Tuesday, September 29, 2009

1990 Topps Traded #129T Alfred Oglesby

Cougar great Alfred Oglesby passed away Saturday.

Oglesby played for the University of Houston from 1987 to 1989. That great 1989 Coog team was known for its offense that scored 53.5 points per game and produced a Heisman trophy winner. But the defense was amazing too, allowing only 13.6 points per game with two shutouts.

Oglesby was a standout on the 1989 team. He led the team in tackles with 104. He was a Sporting News All American Honorable Mention and an All Southwest Conference first teamer.

He was selected in the third round of the 1990 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played in the NFL from 1990 to 1995 for the Dolphins, Packers, Jets, and Bengals.

Today's card is his only rookie card, the 1990 Topps Traded #129T. Unfortunately it's not the most exciting design or photograph.

He was also featured on three cards in 1992: GameDay #411, Topps #434, and Topps Gold #434.



Saturday, September 12, 2009

Coogs Win!!!!

Congratulations to the Coogs today! The University of Houston football team beat #5 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, OK.

Today's win is the first road win against a top 5 opponent since UH beat 6-0-1 #3 Texas on 11-10-1984. The Coogs went on to be Southwest Conference Co-Champions tying with SMU. Houston went to the Cotton Bowl based on its victory over SMU.

While UH has been known for its offense for much of its history, the 1984 Coogs had some incredible defensive players that went on to the NFL. Three of them are T J Turner, Audray McMillian, and Simon Fletcher who are featured below.

T J Turner
1989 Topps #294


Audray McMillian
1993 Fleer #259


Simon Fletcher
1994 SkyBox Impact #75

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Cougar Cards

Attention University of Houston students! You are very lucky. Why?

1) You are a student at the University of Houston
2) You have a professor like Simon Bott that cares about you and the University of Houston
3) You have a great opportunity to collect some unique Cougar trading cards

Since this blog focuses on Cougar collectibles, this post is about item 3.

The Daily Cougar recently had an article on Cougar Cards, a way to increase student participation in UH activities, a way to collect Cougar memorabilia and learn more about the school, and a way to get prizes.

As much as possible, every UH student should participate in school activities. It improves your collegiate experience, creates a stronger community, and most importantly, it's fun! And now you get the bonus of receiving Cougar cards.

The checklist is amazing. You have Cougar legends like Clyde Drexler, David Klingler, and Jim Nantz. You have current athletes like Case Keenum and Aubrey Coleman. You have athletes from sports other than football and basketball like swimmers, soccer players, and softball players. (I had a great time attending almost every sport when I was in school. I especially loved going to volleyball matches.) You have coaches like Kevin Sumlin, Tom Penders, and Bill Yeoman. You have important campus figures like President Renu Khator, Regents, Student Government President, and new Athletic Director Mack Rhoades. All that and more.

Below is a sample card. I hope to have more images soon and will post them if & when I get them.

Check out the Cougar Trading Cards website for more information like a complete checklist, events where you can receive cards, and a list of prizes. The event list is very diverse so there is something for everyone. Looking at the list makes me really miss my college days. Sure you have obvious things like football games and volleyball matches, but you also have non-sports related events like going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show, watching Friday the 13th, or hearing a recital or concert. Other more serious educational events such as Time Management, Resume Writing, and Job Search workshops are included which I highly recommend. I'm amazed at how many people in the business world don't know the basics of putting together a resume or conducting a job search. I'm thankful I went to several workshops while I was a student.

So start going to these events today.