April 26 Report: Solheim Cup Player Cathy Gerring, Minnesota Vikings Receiver Sammie White and Heisman Trophy Winner Charlie Ward

Cathy Gerring was an All-American at Ohio State before turning pro and joining the LPGA Tour.

She won three times on Tour before her career was tragically cut short by a freak accident at at the 1992 Sara Lee Classic.

Gerring was severely burned in a hospitality tent fire. While her career essentially ended then she was not robbed of the opportunity to play for her country in the inaugural Solheim Cup in 1990.

Mrs. Gerring was kind enough to not only sign the photo but also inscribe it with the year in which she played.

The other two successes today come from the football. It is not often I ask for autographs of Florida State players, but it is hard not to appreciate someone of Charlie Ward's character.

Ward won the Heisman Trophy while at Florida State and he went on to a successful basketball career with the New York Knicks. Today he is making a difference int he lives of young people at a high school in Texas.

Ward was among the very first requests I sent out in late 2009 for this project. To date he is the longest wait for a return at 121 days.

Lastly is former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Sammie White. He is from the era of my childhood -- the 1970s -- that was so impressioned by football.

White had a fine career in Minnesota, catching 393 passes for 6,400 yards. He accounted for 50 touchdowns as well.

White not only signed the football card, but he also added the designation I discussed in my letter to him. He inscribed ROY 1976 to commemorate his being selected the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1976.

Nice touch too in that he signs with purple pen. Perfect for a Viking!!


Day of the Year: 116
Number of Autographs This Year: 167

April 8 Report: Pat Bradley, J.C. Snead, Craig Perks, Scott Studwell and Sammy Winder

A fruitful day to write about this evening on the blog. Five successes in all, three from golf and a pair from football.

Gotta start with the Hall of Famer in the bunch, one Pat Bradley. One of the subsets in my autograph collection is going to be to try to get every American player who has competed in a Solheim Cup competition.

That subset's first member is Bradley, who played in three Solheim Cups -- the first in 1990, then again in 1992 and 1996.

Long before she was a Solheim Cup player in the 1990s, Bradley was one of the LPGA's top stars in the 1980s. Eighteen of her 31 LPGA Tour victories came during that decade, including all six of her major championship titles.

Bradley, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1991, was the third woman player in LPGA history to win the Career Grand Slam (Mickey Wright and Lousie Suggs preceded her).

Staying not only with the golf theme, but also with the United States team competition, is an autograph from J.C. Snead.

Snead joined the PGA Tour in 1968 and won eight times in the 1970s and 1980s. His senior career also saw him win four times on the Champions Tour, including a senior major at the 1995 Ford Senior Players Championship.

Snead, the nephew of legendary Sam Snead, also played on three Ryder Cup teams for the United States. I made a custom 4x6 print of a photo I took of the Ryder Cup.

The last golf success for today comes from Craig Perks. Perks, a New Zealander, won his lone PGA Tour title at the 2002 Players Championship. His game went into a steep decline following that landmark victory and he retired in 2007.

What Perks' golf career lacked in quantity, he certainly made up for in drama. I was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the 2002 Players Championship when Perks won over the Stadium Course at the TPC sawgrass.

Arguably the 16th, 17th and 18th holes over that Pete Dye layout are the toughest closing holes in golf. All Perks did to win was chip in for eagle in 16, drain a 28-foot birdie on 17 and then chip-in for a par save at 18. Incredible drama!!!

Perks signed my patron badge from the event he won.

Today's first football succes comes from former NFL running back Sammy Winder. Winder played each of his nine years (1982-90) for the Denver Broncos.

Winder was named to two Pro Bowls in his career (1984 and 1986). His career numbers are 5,427 rushing yards and 39 touchdowns. He also had 197 receptions for 1,302 yards and nine touchdowns.

Winder, who was born in Madison, Mississippi, had a trademark touchdown celebration called the 'Mississippi Mud Walk'.

Lastly today I received a pair of signed cards from Scott Studwell.

Studwell, a University of Illinois alum, was drafted in the ninth round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He had a 14-year career over which he was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls.

Another testament to his longevity is that he is the only Viking to have played with both Jim Marshall (1961-1979) & John Randle (1990-2000).

Studwell had nine sacks and 11 interceptions in his career.

Day of the Year: 98
Number of Autographs This Year: 142

March 31 Report: Anthony Carter

Anthony Carter enjoyed a brilliant college career at Michigan (1979-1982) under Bo Schembechler despite his offense being so run-oriented. Carter was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Carter started his professional career in the USFL with the Michigan Panthers and later the Oakland Invaders.

Following that Carter played 11 seasons in the NFL, where he would catch 486 passes for 7,733 yards and 55 TDs.

While he played second fiddle to Cris Carter in Minnesota, he was a very effective offensive complement at the receiver position.

Day of the Year: 90
Number of Autographs This Year: 125

March 26 Report: Mick Tinglehoff, Tyrone Braxton and Duane Bickett

Another trio of successes today, helping me gain back some of the buffer I've lost over the last two weeks.

Each of today's signers are from football, so let's get right to them.

Mick Tinglehoff was a co-captain of the 1961 University of Nebraska football team, but went undrafted in the 1962 NFL Draft. He signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a free agent in 1962 and instantly became their starting center in his rookie year. He held that spot until he retired in 1978.

Tinglehoff was a First-Team All Pro in 1964, 65, 66, 68 and 69 and was on six consecutive Pro Bowl teams beginning in 1964. At his retirement he trailed only Jim Marshall (270) in consecutive games played (240) in NFL history.

Next up is Tyrone Braxton, who played for the Denver Broncos from 1987 to 1999, except for the 1994 season when he was with the Miami Dolphins.

Braxton was a Pro Bowler in 1994 when he led the NFL in interceptions with nine picks. He played in three Super Bowls, winning twice at SB XXXII and XXXIII.

Braxton finished his 13 NFL seasons with 36 interceptions, which he returned for 617 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also recorded 3 sacks and 10 fumble recoveries, which he returned for 106 yards.

Last up today is former linebacker Duane Bickett. Bickett played for the Indianapolis Colts (1985-1993), Seattle Seahawks (1994-1995) and the Carolina Panthers (1996).

Bickett was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1985 and he played in the Pro Bowl in 1987. He had 53 career sacks and nine interceptions.

Day of the Year: 85
Number of Autographs This Year: 122