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View Full Version : Bucs Orange practice jersey #55 Brooks or Lonnie Marts



jake33
05-10-2012, 11:05 AM
For sale is an orange NNOB #55 practice jersey tagged from 1994 (also has + 4 inches body length however jersey is hemmed.

This is what I know for certain.

Size 48 made by Russell athletic. Cuffed sleeves "94" year tag in the inside collar NFl shield on collar. #55 is sewn on the front and back in a small font - front and back font sizes are the same.

The Bucs never had sewn on numbers for their practice jerseys, and during this era, they didnt have 2-tone numbers on the orange jerseys, just white. However, the tackle twill on this does NOT look like some custom job or knockoff, it looks like team issue, which I cannot understand at all because, i cannot find any documentation of why it would look like this. Jersey was worn I believe, but no hit marks. Sholders have double material like a gamer. Actually it appears to be a game issued jersey but maybe used for practice. Maybe a walkthrough jersey?

As for the red cuffed sleeve. This was customary for lineman cut Bucs jerseys in this era. The team didn't always use the red/white/red cuffing on lineman cut jerseys, as they did for skill postions. i have other examples I can show for proof.

In 1994 Lonnie MArts was #55 - the bucs that season never has anything sewn on the practice OR game jerseys, all were screened on. In 1995, the Bucs started the tackle twill and Russell Athletic made their jerseys , as they did in 1994.

So, I am at a loss on what the jersey is. If I had to guess, based on NO PHOTO evidence to support this, I would say this jersey was possibly used by Derrick Brooks in a mini camp after the 1995 draft. I say that because I think the jersey was used as a left over from 1994 and nothing was tackle twill for the 1994 season. But, I don't have anything showing tackle twill was used in 1995 practice jerseys though either. Also the sizing of the numbers is a really odd thing to me. However, as I stated the quality and construction of the numbers is not a retail at all. A blue sharpe writing #55 is in the inside collar too.

There is no evidence that a nameplate was ever on the jersey too.

I can fully say I am at a loss on the value or authenticity of the jersey, nothing guaranteed. I don't want to be misleading at all about the jersey, but from viewing this in person and collecting Buccaneers game used items for over a decade and being a quasi-historian on the team, I would lean towards thinking Brooks wore this or was issued for him.

At worse case scenario, this jersey was a game issued blank jersey that the team added numbering to, for whatever reason. I fully think the numbers were done by the team. Would love to know the history of this very jersey, but likely lost in time.

Cost on the jersey $73 shipped OBO.

email jahimiak33@yahoo.com

jake33
05-11-2012, 01:11 PM
lowered to $59.75 shipped

jake33
05-18-2012, 11:14 AM
lowered to $44 shipped