Wes Chandler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Wes Chandler

Chandler with the 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 former American football player. He was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons. He played during the 1970s and 1980s.

Wes Chandler was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times. When he retired, he was among the top players in NFL history for receiving yards and catches. He is a member of the Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame. He also played college football for the Florida Gators. In 2015, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame.

At 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, San Diego Chargers, and San Francisco 49ers. He holds an NFL record for most receiving yards per game in a season. After playing, he became a football coach. He coached wide receivers for many professional and college teams.

Early Life & High School Football

Wes Chandler was born in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He went to New Smyrna Beach High School. There, he was a great high school football player. He played for coach Bud Asher's New Smyrna Beach Barracudas.

In his junior year, his team was undefeated. They even beat Interlachen High School, ending their 21-game winning streak. As a senior in 1973, Chandler scored 22 touchdowns. He scored five touchdowns in one game! He also ran for 1,052 yards. He caught 22 passes as a halfback. He was nicknamed "Little Joe" because he was small.

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 the University of Florida in Gainesville. He played wide receiver for the Gators football team. He played from 1974 to 1977.

As a Gator, he caught 92 passes for 1,963 yards. He also set a school record with 22 touchdowns. He scored six more touchdowns from runs and kick returns. This gave him a school record of 28 total touchdowns. He led the Gators in receiving yards for three years in a row (1975, 1976, and 1977).

Even today, he holds Florida's career records. These include average yards per catch (21.3) and touchdown to reception ratio. This means he scored a touchdown for every 4.18 catches.

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

Many people consider him one of the best football players for the University of Florida. He has been named to several all-time Gators and all-SEC teams. In 1989, he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2015, Chandler was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Professional Football Career

The New Orleans Saints picked Wes Chandler in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft. He was the third player chosen overall. He played for the Saints for four seasons, from 1978 to 1981.

After his second season, Chandler was chosen for the Pro Bowl. He finished that year with 1,069 yards and six touchdown receptions. On September 30, 1981, he was traded to the San Diego Chargers. He replaced star receiver John Jefferson.

Wes Chandler playing for the Chargers around 1987

The next season, 1982, was Chandler's best. He led the NFL with 1,032 receiving yards. He also had nine receiving touchdowns. This was during a season shortened by 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.

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

During his 11 years in the NFL, Chandler caught 559 passes. He gained 8,966 yards and scored 56 touchdowns. He also ran for 84 yards. He returned 48 kickoffs for 1,048 yards. He gained 428 yards on 77 punt returns. In total, he gained 10,526 all-purpose yards. When he retired, he was among the top players in NFL history for receiving yards and catches. He was also chosen for four Pro Bowls. In 2001, Chandler was inducted into the Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame.

After Playing Football

After his playing career, Wes Chandler became a coach. He spent seven years coaching 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. In January 2012, he joined the California Golden Bears as their receivers coach.

Chandler also started a scholarship fund for minority students. This was through the Wes Chandler Celebrity Golf Classic.

Wes Chandler has two nephews who are also athletes. Dallas Baker was a 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, he helped start a new football league called Major League Football. He was its first president. He left in July 2017 when the league was reorganizing.

Images for kids

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  Wes Chandler playing for the Chargers around 1987