Help to ID a game used browns jersey

[perlman9]

I am looking to buy a couple of eric metcalf game-used jerseys, one falcons and one browns. The owner sent a photo of the Tag for the browns jersey, and says Tailored Exclusively for Authentic Proline by Wilson with NFL shield. Is that a retail tag? Jersey also has 75th Anniversary Patch. He also has a Chargers Eric Moten I am looking to get but has the lineman flap thing so am assuming that has to be a real gamer. No real tell-tale items to look at on the Falcons jersey, but if Browns is real and Chargers will assume Falcons is as well. Thanks for any help!

Jason

[dcgreg25]

Jason, it would probably be helpful if you posted the pic of the tagging and/or the jersey. Armed with that information, you are likely to get a number of responses and opinions. Sounds like a great find if its real as I have been looking to buy a Metcalf for some time now especially from his Browns years.

[perlman9]

Here are some photos. I am skeptical now as it seems Eric Metcalf had fitted sleeves, but here is hoping! Thanks for the help!!

[perlman9]

[JasonBanz]

I have a Dolphins jersey with the Authentic Proline tagging on it. They are retail jerseys. Also in 1994 the Browns did not screen on their numbers. They were stitched and made by Russell not Wilson. Also the sleeves are different from what he wore. The Falcons one looks good in my opinion.

[perlman9]

Thanks Jason
Nothing about the Browns looked right, so I just wasn't sure if they did a throwback thing or something that year. I thought the Falcons looked good except for the fitted sleeves. But it has what looks like a game-cut look to it. So in your opinion, the Falcons looks good but Browns not-so? I am also wondering why even the retail jersey looks off from the game jersey of that year.. I wonder if someone added the patch to an older retail jersey to give it more credibility... I may just go for the Metcalf Falcons and Chargers Moten

[JasonBanz]

I really couldn't tell with the sleeves on the Falcons jersey. I thought at first glance they could have been fitted. But then again maybe now. I also thought I saw hit marks on the Falcons jersey, but then again who knows what it was. Sometimes its hard to judge a gamer without looking at it and sometimes you get screwed . As to the patch being added, I believe it was. Infact I found a 75th anniversary patch and put it on my Dolphins Authentic proline. Hope this helped!

[perlman9]

It does and think I will go with the Falcons, more pics added, and the Moten Chargers jersey.

[perlman9]

I also found this photo of the correct jersey but cannot tell if sewn numbers or silk screen. Again, any help would be great! I am really hoping these are true. Thanks again!

[G1X]

Hi Jason,

I'm a long-time Falcons collector so perhaps I can assist. Metcalf played for the Falcons in 1995 and 1996. The Falcons wore screened-on numbers during those two seasons, and had been wearing screened-on numbers for the previous 30+ years. They did not wear sewn-on numbers until the 1997 season when they switched styles and manufacturers (Reebok).

In 1995, the jerseys had a separate year tag in the tail with the number 95 screen-printed on the tag. There was a 100% nylon flag tag attached to the bottom of the Russell tail tag. Most jerseys also had an extra length flag tag attached to the bottom of the Russell tag.

In 1996, there was a small Russell tag in the neck (much like a retail jersey tagging) and no Russell tail tag. If a 1996 jersey has extra length, there will be a small extra length tag directly under the Russell neck tag.

The next-to-last jersey on the left side of the first attached photo is a 1995 Falcons jersey. It's difficult to see the 95 printed on the tag, but it is a good example of a jersey that also has extra length tagging. Also note the 100% nylon tag on all the jerseys with year tagging in the 1990s.

The second photo shows the font style of the #2 that the Falcons wore during the years they wore Russell. This paticular jersey is from the 1994 season and should give you a good example of the type of #2 you should find on a Metcalf Falcons jersey (or any Russell Falcons jersey).

I hope that you find this information helpful. Please feel free to contact me at gixc@verizon.net if you need to discuss further.

Mark Hayne
Gridiron Exchange
gixc@verizon.net

Always looking for Atlanta Falcons and WFL jerseys.