Last year I posted about a St. Louis Rams Super Bowl 36 jersey I purchased with the hope that it was used in the game by defensive lineman Brian Young. I normally only purchase jerseys that I can prove were game-used, but I gambled on this one because if it was indeed game-used, then it would’ve been the jersey that registered the first-ever tackle of Tom Brady in a Super Bowl.

@MattOneDay happened to be a Rams equipment staffer that season, and he saw my post and sent me a message to discuss. Upon closer examination, he concluded it was only an issued jersey, not game-used, but probably worn during team photos in the lead-up to the big game. I suspected the same but appreciate the confirmation. This is one of the reasons I love Mantel!

The biggest loss suffered here is not by me, but rather by Matt, who was forced to endure a litany of questions from me about how NFL teams prepare and maintain their jerseys. Thanks again - and don’t be surprised if you hear from me in the future!

The newest addition to my game-used jersey collection is this 2021 Cleveland Browns jersey worn by defensive back Troy Hill.

This jersey is a rarity. Hill suffered a neck sprain while making a hit on a Patriots receiver in the fourth quarter of their showdown on 11/14/21. Out of an abundance of caution, he was placed onto the spineboard and the team followed neck injury protocol, which includes making a T-cut through the jersey so it can be removed from the player during testing without disturbing their head. Fortunately for Hill, it was a scare rather than a devastating injury, and he was back on the field a couple weeks later.

Before Fanatics sold this jersey through their site, either someone from Fanatics or the Browns sewed the jersey back together. I spent two hours meticulously removing that stitching because the story of that game—and the toughness of Troy Hill—can only be told through the jersey’s final form.

Hill had a productive 10-year career across several teams, consistently serving as an effective run stopper from the corner position. He now serves as the head football coach of his former high school in southern California.

A couple of new additions to my New York sports teams collection.

David Wells

2004 Donruss Playoff L.P.

Game Used Jersey 67/250

Tiki Barber

2001 Upper Deck SP

Game Used Jersey

Shown here is a 2001 Los Angeles Xtreme jersey worn by Jamal “Deathblow” Duff in the first and only XFL ‘Million Dollar Game’. I acquired it this week and it’s been on my grail list for a couple years.

Like many other Millennials, I watched the XFL’s maiden games in 2001 with a ton of excitement. We were promised a league that would deliver big hits, compelling new rules, and top-level talent. The first five minutes of the season opener delivered, showing fun team logos and player jerseys with nicknames on the back. What we quickly discovered, however, was that the XFL was minor league football with a dash of schticky promotion. Still, I’ve always been intrigued by the XFL. It was a cultural meteor that flashed across the sky, capturing the nation’s attention for a moment (and upstaging JLo’s SNL hosting gig).

Some of you might recall my post from last year in which I presented my game-used LA Xtreme jersey of Errick “E-Rupt” Herrin, which I successfully photomatched by combing through roughly 8 hours of XFL game footage on YouTube. While I watched all those broadcasts, I was reminded of a gigantic lineman named “Deathblow”. He was perhaps the most recognizable nickname in the league behind “He Hate Me” and he captured the essence of the XFL: A former NFL player with hulking biceps and an intimidating demeanor. I remember thinking ‘Man, if I could get one of his jerseys…’. But I assumed it would be impossible given the small number of game jerseys the team wore and the fact that he was such a recognizable name.

Well, last week I stumbled across this jersey on eBay. It wasn’t advertised as worn in a specific game, but it featured hit marks and red field paint transfers that could only have resulted from game use. I submitted an offer for the jersey that was accepted but I recognized that I’d probably never be able to photomatch it to a game due to grainy and scant footage.

While waiting for it to arrive I Googled high and low for game photos and scrubbed through every LA Xtreme home game on YouTube but couldn’t find any definitive matches. Defeated, I blandly searched “LA Xtreme” on YouTube and found an account that posted raw sideline camera footage from XFL games. I watched the footage from Week 10 against the San Francisco Demons and found a play that showed Duff’s jersey with 3 large red paint stains on the front numbers. I went back to the jersey and found red ghost stains in those exact spots. Boom! Photomatch.

I knew the jersey wasn’t used in games prior to that because his jersey from earlier in the season had a large gash on the back numbers that isn’t present on my jersey. The only game in which this jersey style was worn again was the XFL Championship, more famously known as the ‘Million Dollar Game’. I threw that game on my TV and in the first defensive drive Duff jumped offsides and the camera panned him closely for several seconds. There it was: a red ghost stain in the exact spot on the front numbering. To make it even better, the left shoulder showed a red paint transfer that was another clear match.

Not only did I get the player I wanted—I got the game I wanted. What are the odds?

That was the last professional football game Duff ever played. He went on to become an actor after hanging up his cleats and is credited with a long list of performances. You might remember him as Me’Shell, the scary giant who was on Ben Stiller’s Globo Gym team in the movie Dodgeball.

This jersey isn’t worth a ton of money. It’s almost certainly in the mid-three figures at most. That said, if this jersey was worth the same as a jersey worn by Montana, Rice, or Brady, call me crazy but I’d want this one. It speaks to me, and that’s the essence of collecting.

I don’t know where my collection goes from here, but I have my first grail.

Has anyone else seen the jersey release of the NFL Rivals? I think some are better than others, however I like the Miami ones and 49ers, which seems to be many others as well.

I think the Pats ones could have been better. I really wanted the 90s bright blue ones but maybe they’ll do an archive type campaign later. I wish our helmets and logos were different and maybe an accent of red somewhere or a different facemask color.