Derrick Gaffney

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Derrick Tyrone Gaffney (May 24, 1955 – March 17, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for eight seasons with the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL) during the 1970s and 1980s.[1] Gaffney played college football for the Florida Gators.

Background

Gaffney was born in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1955.[2] He attended William M. Raines High School in Jacksonville,[3] and he played high school football for the Raines Vikings

Gaffney died on March 17, 2025, at the age of 69.[4][5]

College career

Gaffney accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Doug Dickey's Gators teams from 1974 to 1977.[6] Memorably, Gaffney caught a ninety-nine-yard touchdown reception from Cris Collinsworth in the Gators' season-opening 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.[6] He finished that game with 14 receptions for 319 yards and two TDs.[7] 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 1978 NFL draft,[8] and he played for the Jets from Template:NFL Year to Template:NFL Year and again in Template:NFL Year.[9] His single best season was his rookie year in 1978, when he caught thirty-eight passes for 691 yards.[2] 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.[2]

In 2024, The Florida Times-Union named Gaffney the 69th best athlete in the history of Jacksonville and the surrounding counties.[7]

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 oldest 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. Brothers Derrick, Warren, and Johnny, also played for the Gators in the 70s, while another brother, Reggie, played baseball and football at Florida A&M.[10]

Gaffney is 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

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References

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  1. ↑ Derrick Gaffney, Reliable WR for Jets of Late '70s & Early '80s, Dies at 69
  2. ↑ a b c Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Derrick Gaffney. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  3. ↑ databaseFootball.com, Players, Derrick GaffneyTemplate:Category handler[<span title="Script error: No such module "string".">usurped]Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  4. ↑ Derrick Gaffney, Reliable WR for Jets of Late '70s & Early '80s, Dies at 69
  5. ↑ Jacksonville native Derrick Gaffney, former Jets WR, Raines alum, dies at 69
  6. ↑ a b 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Template:Webarchive, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 158 & 181 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  7. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ National Football League, Historical Players, Derrick Gaffney. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Bibliography

  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). Template:ISBN.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). Template:ISBN.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). Template:ISBN.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). Template:ISBN.
  • Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). Template:ISBN.

External Links

Template:Jets1978DraftPicks

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