Wes Chandler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wes Chandler

Chandler with the San Diego Chargers c. 1982
No. 89, 81
Position:	Wide receiver
Personal information
Born:	(1956-08-22) August 22, 1956 (age 68) New Smyrna Beach, Florida, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	196 lb (89 kg)
Career information
High school:	New Smyrna Beach
College:	Florida (1974–1977)
NFL Draft:	1978 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Career history
As player:
New Orleans Saints (1978–1981) San Diego Chargers (1981–1987) San Francisco 49ers (1988)
As coach:
Orlando Thunder (1991–1992) Wide receivers coach UCF (1994–1995) Wide receivers coach Rhein Fire (1995–1997) Wide receivers coach Frankfurt Galaxy (1998) Wide receivers coach Berlin Thunder (1999) Head coach Dallas Cowboys (2000–2002) Wide receivers coach Minnesota Vikings (2005) Wide receivers coach Cleveland Browns (2007–2008) Wide receivers coach New York Sentinels (2009) Wide receivers coach California (2012) Wide receivers coach
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pro (1982) Second-team All-Pro (1979) 4× Pro Bowl (1979, 1982, 1983, 1985) NFL receiving yards leader (1982) NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1982) Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team San Diego Chargers 40th Anniversary Team First-team All-American (1977) Third-team All-American (1976) 2× First-team All-SEC (1976, 1977) Florida–Georgia Hall of Fame University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 559 Receiving yards: 8,966 Receiving touchdowns: 56
Player stats at PFR
College Football Hall of Fame

Wesley Sandy Chandler (born August 22, 1956) is a famous American football player. He played as a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. When he retired, he was one of the top players in NFL history for receiving yards and catches.

Chandler was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times. He is also a member of the Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame. He played college football for the Florida Gators and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

At the University of Florida, Chandler set a school record with 28 touchdowns. He was named an All-American in 1977. The New Orleans Saints picked him third overall in the 1978 NFL draft. During his 11-year NFL career, he played for the Saints, the San Diego Chargers, and the San Francisco 49ers. He holds an NFL record for most receiving yards per game in a season, which he set in 1982. After playing, he became a football coach for many teams.

Early Life and High School Football

Wes Chandler was born in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He went to New Smyrna Beach High School. There, he was a star football player for the New Smyrna Beach Barracudas.

In his junior year, his team had a perfect season. They even beat Interlachen High School, ending their 21-game winning streak. As a senior in 1973, Chandler scored 22 touchdowns. He also ran for 1,052 yards and caught 22 passes. He was nicknamed "Little Joe" because of his smaller size.

In 2007, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) honored Chandler. They named him one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.

College Football Career

Chandler received a scholarship to play football at the University of Florida. He played for the Gators from 1974 to 1977. While at Florida, he joined the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

As a Gator, he caught 92 passes for 1,963 yards. He also set a school record with 22 receiving touchdowns. He added six more scores from running and kick returns. This gave him a total of 28 touchdowns, another school record.

Chandler led the Gators in receiving yards for three years in a row (1975, 1976, and 1977). He still holds Florida's records for average yards per catch (21.3) and touchdown to reception ratio. This means he scored a touchdown for every 4.18 catches.

He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) player in 1976 and 1977. He was also a first-team All-American in both years. In 1977, he was named a first-team Academic All-American. He finished tenth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1977.

Many people consider Chandler one of the best players in University of Florida history. He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. In 2015, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Professional Football Career

The New Orleans Saints picked Wes Chandler third overall in the 1978 NFL Draft. He played for the Saints for four seasons, from 1978 to 1981. After his second season, he was chosen for the Pro Bowl. He finished that year with 1,069 receiving yards and six touchdowns.

On September 30, 1981, Chandler was traded to the San Diego Chargers. He replaced star receiver John Jefferson. In the playoffs that year, in a game called The Epic In Miami, he caught six passes for 106 yards. He also returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown. The Chargers won that game 41–38.

Chandler in 1987, playing for the San Diego Chargers.

The next season, 1982, was Chandler's best. He led the NFL with 1,032 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns. This was during a season that was shorter due to a player strike. His average of 129 receiving yards per game that year is still an NFL record. He also caught nine passes for 124 yards in a playoff win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Chandler represented Chargers players in the players' union. After he was elected to the union's executive committee, he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. He finished his career with them in 1988. He played in four games before retiring in October due to a knee injury and frustration. The 49ers went on to win the Super Bowl that season.

During his 11-year NFL career, Chandler caught 559 passes for 8,966 yards. He scored 56 touchdowns. He also gained yards by running, returning kickoffs, and returning punts. In total, he had 10,526 all-purpose yards. When he retired, he was among the top players in NFL history for receiving yards and catches. He was chosen for four Pro Bowls, three of them with the San Diego Chargers. In 2001, Chandler was inducted into the Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season

After His Playing Career

After retiring as a player, Wes Chandler became a football coach. He coached for seven years in NFL Europe. This included a time as the head coach of the Berlin Thunder in 1999.

Before that, he also coached at the University of Central Florida and Father Lopez Catholic High School. In January 2012, he joined the California Golden Bears as their receivers coach.

Chandler has also created a scholarship fund for minority students. This fund is supported through the Wes Chandler Celebrity Golf Classic.

Wes Chandler has two nephews who are also athletes. Dallas Baker was a great wide receiver for the Florida Gators. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2007 NFL draft. Chandler's other nephew, Perry Baker, is a professional rugby player. He plays for the United States national rugby sevens team.

In 2015, Chandler helped start a new football league called Major League Football. He was its first president. He stepped down in July 2017 when the league was reorganizing.

See Also

• 1976 College Football All-America Team
• 1977 College Football All-America Team
• List of Alpha Phi Alpha brothers
• List of Florida Gators football All-Americans
• List of Florida Gators in the NFL draft
• List of National Football League season receiving yards leaders
• List of New Orleans Saints first-round draft picks
• List of New Orleans Saints players