| No. 81 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | May 24, 1955 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 181 lb (82 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Jacksonville (FL) Raines | ||||||||
| College: | Florida | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1978 / round: 8 / pick: 197 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Derrick Tyrone Gaffney (born May 24, 1955) is an American former college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Gaffney played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Jets of the NFL.
Gaffney was born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1955. [1] He attended William M. Raines High School in Jacksonville, [2] and he played high school football for the Raines Vikings.
Gaffney accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Doug Dickey's Florida Gators football team from 1974 to 1977. [3] Memorably, Gaffney caught a ninety-nine-yard touchdown reception from Cris Collinsworth in the Gators' 48–3 victory over the Rice Owls in 1977, which tied the then-current NCAA record and remains the longest touchdown pass in Southeastern Conference (SEC) history. [3] While he was a Florida undergraduate, Gaffney was also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
The New York Jets chose Gaffney in the eighth round (197th pick overall) in the 1978 NFL draft, [4] and he played for the Jets from 1978 to 1984 and again in 1987. [5] His single best season was his rookie year in 1978, when he caught thirty-eight passes for 691 yards. [1] Gaffney started sixty-eight of 100 games in which he played for the Jets, and finished his NFL career with 156 receptions for 2,613 yards and seven touchdowns. [1]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1978 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 38 | 691 | 18.2 | 50 | 3 |
| 1979 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 32 | 534 | 16.7 | 43 | 1 |
| 1980 | NYJ | 13 | 5 | 24 | 397 | 16.5 | 36 | 2 |
| 1981 | NYJ | 16 | 13 | 14 | 246 | 17.6 | 39 | 0 |
| 1982 | NYJ | 9 | 2 | 11 | 207 | 18.8 | 45 | 1 |
| 1983 | NYJ | 16 | 10 | 17 | 243 | 14.3 | 35 | 0 |
| 1984 | NYJ | 12 | 7 | 19 | 285 | 15.0 | 29 | 0 |
| 1987 | NYJ | 2 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 10 | 0 |
| 100 | 69 | 156 | 2,613 | 16.8 | 50 | 7 | ||
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1981 | NYJ | 1 | 1 | 4 | 64 | 16.0 | 26 | 0 |
| 1982 | NYJ | 3 | 0 | 5 | 57 | 11.4 | 20 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 | 9 | 121 | 13.4 | 26 | 1 | ||
Gaffney's older brother, Don Gaffney, was the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators from the middle of the 1973 season through the end of 1975, and was the first African-American to become the starter at the quarterback position for the Gators. Gaffney is also the father of former NFL wide receiver Jabar Gaffney and the uncle of former NFL cornerback Lito Sheppard. Both Jabar Gaffney and Lito Sheppard played for the Florida Gators in the early 2000s.
John L. Williams is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Williams played college football for the Florida Gators. A first-round pick in the 1986 NFL draft, he played professionally for the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.
Derrick Jabar Gaffney is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators, earning unanimous All-American honors in 2001. He was selected by the Houston Texans in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft, and also played in the NFL for the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Washington Redskins, and Miami Dolphins.
Lito Decorian Sheppard is an American football coach and former player. During his playing career as cornerback, he played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the 2002 NFL draft after playing college football for the Florida Gators. He played for the Eagles for seven seasons, and was selected to the Pro Bowl twice. He also played for the NFL's New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, and Oakland Raiders. As a coach, he was the safeties coach for the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019.
Charles Neal Anderson is an American former professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1980s and 1990s. Anderson played college football for the Florida Gators. He was a first-round pick in the 1986 NFL draft. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Bears.
Nathaniel Moore is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Moore played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. He is best known as a favorite passing target of Dolphins quarterbacks Bob Griese and Dan Marino. Nat Moore is also credited as football consultant in the 1977 movie Black Sunday.
Wesley Sandy Chandler is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times, and ranked twelfth in NFL history in receiving yards and thirteenth in receptions when he retired. Chandler is a member of the Chargers Hall of Fame. He played college football for the Florida Gators and was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.
Errict Undra Rhett is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1990s and early 2000s. Rhett played college football for the Florida Gators, and was recognized as a first-team All-American. A second-round pick in the 1994 NFL draft, he played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns of the NFL.
Doug Johnson Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the early 2000s. Johnson played college football for the Florida Gators, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons, the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Cleveland Browns, and the Tennessee Titans of the NFL. He is in the Florida Georgia Hall of Fame, and played in minor league baseball for the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Reidel Clarence Anthony is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) from 1997 to 2001. He played college football for the Florida Gators, and received consensus All-American honors in 1996. Anthony was a first-round pick in the 1997 NFL draft, and played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL.
The 2001 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2001 college football season. The Gators competed in Division I-A of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), playing their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus.
Willie Bernard Jackson Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Florida. As a football coach, he was the wide receivers coach for the Orlando Apollos of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).
Anthony Edward Green is an American former professional football player who was a kickoff returner and running back in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the late 1970s. Green played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Washington Redskins, New York Giants and Seattle Seahawks of the NFL.
Tyrone Donnive Young was an American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the 1980s. Young played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the NFL's New Orleans Saints.
The 2000 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida in the sport of American football during the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Gators competed in Division I-A of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and played their home games at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on the university's Gainesville, Florida campus. They were coached by Steve Spurrier, who led the Gators to their sixth SEC championship, a Sugar Bowl berth, and an overall win–loss record of 10–3 (.769). The season was the team's eleventh of twelve under Spurrier.
Terry Jerome LeCount is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. LeCount played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings of the NFL.
Samuel Lee Green is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s and early 1980s. He played college football for the Florida Gators, receiving consensus All-American honors in 1975. A second-round pick in the 1976 NFL draft, Green in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks and the Houston Oilers.
Dan Clement Fike Jr. is an American former college and professional football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL.
Harmon Leon Wages is an American former college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the 1960s and 1970s. He played college football for the University of Florida and, thereafter, played professionally for the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL.
Steven Olson Tannen is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons during the early 1970s. Tannen played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as an All-American. He was a first-round pick in the 1970 NFL draft, and played his entire professional career for the New York Jets of the NFL.
Alvis Russell Darby is an American former college and professional football player who was a tight end for two seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Darby played college football for the University of Florida, and was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks in the sixth round of the 1976 NFL draft. He also played professionally for the NFL's Houston Oilers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
