Derrick Gaffney, a wide receiver who played all eight seasons of his NFL career with the New York Jets, has died. He was 69.
Gaffney starred at the University of Florida, where in 1977 he was a part of a play that tied for the longest play in SEC and college football history - a 99-yard catch-and-run from Cris Collinsworth, then a freshman quarterback. The Jets drafted Gaffney in the eighth round (197th overall) in the 1978 NFL draft.
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Gaffney caught 156 passes for 2,613 yards and seven touchdowns in his NFL career from 1978-87. His best season was his rookie year of 1978, when he stated all 16 games, caught 38 passes for 691 yards and three touchdowns.
That season, Gaffney finished second on the Jets in catches, yards, and tied for second in receiving touchdowns for a team that went 8-8, third in the AFC East.
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Gaffney was the father of Jabar Gaffney, who played 11 seasons (2002-12) in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Houston Texas, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Washington and Miami Dolphins.
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
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This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 11:57 AM.