Wayne Coffey (American football) facts for kids
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | May 30, 1964 Rantoul, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Died: | June 2024 (aged 60) | ||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 158 lb (72 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Abilene (Abilene, Texas) | ||||||||||
| College: | Southwest Texas State | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1986 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||
| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |||||||||||
Wayne Everett Coffey (born May 30, 1964 – died June 2024) was an American professional football player. He was a wide receiver, which means he caught passes. Wayne played in two major leagues: the National Football League (NFL) and the Arena Football League (AFL).
He played college football at Cisco College and Southwest Texas State University. At Cisco, he was named a junior college All-American, which is a big honor. After some time with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, Coffey played in a few NFL games for the Patriots during a player strike in 1987. He then played in the AFL from 1989 to 1995 for teams like the Denver Dynamite and Las Vegas Sting. In 1991, he was named first-team All-Arena while playing for the Dynamite.
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Early Life and College Football
Wayne Everett Coffey was born on May 30, 1964, in Rantoul, Illinois. He grew up playing high school football and running track at Abilene High School in Abilene, Texas. In football, he played as a cornerback. He received special recognition in 1981, his senior year. Wayne graduated from Abilene High in 1982.
College Career
Coffey started his college football journey at Cisco College from 1982 to 1983. He played as a wide receiver and was recognized as a junior college All-American. In 1983, he caught 41 passes for 732 yards and scored ten touchdowns.
After Cisco, he moved to Southwest Texas State University. He played for the Southwest Texas State Bobcats for two years, from 1984 to 1985. He was also a punt returner, meaning he caught kicks from the other team and ran them back.
Professional Football Career
After college, Wayne Coffey was not chosen in the 1986 NFL draft. However, the New England Patriots signed him on May 20, 1986. During a practice game, he caught three passes for 58 yards, including a long 40-yard catch. Even though he played well, his smaller size and the Patriots having many good receivers made it hard for him to make the team. He was released in August 1986.
Early NFL and CFL Attempts
After leaving the Patriots, Coffey joined the practice team for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) in August 1986. He was released by Winnipeg in September 1986. In 1987, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs but was released before their training camp began.
On September 23, 1987, Coffey rejoined the New England Patriots. This happened during the 1987 NFL players strike, when many regular players were not playing. He was studying at Southwest Texas State when the Patriots called him. He played in three games for New England, starting two of them. During these games, he caught three passes for 66 yards. When the strike ended, he was released on October 20, 1987.
Arena Football League (AFL)
On April 11, 1988, Coffey signed with the New England Steamrollers of the Arena Football League (AFL). He did not play in any games that season. Later, on July 19, 1988, he signed with the Atlanta Falcons but was released by them in August 1988.
Denver Dynamite
In 1989, Coffey signed with the Denver Dynamite in the AFL. In arena football, players often played both offense and defense, which was called "ironman rules." Coffey played as a wide receiver on offense and a defensive back on defense. He once said he didn't like playing defense at first, but he enjoyed getting interceptions.
In 1989, he played in all four games for the Dynamite. He had 13 catches for 208 yards and two touchdowns. On defense, he made tackles and broke up passes. He also returned kicks. The Dynamite finished with a 3–1 record but lost in the first round of the playoffs.
In 1990, Coffey played in all eight games. He had 16 catches for 296 yards and seven touchdowns. He also made 18 solo tackles and caught six interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. The Dynamite finished 4–4 and lost in the first round of the playoffs again.
In 1991, Coffey played all ten games for the Dynamite. He caught 24 passes for 377 yards and six touchdowns. He also made 33 solo tackles and four interceptions. For his great performance in 1991, he was named first-team All-Arena. The Dynamite went 6–4 but lost in the first round of the playoffs for the third year in a row. During a game in 1991, Coffey tried to jump over a defender into the end zone. He ended up bouncing off a wall behind the end zone, but he still scored a touchdown! This play was shown on ESPN and CNN.
Other AFL Teams
In 1992, Coffey signed with the AFL's Sacramento Attack. He scored the first touchdown in the team's history with a 37-yard pass. He was named the AFL Ironman of the Week for his strong play on both offense and defense. In 1992, he played in all ten games, catching 38 passes for 602 yards and a career-high 14 touchdowns. He also made many tackles on defense. The Attack finished 4–6 and lost in the first round of the playoffs. The Sacramento Attack team later became the Miami Hooters in 1993. Coffey played in their first game, catching two passes for 45 yards and a touchdown.
On May 19, 1993, Coffey was traded to the Cincinnati Rockers. He played in nine games for the Rockers that year. He had 22 catches for 353 yards and one touchdown. He also made tackles, one interception, and returned kicks for a touchdown.
After taking a year off, Coffey played in nine games for the Las Vegas Sting in 1995. He had one catch for 16 yards and a touchdown, and also made tackles and returned kicks.
Personal Life
Wayne Coffey's brother, Ken Coffey, also played in the NFL. After his football career, Wayne became a police officer. He worked his way up to the rank of lieutenant. He also helped provide security for Texas Longhorns home and away games. He retired in 2024 and passed away in June of that same year.
