Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Andre Rison played one season with the Colts (1989). I do not recall much about his individual season. I know I saw him play two times vs the Jets but I am not sure if I saw him in any other games. I cannot recall any specific games or plays. I wouldn't have even known what uniform number he wore if not for trading cards. I had/have Action Packed, Topps, and Pro Set cards that show him in #85. The Topps card always looked odd to me. The player on it doesn't look exactly like Rison, but I figured it must be him because he is wearing #85 and my other cards show he wore #85. The photo on the Topps card was taken on a sunny day and the player may be squinting. So, okay, maybe it is Rison.

Well, yesterday I bought a Fleer card that shows Rison in #87. Then I did a Bing image search today that shows him in #87 on a Score card.

John Maxymuk's uniform numbers book indicates Rison wore #87. It also shows that Titus Dixon wore #87 for the Colts that season. The book reveals that Clarence Weathers wore #85 for the Colts in 1989. Weathers played four games with the Colts, Dixon one, and Rison 16. So, Rison changed his number during the season. Does anybody know why he bothered to switch? Also, the Topps card- is that Rison or Weathers who is depicted on the card?

I looked through a few newspapers to get to the bottom of this and here's the chronology of Rison's jersey number that season:

Andre Rison wore #1 during the 1989 preseason, while Clarence Weathers wore #87. Just before the regular season the Colts released #85 Matt Bouza. Weathers then took #85. Due to league rules Rison had to switch to a 80s number and he took the #87 that was vacated by Weathers.

Weathers was with the team all the way through the Colts' Week 4 game at the Jets. The same game that is depicted on the "Andre Rison" Topps card. That's definitely Clarence Weathers on that card and not Andre Rison.

After Weathers was released following that game, Rison took over #85 and kept it all season. Newcomer Titus Dixon took over #87. A couple of weeks later Dixon was gone and new signee Mike Hinnant took over the number. When he was released the number was vacant for awhile until the Colts brought back Matt Bouza and assigned him #87 now that Rison had his #85.

After the Colts' final game of the season on Christmas Eve, Rison was obviously intent on getting home to Flint, MI to celebrate the holiday. He was charged near Fort Wayne, IN with reckless driving at 5:30 a.m. after doing 128 in a 55.

I remember many years ago pondering the same as JWL, also based off football cards I had/have of Rison with the Colts. Can't remember if I ended up looking it up or not and if I did I forgot. Good recap of what went down, Andrew.