Football fan scores signed card from ex-NFL star 21 years later
Former running back Warrick Dunn apologized to fan Eric Emanuele for his late response
Eric Emanuele immediately recognized his own big, loopy handwriting on a self-addressed envelope he received in the mail on Tuesday — despite the fact he hadn't seen that envelope in 21 years.
As a football-obsessed teen, he mailed out hundreds of NFL trading cards to players, asking for their autographs. That included sending a card to former running back Warrick Dunn, who returned his signed 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers trading card in Emanuele's envelope.
"One of the beautiful things about sports is, it really brings back a youthful energy," Emanuele told As It Happens host Carol Off. "I never thought in a million years that I would see another one of those envelopes again."
Emanuele used to learn everything he could about football and NFL players, which led him to collecting cards.
In his teens, he gathered the mailing addresses for all 32 teams and sent his cards to as many players as he could "and just cast a very wide net," he said. He included a brief letter wishing them well on the season and asking for an autograph. A few months later, the trading cards trickled back in.
"Every trip to the mailbox as a teenager was an exciting one," he said.
But out of the hundreds of autographed cards Emanuele received, Dunn was the first to include a thank you note. Emanuele posted a video of himself opening the envelope and reading the note on Twitter.
"Thank you for your passion and unwavering support of my football career," the former running back wrote. "My apologies if this response has not reached you in a timely manner."
Emanuele said he giggled when he read the message.
"I'm just amazed," he explained. "I'm a man. We lose things easily. I lose paperwork my wife gives me two days ago…. But he sent it back and God bless him for it."
Dunn spent 12 years in the NFL as a running back with the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He started his career with the Buccaneers, played with the Falcons for six seasons and then returned to Tampa Bay for his final year.
I would love to thank him for it and tell him, 'Hey listen, that was a solid move.'- Eric Emanuele
Dunn had scored nine total touchdowns for the Buccaneers during the season when Emanuele sent his card.
"He was a very underrated [player]," the football fan said. "Smaller running back, could run, could catch, you know, an all-purpose yard kind of guy, so Warrick Dunn was very ahead of his time."
Whenever a player sent an autographed card to Emanuele, who calls himself an Eagles fan, he became their "mini fan."
He watched games that had nothing to do with the Eagles, just because a stand-out player signed a trading card for him and he felt a personal connection. He wanted to cheer the player on.
"It made my day," he said, to get the card from Dunn, although he still can't wrap his head around how Dunn held onto the card for so long.
"I would love to have a conversation with him and [be] like, 'OK Warrick, what was the deal?'" Emanuele said. "Was this all in your attic? Was it in your garage? Did the Buccaneers say 'Oh, I forgot to send this to you?'"
"But I would love to thank him for it and tell him, 'Hey listen, that was a solid move.'"
Written by Mehek Mazhar with files from CBC Sports. Interview with Eric Emanuele produced by Niza Lyapa Nondo.
