Tommy Joe Coffey facts for kids
| Date of birth: | November 18, 1936 |
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| Place of birth: | Texas, U.S. |
| Date of death: | August 25, 2020 (aged 83) |
| Place of death: | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
Quick facts for kids
Career information
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| CFL status: | Non-import |
| Position(s): | OE/WR/K |
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 196 lb (89 kg) |
| College: | West Texas State |
| NFL Draft: | 1959 / Round: 8 / Pick: 96 |
| Drafted by: | Baltimore Colts |
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Organizations
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Career highlights and awards
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| CFL All-Star: | 1962, 1964–1968, 1970 |
| CFL East All-Star: | 1967, 1968, 1970 |
| CFL West All-Star: | 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966 |
| Awards: | 1962 – Dave Dryburgh Memorial Trophy 1962, 1967, 1970 – CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Runner Up |
| Honors: | Edmonton Eskimos Wall of Honour – 1988 Hamilton Tiger-Cats Wall of Honour – 1999 |
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Career stats
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Canadian Football Hall of Fame, 1977
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Military service
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| Awards: | 1962 – Dave Dryburgh Memorial Trophy 1962, 1967, 1970 – CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Runner Up |
Tommy Joe Coffey (born November 18, 1936 – died August 25, 2020) was a fantastic football player. He was born in the United States but became a star in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played as an end, a wide receiver, and a placekicker. Tommy Joe played for three different teams: the Edmonton Eskimos, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the Toronto Argonauts.
Playing in the CFL
Tommy Joe Coffey played football for 14 years. During his career, he caught 650 passes. This added up to an amazing 10,320 yards! He also scored 63 touchdowns.
He was especially good at catching passes. Four times in his career, he gained over 1,000 yards receiving in a single season. His best year for receiving was 1965. That year, he caught 81 passes for 1,286 yards.
Tommy Joe was also a great scorer. In 1962 and 1969, he scored 11 touchdowns in each season. His highest total points in a season was 148 points in 1969. He also scored 129 points in 1962.
Besides catching and kicking, he even played a little defense. In his first two years, he intercepted the ball four times.
Winning the Grey Cup
Tommy Joe Coffey was part of two teams that won the Grey Cup. The Grey Cup is the championship trophy of the CFL. Both of his wins were with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. They beat the Saskatchewan Roughriders in both 1967 and 1972.
The 1967 season was a big one for him. He caught 42 passes for 683 yards. He also scored 5 touchdowns. As a kicker, he made 18 field goals. This helped him score 107 points that season. In the 55th Grey Cup game in 1967, he scored 3 points by kicking.
Overall, during his time with Hamilton from 1967 to 1972, he scored 603 points. This made him one of the top scorers in the team's history.
Awards and Recognition
Tommy Joe Coffey won the Dave Dryburgh Memorial Trophy in 1962. This award goes to the top scorer in the CFL. He was chosen as a CFL All-Star seven times. Four times he was an All-Star with the Edmonton Eskimos. Three times he was an All-Star with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
Both the Edmonton Eskimos and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have honored him. They added his name to their "Walls of Honour." This is a special way to remember important players.
In 1977, Tommy Joe was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor for a football player in Canada. In 2006, a Canadian sports network called TSN made a list of the top 50 CFL players since 1945. Tommy Joe Coffey was voted as number 27 on that list.
Personal Life
In 1968, something interesting happened to Tommy Joe. His special Tiger-Cat helmet was stolen! Forty-eight years later, in November 2015, he was reunited with his missing helmet. It was a happy moment after so many years.
Tommy Joe Coffey lived in Burlington, Ontario, with his wife, Joan. He passed away on August 25, 2020, in Hamilton, Ontario.
