Heads Up Quads #12 - The Broncos Quad makes it just two more for the whole set!

So many of my current collections are a little esoteric and hard to find, so it's nice when I can chase cards for a collection that are a little easier to obtain.  Such has been the case lately for my Heads Up Quads set, which is at 48/50 cards as of this post.  Hooray!

Now, before I go into the card - I'm thinking we might be stuck at 48 for a little while on this one.  The two cards I have left are a Steelers quad that is lowest priced around $45 on Ebay - and the sellers aren't budging.  The other card is a Dolphins quad that I haven't seen in a long, long time.

But then again, this Broncos quad hadn't popped up in a long time either, and then I won it for $3.25 plus shipping based off an Ebay saved search.  So who knows!

The card:

In 1998, the Broncos were on top of the world.  They won the Super Bowl, and Terrell Davis was the best RB in football with over 2,000 yards rushing.  Life was so good.

That next year he got hurt, and in came 1999 rookie Olandis Gary.  In 12 games, Gary rushed for 1,159 yards and 7 touchdowns, which was pretty darn good for a rookie stand-in.  Given the chance to continue that success, he injured his knee in game one of the following season and never really got back to a starting role with the Broncos again.  After four years in Denver, Gary finished his career with one 113 carry season in Detroit that served as his final NFL regular season action.

When Gary was hurt in 1999, the Broncos again turned to a rookie to lead their running backs, this time with 2000 6th round draft pick Mike Anderson.  Anderson proceeded to blow past Gary's accomplishments of the year before with 1,487 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, winning offensive rookie of the year in the process.  He even had what is probably the best game in Broncos RB history - a record 251 rushing yards with 4 touchdowns vs. New Orleans.  As decent as Gary had been, it seemed like Mike Anderson might've been destined for greatness.

But then a year later he was in a RB by committee with Gary and Davis.  Then he played FB for Clinton Portis for two years.  Then Portis got traded for Champ Bailey, but Anderson got hurt in the preseason in 2004 and didn't even play that season.  With Reuben Droughns rushing for over 1,000 yards, Anderson's relevancy appeared over.  

But then Droughns was traded to the Browns in the offseason, and in 2005 Mike Anderson became one of the more unlikely leading rushers and 1,000 yard guys of the 2000s.  In fact, those four seasons between 1,000 yard seasons are the modern day record for longest stretch between leading a team in rushing and longest stretch between 1,000 yard seasons by a RB in history.  Interesting stuff.  Despite that, Anderson was cut by the Broncos in the offseason since they were basically able to make a 1,000 yard rusher out of anyone at that point.  Anderson then played two years with the Ravens before calling it an eight year career.

Brian Griese had a ton of hype around him as the son of a legend and 1997 college football National Champion.  When the Broncos drafted him to replaced John Elway in the third round in 1998, the bar was raised even higher yet.  Would Griese be able to live up to those expectations?

No he would not, but Griese was always a pretty decent QB.  He played five seasons in Denver (Four as a starter), with high points of a Pro Bowl nod and league high QB rating in 2000 and low points of 53 total interceptions.  He then became a journeyman QB, earning starts with Miami, Tampa Bay, and Chicago over the next six seasons.  119 career passing touchdowns over 11 seasons ain't too bad, but I'm sure Griese expected more of his NFL career.

The above three guys all were drafted between 1998 and 2000, which makes Rod Smith the old man of this card.  Undrafted in 1994, Smith spent a few years as a returner/special teams guy before becoming the best WR in Broncos history.  From 1997 to 2005 he had eight 1,000 yard seasons, three Pro Bowl nods, and two Super Bowl wins.  Not only does he have the Denver records for catches, yards, and touchdowns, but he also holds the undrafted player records for yards and touchdowns as well, only losing receptions to the squirrely Wes Welker.  He was a pretty remarkable player who somehow isn't in the Hall of Fame despite all those accolades - so he definitely feels a little slept on compared to some other WRs out there.

Who wins the card?  It's Smith in a landslide.  He might not be in the HOF yet but he'll grab a little recognition here!