Derrick Gaffney

Derrick Gaffney

No. 81
Wide receiver
Personal information
Date of birth: May 24, 1954 (1954-05-24) (age 57)
Place of birth: Jacksonville, Florida
High School: William M. Raines High School Jacksonville, Florida
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	Weight: 181 lb (82 kg)
Career information
College: University of Florida
NFL Draft: 1978 / Round: 8 / Pick: 197
Debuted in 1978 for the New York Jets
Last played in 1987 for the New York Jets
Career history
New York Jets (1978–1984, 1987)
Career highlights and awards
Longest TD reception in SEC history (1977)
Receptions	156
Receiving yards	2,613
Touchdowns	7
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com

Derrick Tyrone Gaffney (born May 24, 1955) is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons in 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 years

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 received 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.

Professional career

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]

Gaffney football family

Derrick 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 current NFL wide receiver Jabar Gaffney and the uncle of current free agent cornerback Lito Sheppard. Both played for the Gators: Jabar Gaffney in 2000 and 2001, and Lito Sheppard from 1999 to 2001.

See also

	American football portal
	Biography portal
	College football portal

• Florida Gators
• Florida Gators football, 1970–1979
• List of Alpha Phi Alpha brothers
• List of Florida Gators football players
• List of New York Jets players

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Derrick Gaffney. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
2. ^ databaseFootball.com, Players, Derrick Gaffney. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
3. ^ ^{a b} 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 158 & 181 (2011). Retrieved August 29, 2011.
4. ^ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1978 National Football League Draft. Retrieved August 4, 2010.
5. ^ 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 0794822983.
• 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 1-57167-196x.

Persondata
Name	Gaffney, Derrick
Alternative names	Gaffney, Derrick Tyrone; Gaffney, Derrick T.
Short description	American college football player, professional football player, wide receiver
Date of birth	May 24, 1955
Place of birth	Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Date of death
Place of death