2008 Extreme Sports CFL #99 Joffrey Reynolds

Sometimes good and even great players play for bad teams. Often the achievements of these players are ignored. Maybe fans have trouble believing that any good came out of a bad season. Maybe fans just want to forget everything that happened during a bad season. But we need to recognize great players and achievements regardless of the season.

Joffrey Reynolds is one of those players. Playing from 1999-2002, Reynolds only had one season with a winning record, 7-4 in 1999. He played for possibly the worse team in UH history, the 0-11 2001 team. But don't let that diminish his achievements.

Joffrey's name is all over the Cougar record books. His biggest record is probably the 300 yards rushing effort vs ECU on 11/9/02. He is the only Cougar running back to ever break the 300 yard mark.

Other records and important stats:

• Most carries in a game 41 (11/9/02 vs ECU and 11/30/02 vs Louisville). Also 8th most in a game (34 vs Army in 2000)


• Most carries in a season (316 in 2002)


• Tied for 5th for most points scored in a game (24 on 11/9/02 vs ECU)


• 4th in 100 yard games (13)


• 4th in rushing yards in a season (1545 in 2002)


• Tied for 9th in rushing TDs in a season (11 in 2002)


• 4th in career rushing yards (2947)


• 2nd in career carries (618)


• Tied for 5th in career rushing TDs (23)


• Tied for 10th in career TDs (26)


• 7th in career total yards (3674)


• Led team in rushing yards in 2000 (534), 2001 (818), and 2002 (1545)


• Led team in scoring in 2001 (50) and 2002 (78)


• 9th in the nation in rushing yards per game at 128.75. (1545 yards in 12 games)

He also received several honors as a player. He was named CNNSI Honorable Mention All American and 1st team All Conference USA in 2002. He was also Co-Captain of the 2002 team.

In 2003, as an undrafted free agent, he signed with the St Louis Rams. In that season, he returned 6 kickoffs for 109 yards in 4 games.

He then moved on to the Canadian Football League and has played for Calgary Stampeders from 2004 to present. He has had an amazing career in the CFL. Some of his accomplishments include:

• 4 time CFL All Star (2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009)


• 5 time Western Division All Star (2005-2009)


• Led league in rushing in 2008 (1310 yards) and helped lead the team to a Grey Cup Championship


• Led league in rushing in 2009 (1504 yards)


• Going into the 2010 season, he needed 760 yards to become the career rushing leader for the Stampeders

He's still playing at a very high level in the CFL so if you get a chance, watch some of his games to get you ready for the start of the UH season.

Today's card is the 2008 Extreme Sports CFL #99. He's looking great in a red uniform. (Can we start the whole red pants/white pants uniform debate?) But that team logo is driving me crazy. That horse is identical to SMU's mustang.

2009 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Collegiate Patches Autographs #30 Donnie Joseph

Today's featured player is Donnie Joseph, another relative newcomer to the card world.

Joseph played for the Cougars from 2007 to 2009. In 2009, he was second on the team in ERA at 2.16. He led the team in saves (11), strikeouts (75), appearances (31), games finished (18), and games in relief (30).

He was drafted by the Cincinnati Red in the 3rd round of the 2009 MLB draft. In 2009, he played for the Billings Mustangs and the Dayton Dragons. In 2010, he has played for the Dayton Dragons and the Lynchburg Hillcats.

Today's card is the 2009 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Collegiate Patches Autographs #30. It is limited to 125 cards. The card features a manufactured patch (a patch created specifically for a card, not pulled from a game/event used jersey) that has the fat UH logo. It has a picture of Donnie in his Houston uniform. It also features his autograph.

I'm not generally a fan of manufactured patches, and autographs on fabric are never crisp, but it's the UH logo so that's a positive. Also the picture is awkwardly cut up to insert the patch.

The back features a differently cropped version of the front picture, the UH logo, and an overview of his final season as a Cougar.

2010 Topps Pro Debut #210 Bryan Pounds

Bryan Pounds is the latest Cougar to be featured on a card.

Bryan played for the University of Houston from 2005 to 2008. The highlight of his Cougar career was his play in the 2008 Conference USA tournament. He was the MVP of that tournament leading his team to a Conference Tournament Championship.

He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 34th round of the 2008 Major League Draft.

In 2008, he played for the Oneonta Tigers. In 2009, he played for the West Michigan Whitecaps. And in 2010, he has played for the GCL Tigers and the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

Today's card is the 2010 Topps Pro Debut #210. As usual, there are multiple variations including the base card, the blue card (numbered to 259), the gold card (numbered to 50), the red card (numbered to 1), and four printing plates.

This is a nice looking card. Very clean and simple design. Nice action photograph catching him at the end of his swing. Some foil on his name and the Topps logo, enough to highlight, but not enough to detract from the image. Of the variations I've seen, I think the blue looks best. I'm sure I would like the red more because I love seeing my Coogs in red.

Base Card


Blue Variation


Gold Variation

Checklist Update

We have a checklist update. Please see the checklist section to the left.

Since it has been so long since the last checklist update, 695 cards have been added. But not only do we have new cards, but 26 players have been added. 45 players had cards added to the list. New cards are highlighted on the card list. Newly listed players and players with additional cards are highlighted on the player list.

2 baseball players were added: Donnie Joseph and Bryan Pounds. 24 golfers were added. I won't list them all here.

Enjoy, and as usual, if you know of any players or cards not listed, please let me know and I will get them added.

I'm back

Inspired by an act of kindness by a University of Houston professor, I'm back. I'm starting with updated checklists, and I will posting an update very soon. Yes, I have been keeping track of everything.

BIG NEWS! Starting Friday, I'll be doing a daily update with at least one card every day counting back the years. So on Friday, I'll be starting with a card from 2010, and I will continue all the way back to the first year a card featuring a Cougar was issued, 1954. The countdown will end just in time for the first football game of the year. When possible, I will feature players not previously listed on the blog before.

I still have bigger hopes and dreams for this blog and a website, and I have been working towards those goals in the background, but it's time to do something to promote UH now instead of waiting.

1981 Donruss #46 Fuzzy Zoeller

The University of Houston golf program is one of the legendary athletic programs in NCAA history. 16 NCAA championships and some of the biggest names in golf are part of the UH legacy.

Frank Urban "Fuzzy" Zoeller Jr is one of those big names. Fuzzy came from Edison Junior College and only played one season for the Cougars, 1973. Unfortunately the 1973 season was not a championship year as UH came in second. Zoeller was not a big player for UH though since he didn't even compete during the championship match. That year Bill Rogers was first team All American and Bruce Lietzke made the All American Second team.

Zoeller did have a big impact on the PGA tour though going pro in 1974. He is one of only three players to win the Masters in his first appearance there (1979). He also won the US open in 1984. In 1985, he won the Bob Jones award.

I'm personally intrigued by a venture he started in 2009, Fuzzy's Ultra Premium Vodka. The vodka is getting rave reviews. Sounds like something I need to try.

Today's card is the 1981 Donruss #46. Early '80s cards in general for all sports appear to have a low quality compared to cards of today, but this increase in competition with Topps and willingness to try new designs improved quality and design in the long run.

Happpy New Year

OK! It's the new year. Time to get serious about posting again.