, but is injured doing so…injured…knee falls off…knee surgery…injured…1987…kind of plays a little bit…in irony of ironies, plays entire 1988 season while remainder of Jets lay in hospital…final score of 1988 season finale: Bears: 312, Reggie McElroy and Al Toon: 2…assumed decade of injury…Second lieutenant in U.S. Army.

Also, I think that Reggie McElroy looks like Cee-Lo, but I am probably wrong.

*Makes no sense

Did you know?
When Reggie McElroy was informed that West Texas was actually NOT a state, his knee exploded.