Derrick Gaffney
| No. 81 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||
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.
Early life
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.
College career
Gaffney accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the
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
.
Professional career
The New York Jets chose Gaffney in the eighth round (197th pick overall) in the
receptions for 2,613 yards and seven touchdowns.[1]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| 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 | ||
Playoffs
| 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 football family
Gaffney's older brother,
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.
See also
- Florida Gators football, 1970–79
- List of Alpha Phi Alpha brothers
- List of Florida Gators in the NFL Draft
- List of New York Jets players
References
- ^ a b c Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Derrick Gaffney. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, Derrick Gaffney Archived February 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
- ^ a b 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived April 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 158 & 181 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.
- ^ "1978 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 17, 2024.
- ^ National Football League, Historical Players, Derrick Gaffney. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
Bibliography
- Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
- Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
- Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
- McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
- Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.