Jim Jeffcoat facts for kids
Jeffcoat after the 2012 Military Bowl
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| No. 77 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | April 1, 1961 Long Branch, New Jersey, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 274 lb (124 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Matawan Regional (Aberdeen Township, New Jersey) | ||||||||
| College: | Arizona State | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
James Wilson Jeffcoat Jr. (born April 1, 1961) is a former American football player. He played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). Jim played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills. He also played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. Jim won two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys. After playing, he became a football coach.
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Early Life and High School Football
Jim Jeffcoat grew up in Matawan, New Jersey. He went to Matawan Regional High School. In his senior year, he was a defensive tackle. He earned special honors as a high school football All-American. Jim also played wrestling in high school. His school even retired his jersey, number 79, to honor him.
College Football Career
Jim Jeffcoat received a football scholarship to Arizona State University. In 1980, as a sophomore, he became a starter at noseguard.
Becoming a Star Defensive End
In 1981, Jim became the starting left defensive end. He led his team with 10 sacks that year. His strong play helped the defense be the best in the Pac-10. They allowed only 121.1 rushing yards per game. He was recognized as an honorable-mention All-Pac-10 player.
In 1982, his senior year, Jim was a key player for the Sun Devils. Their defense was ranked number one. He made 95 tackles and had four sacks. He also broke up four passes and forced two fumbles. He earned All-Pac-10 honors. He was also an honorable-mention All-American.
Fiesta Bowl Hero
Jim had an amazing game in the 1983 Fiesta Bowl. He made 16 tackles and forced a fumble. He also got a safety. His team won 32–21 against the University of Oklahoma. Jim was named the outstanding defensive player of the game. He finished his college career with 20 sacks. He also played in two special college all-star games.
College Hall of Fame Honors
Jim Jeffcoat was honored by Arizona State University. In 1994, he was put into their Hall of Fame. Many consider him one of the best defensive linemen for the Sun Devils. In 2012, he joined the Arizona State Football Ring of Honor. He was also inducted into the Fiesta Bowl Hall of Fame in 1991. In 2015, he was named one of the top five defensive ends on the Pac-12 Conference's All-Century team.
Professional Football Career
Dallas Cowboys Years
The Dallas Cowboys picked Jim Jeffcoat in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft. He was the 23rd player chosen overall. As a rookie, he was a backup defensive end.
In 1984, Jim became a starter at right defensive end. He made 82 tackles and 11.5 sacks. This placed him among the top 15 sack leaders in the league. In 1985, he had 12 sacks. One memorable game was against the Washington Redskins. He sacked their quarterback, Joe Theismann, five times. This tied a Cowboys team record. He also intercepted a pass against the New York Giants. He ran it back 65 yards for a touchdown. This helped the Cowboys win their division title. In 1986, he had a career-high 14 sacks. This was seventh-best in the league.
Jim continued to play very well even when the Cowboys had tough seasons. In 1989, he had his best year. He made a career-high 100 tackles. He also had 11.5 sacks and recovered three fumbles.
Super Bowl Champion
In the 1992 season, Jim's role changed. He became a player who specialized in rushing the passer. This was because Tony Tolbert and Charles Haley joined the team. Even with fewer chances, he led the team with 10.5 sacks. This helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII. He continued to be an effective player until the 1994 season. He mostly played in situations where the team needed to pressure the quarterback.
Jim Jeffcoat left the Cowboys in 1995. He had played 12 seasons and never missed a game. He finished his time with the Cowboys with 94.5 sacks. He was the team's official career sack leader. The NFL only started counting sacks as a stat in 1982.
Buffalo Bills Years and Retirement
In 1995, Jim signed with the Buffalo Bills. He had played 224 games in a row. This streak ended in 1997 when he got injured. He was then placed on the injured reserve list.
Jim Jeffcoat retired after playing 15 seasons in the NFL. He finished his career with 102.5 sacks. He also had 745 tackles and two touchdowns. At the time he retired, he was among the top 15 players in NFL history for career sacks. His 227 games played put him among the top 30 players. He was considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player in 1997, Jim Jeffcoat became a coach. He spent seven seasons (1998–2005) with the Dallas Cowboys. He started as an assistant defensive line coach. Later, he became the defensive ends coach. He left the Cowboys in 2005.
In 2008, Jim joined the University of Houston as a defensive line coach. He coached there until 2010. From 2011 to 2012, he coached the defensive line for the San Jose State football team. He helped coach Travis Johnson, who became a top player in his conference.
In 2013, Jim moved to the University of Colorado Buffaloes. He was their defensive line coach until 2017. In 2018, he coached for the Orlando Apollos in a new league called the Alliance of American Football. The league stopped playing in 2019. In 2019, he joined the Dallas Renegades in the new XFL. The XFL season was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His contract ended when the league stopped operations.
