Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers

Today is Earl Campbell’s birthday, so here is a watercolor to celebrate! Anyone who watched football in the late 70′s and early 80′s will remember the power of the Tyler Rose as he plowed through tacklers and outran defenders with amazing speed for such a strong player.

So, happy 58th birthday to one of the best running backs in NFL history.

Watercolor on Canson Watercolor Block

Pencils

Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers

While we have celebrated the amazing season of Adrian Peterson, it is important to remember exactly who set the NFL single season rushing record in the first place, the amazing Eric Dickerson. After a standout career in college at Southern Methodist University as part of the “Pony Express” backfield with Craig James, Dickerson was selected with the second pick in the historic 1983 draft, after John Elway. The Los Angeles Rams had recently hired John Robinson of USC fame as their head coach, so there was little doubt that Dickerson would be a major factor in the offense. His rookie year, he carried the ball 390 times for a rookie record 1808 yards and 18 touchdowns. His rookie rushing records still stands.

This was but a warm-up to his sophomore NFL season in 1984. Dickerson tore up the league as he rushed for 2105 yards on 379 carries and scored 14 touchdowns. Those 2105 yards remain the single season record. What was astonishing to watch about Dickerson was the seemingly effortless way he ran the ball. He ran straight up with such elegance that he never really seemed to be trying very hard. Tacklers would bounce off and his stride remained largely unaffected. He was unusually tall for a running back (6’3″) and lean and wiry at 220lbs, but he ran with tremendous power. His style remains relatively unique in NFL history. Can anyone name a back that runs like Dickerson? Adrian Peterson is almost the anti-Dickerson with his brutal, bone-jarring assault on the defence.

For his career, Dickerson finished as the 2nd leading rusher in NFL history and was enshrined in Canton in 1999.

Pencils

Eric Dickerson at SMU

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The painting is also available at FineArtAmerica.com.

Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens held back a furious rally from the San Francisco Forty-Niners to win Superbowl XLVII 34-31.

With Flacco at the helm, the Ravens raced out to a 28-6 lead, bolstered by 2 Flacco TD throws and an electrifying kickoff return of 108 yards by Jacoby Jones. Maybe too electrifying, as the Superdome lights went out during the ensuing 49′er drive and the game was delayed for 34 minutes. This was just the respite the Niners needed as they came storming out after the unscheduled break to score 17 unanswered points.

As he has all during the post-season, Flacco kept his cool and calmly converted a few first downs to keep drives alive that led to a pair of field goals. With the Ravens leading 34-29, the Niners were not able to score despite having a first and goal from the Baltimore 7. Much will be debated about the play calling, especially since the devastating read-option that had worked for San Francisco ever since they inserted Colin Kaepernick at QB was never called and three passes to Michael Crabtree fell incomplete.

After taking an intentional safety (and cleverly running out most of the clock while doing so), the Ravens stand atop the pro football world as Superbowl Champions. Their quarterback, Joe Flacco, had one of the best postseasons ever and did not shrink away on the big stage, going 22 of 33 for 287 yards and 3 touchdowns without throwing an interception. This was no “game manager” at work here, this was a field general at the height of his powers, unflappable in the face of adversity and seemingly incapable of making the big mistake that had marred his playoff runs in the past.

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Sketch and Watercolors on Strathmore Multimedia Paper

The BCS National Championship game might have been over after only 3 minutes had elapsed as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish watched the Alabama Crimson Tide’s Eddie Lacy rumble into the end zone on a 20-yard touchdown run to give the Tide a 7-0 lead that they would never relinquish. Running behind Alabama’s enormous and talented offensive line, Lacy carried the ball 20 times for 140 yards and took home Offensive Player of the Game honors. The Tide crushed the Irish 42-14 after taking a 28-0 lead at halftime. It looked like the Notre Dame defense didn’t want any part of Lacy as tacklers bounced off him or seemed to avoid him altogether. Lacy, who is 6’1″ and 220 pounds, wore out the Irish with his punishing runs.

There was no shortage of glory on the Tide team, with their quarterback, A.J. McCarron, calmly throwing for 4 touchdowns and Lacy’s backup, freshman T.J. Yeldon, also running for 100 yards on the day. It was an exclamation point on the bowl season for the SEC — after LSU’s loss to Clemson and Florida’s stunning defeat at the hands of Louisville, some were questioning the dominance of the nation’s toughest conference. After this game, however, most pundits will be putting Alabama #1 on their pre-season rankings for next season as well as voting them the title this year.

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Pencils

Inks

When Adrian Peterson tore up his left knee late in the season last year, no one foresaw the incredible performance he would deliver in 2012. A combination of modern medical treatment and not-from-this-planet genetics allowed Peterson to be at full strength for the season opener and he only got better from there. Going into the season finale against the Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Viking runner needed 207 yards to break Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record, which has stood since 1984. In a the pass-happy modern NFL, it is surprising that anyone gets even within shouting distance of this milestone. During the season, Peterson regularly had more rushing yards than his team had passing yards. He had nearly 900 more yards rushing by himself than the Arizona Cardinals did as a team.

“All-Day” Adrian Peterson gashed the Packers repeatedly during the game and, with Minnesota’s playoff hopes on the line, he took the ball and ran into the left side of the line, juked, and lunged forward for the yardage necessary to allow the Vikings to attempt a game-winning field goal with seconds remaining. It was good and the Purple Gang was off to a rematch with Green Bay in the playoffs, albeit this time on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field.

For the day, Peterson finished with 199 yards, just 8 short of the record. For the season, he totaled 2097 yards (the second highest total in history) at 6 yards per carry and scored 12 rushing TD’s. These numbers would be amazing for anyone, but for a player coming off serious knee surgery, they are truly astounding. Along with the Denver Bronco’s Peyton Manning (making an injury comeback of his own), Peterson certainly must be considered for the league MVP honor.

Johnny Manziel burst on the college football scene this year as a redshirt freshman, earning the name “Johnny Football”. Manziel slithered through tacklers, threw touchdowns, and generally looked like he had fun doing it. Then, on November 10th, he had his Heisman moment as he led the Aggies to a stunning 29-24 victory over the #1 ranked and seemingly impregnable Alabama Crimson Tide. Most of the fireworks were in the first quarter as the Aggies raced out to a 20-0 lead on the strength of Manziel’s 10-11 passing and his slashing runs. Texas A&M held on and held on, right to the end when the Tide’s A.J. McCarron was intercepted in the endzone with 1:42 remaining the the contest. For the game, Manziel passed for 253 yards and 2 TD’s and rushed for 92 yards.

Manziel has broken the single season total offense records of both Cam Newton and Tim Tebow in Texas A&M’s first season in the tough SEC. He is now positioned to follow them as a Heisman Trophy winner as well.

Sketch on Strathmore Multimedia Paper.
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Linebacker Manti Te’o has had an excellent season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish exemplified by their stellar 12-0 record and their ability to win close games. The Irish defense is the heart of this team and Te’o is their undisputed leader. After defeating their arch nemisis, the USC Trojans, in the season finale, Notre Dame assured themselves a spot in the BCS Championship game. Their opponent will be the Alabama Crimson Tide, who defeated a feisty Georgia Bulldog squad in the SEC championship game.

Despite the fact that the Irish are 9-point underdogs to the Tide, their defense led by Te’o, might be able to keep them in the game since Alabama lacks an explosive offense. If Notre Dame can slow down the Alabama running game, they have a chance. A large part of the responsibility for this will fall to Te’o, who anchors the Irish defense in the middle. Te’o will have his chance to cement his place in college football lore if he is a key factor in an Irish win over the Tide.

Te’o will be invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony and might become the first full-time defensive player to win the award. Cornerback Charles Woodson from Michigan won the Big Doorstop in 1997, but he also played on offense and special teams. Te’o is the first true defensive player to challenge for the trophy since Hugh Green in 1980.

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Pencil on Strathmore Multimedia Paper

As the Oregon Ducks defeated the USC Trojans on their home turf in a shootout, 62-51, Kenjon Barner turned in one of the great performances of this or any season. Barner, operating out of Oregon Head Coach Chip Kelly’s “Quack Attack” quick hitting offense, piled up 321 yards on 38 carries and scored 5 touchdowns. The Ducks maintained a lead throughout the game, but the Trojans would not let up and kept within striking distance. It was the first game all year in which
Oregon had to keep their starters in and it makes one pause to think what kind of numbers Barner might run up if he played full games.

The Ducks have a tough road ahead to nab a spot in the BSC National Championship game — they need to beat Stanford, win the Civil War against Oregon State, and then claim the PAC-12 title by prevailing in the first title game for that conference.

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Pencil on Canson Watercolor Block

The Pittsburgh Steelers “next man up” philosophy paid dividends again this week. Last week, it was Jonathan Dwyer stepping in for the injured Rashard Mendenhall. With both Mendenhall and Dwyer out this week, the Steelers turned to Isaac Redman, who was also returning from the injured list. An unusual situation faced the Steelers since Hurricane Sandy had devastated the New York/New Jersey area. The Steelers hotel was without power so the team was granted permission to fly in on the day of the game. Even when they found out that power had been restored to their hotel, the Steeler brass decided to stick to their one day visit since they did not want to take away any hotel rooms from the local residents and emergency workers who really needed them.

Thus the scene was set, a travel-weary Steeler squad flew in at 4AM to face the Superbowl Champion New York Giants on their home turf. After the late afternoon kickoff, it became apparent that the men from Steeltown were also playing against the officials as several questionable penalties were called on the visitors. In the second quarter, on a third down play, the Steeler secondary broke up a pass to Victor Cruz in the endzone but the Giants were given new life after Ryan Clark was flagged for a blow to the head of Cruz. The fact that Cruz then left the game with a rib injury did not deter the officials and the Giants went on the score a touchdown. There was the Ben Roethlisberger “fumble” that was returned for a TD by the Giants to give them a 14-7 lead. After looking at the replays, it was obvious Roethlisberger still had control of the ball after it was swiped at and the play should have been called an incomplete pass (as per the infamous Tom Brady “tuck rule”). Then there was the non-existent pass interference call on cornerback Keenan Lewis, who did not even touch the receiver on the play. Despite all of this, the Steelers maintained their poise as they entered the fourth quarter trailing 20-10.

In the fourth, the Steeler defense looked like its old self, holding the Giants without a first down, let alone allowing any points. Roethlisberger hit Mike Wallace on a 51-yard touchdown in which Wallace almost comically outran the angles of several Giant pursuers. Then, with just over four minutes left, Redman plowed into the endzone for a 24-20 lead that ended up being the final score. On the day, Redman consistently moved the ball on the proud Giants’ defense with gashing runs. When the Steelers got the ball back and needed to run out the clock, Redman bounced wide for a gain of 28 yards to seal the victory. He finished with 147 yards on 26 carries.

The Steelers move on to face the Kansas City Chiefs next Monday night.

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Pencils on Strathmore 150lb sketch paper.

At 2-3, the Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Cincinnati needing a win against the Bengals. For the first time this season, the defense played tough and the offence was an effective blend of passing and running, all in the same game. Headlining the running game with starter Rashard Mendenhall out, was 3rd year back Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer piled up 122 yards on only 17 carries, bulling his way through the Bengals with tough runs reminiscent of Jerome “The Bus” Bettis.

The Steelers defeated the Bengals 24-17 and now return the Heinz Field to face the Washington Redskins and their amazing rookie QB, Robert Griffin III.

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Though his production has declined of late (perhaps due to the blowouts that Oregon has been inflicting on its opponents), De’Anthony Thomas remains the most electrifying player in college football. Not since Reggie Bush have we seen a player so exciting and capable of scoring every time he touches the ball. Thomas plays running back and receiver as well as returning punts and kicks. Despite his slim 5’9″ 173lb frame, he seemingly weaves his way through defenses as if running a maze and is seldom taken down with the big hit.

As the Ducks enter the meat of their schedule, Thomas will have the chance to prove himself on the national stage as he faces USC, Stanford, and the surprising Beavers of Oregon State in the Civil War. Should the Ducks emerge with an unblemished record, they should play for the National Championship on January 7th in Miami.

Pencils on Strathmore Mixed Media paper

Inks on Canson 150lb Bristol

Colors on Strathmore Watercolor paper

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The Philadelphia Eagles re-discovered the running game in their win over the New York Giants Sunday night. The driving force behind their ground attack was LeSean McCoy, who carried 23 times for 123 yards for a nice 5.3 average. The normally pass-happy Andy Reid changed gears in the second half and started running the ball with McCoy, who found the edge against the Giants repeatedly on sweeps.

Next up, the Eagles go to Steeltown to face the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pencils

Inks (Strathmore 300 bristol)

Colors in Photoshop

I know I probably shouldn’t have 2 Players of the Week, but I can’t ignore the performance put on by Geno Smith of West Virginia this week. Going in as heavy favorites against Baylor, the Mountaineers found themselves in a real barn burner. TD’s proliferated like the falling leaves of autumn as each team executed big play after big play.

Eventually, WVU escaped with a 70-63 victory. In the game, Smith completed 45 of 51 passes for 8 (yes, eight!) touchdowns. These crazy videogame-like numbers have now put Geno front and center in the Heisman Trophy race.

University of Miami junior quarterback Stephen Morris had a record-setting performance against the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday. The Canes, whose defense has been suspect all year, engaged in a shootout with the Wolfpack. Both teams were unable to stop each other as they went up and down the field. Miami took a 37-27 lead in the fourth quarter, but N.C. State scored 10 straight points to tie at 37-37 and then got the ball back. Driving for the winning score, Wolfpack QB Mike Glennon was intercepted and the Canes took over with 48 seconds left at their own 39. After an incompletion and a loss of a yard on a running play, it was 3rd and 11. Morris dropped back and saw Phillip Dorsett streaking down the sideline. He lofted a bomb down the field, Dorsett caught it and raced the rest of the way to the endzone for a touchdown with only 19 ticks left on the clock. Miami went on to win this thriller, 44-37.

On the day, Morris completed 26 of 49 passes for 5 TD’s and a Miami record 566 yards. Considering Miami was known as “Quarterback U”, this is no mean feat. He showed lots of poise in the pocket and threw accurately. He also took advantage of a couple of offsides penalties to hit receivers when Wolfpack defenders thought the play was blown dead.

Next up for the Canes are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, renewing a rivalry dormant since 1990.

Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy winning quarterback from Baylor and the second pick in the 2012 NFL draft, made a spectacular debut for the Washington Redskins on the road against the New Orleans Saints. Against the mighty Saints, Griffin looked like a poised veteran as he completed 19 of 26 passes for 320 yards and 2 TD’s and rushed for 42 more yards on 9 carries. He led the Redskins to 10 points in each quarter to defeat the Saints 40-32. The Saints and Drew Brees made a furious comeback, but fell short. For his efforts, Griffin became the youngest player ever named Offensive Player of the Week by the NFL. In fact, Griffin became the first QB born in the 90′s to start an NFL game.

Pencils and Watercolors on Strathmore Mixed Media Board

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Denard Robinson put his name back in the Heisman Trophy conversation with a spectacular performance at home against Air Force. The Wolverines, still smarting from getting dismantled by Alabama the week before, rebounded with a 31-25 win over the Falcons at the Big House. Robinson was terrific, rushing for 218 yards and 2 TD’s while also passing for 208 yards and 2 TD’s. He was a one-man show on offense, highlighted by his 79-yard run for a score.

Tony Romo silenced his critics (albeit temporarily, I’m sure) with a nearly flawless performance in the Dallas Cowboys’ 24-17 win over the defending champion New York Giants at Met Life Stadium in the Meadowlands. The big game, which kicked off the 2012 NFL season, found the favored Giants facing an efficient Cowboys offense that racked up 3 touchdowns courtesy of the arm of Romo. Romo threw 2 TD’s to Kevin Ogletree and one to Miles Austin as he totalled 307 passing yards on 22 completions in 29 attempts. Balanced nicely by DeMarco Murray’s 131 yards on 20 carries, the Cowboys were able to get a lead and then bleed the clock. Romo hit a clutch throw on 3rd and 2 with just over 2 minutes to go that helped the ‘Boys seal the victory.

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The University of Miami Hurricanes kicked off their 2012 season in an exciting fashion, falling behind the Boston College Eagles 14-0 on the road. They clawed their way back, took advantage of some turnovers, and won 41-32. While the Canes may not have the talent to make a serious run at the ACC title, the fact that they stood their ground and didn’t fold in the face of such adversity is a very, very positive sign. Miami fans have had to endure teams that have virtually quit when down for many years now and this demonstration of character bodes well for the future.

A big part of the Miami victory can be attributed to freshman running back Duke Johnson. Johnson only carried the ball 7 times but accumulated a whopping 137 yards, including 54- and 56- yard touchdowns. His first TD in the second quarter gave the Canes a 21-17 lead it would never relinquish and his second TD in the third quarter boosted the Miami lead from 24-23 to 31-23. Johnson showed great instincts and a an incredible finishing burst of speed on both TD’s as he pulled away from defenders after weaving his way through the defense. For his efforts, Johnson was named ACC Rookie of the Week.

Miami faces another tough road test this week as they visit Kansas State.

Pencils on Strathmore 300 bristol:

Inks on Strathmore 300 bristol:

Colors in Photoshop.

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Jack would have been 95 today, so here are a few sketches of what could be considered one his finest characters, Captain America. Jack’s unique style set the standard for comic books in the 40′s, 50′s, 60′s, and 70′s. Even his work in the 80′s should not be ignored. Jack was taken from us in 1994, but his legacy lives on in virtually everyone who draws superhero comics. You can see the dramatic foreshortening, the impossible musculature, the dynamic poses everywhere.

His creations continue to entertain new generations in the form of movies like “The Avengers”. Many are unaware that Kirby created Thor, the Hulk, Iron Man, etc. in a period of productivity perhaps never to be equaled during the Silver Age. His tireless efforts turned the failing Marvel Comics into a powerhouse of ideas, characters, sales, and profits. Working with Stan Lee, Kirby birthed and nurtured the Marvel line into the cast of memorable characters that are now taking over movie screens across the world.

So let’s just take a moment to remember a man so creative that, had he stopped drawing in 1970, would still have been remembered as the greatest comic book artist of all time even through he continued to work for another 20 years.

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