Derrick Gaffney, the wide receiver who teamed with Wesley Walker to help provide the Jets of the late 1970s and early-to-mid-1980s with one of the greatest downfield passing dimensions in franchise history, died Monday. He was 69.
While Gaffney never had a monster game or season, he was a steady starter and midrange contributor to the Green & White offense for seven full seasons from 1978-84 plus, after a two-year hiatus, two more games as a free agent during the 1987 players’ strike.
His trademarks on the NFL stage were his smooth moves and his quick changes of direction. He also had another quality that was helpful in forging his Jets and pro career.
“I’m a daredevil,” he said. “You put me out there and I’ll give you everything I’ve got. I’ll go till I can’t go anymore.”
The Gaffney family tree produced two more pros down the road in Derrick’s son, WR Jabar Gaffney, and his nephew, CB Lito Sheppard. Jabar was an 11-year NFL receiver with 447 catches for 5,690 yards and 24 TDs. Sheppard, a 10-year corner, played his first seven seasons with Philadelphia before moving to the Jets, playing in 11 games (9 starts) at RCB in 2009 and coming up with the 19th and last INT of his career in his first Jets game in the season opener at Houston.
The Gaffneys last year became the only father-son duo to be named to the Florida Times-Union’s “100 Greatest Athletes” list. Jabar checked in at No. 51 on that list, bumping dad Derrick to No. 69.
“He deserves it,” Derrick said of Jabar’s ranking. “He was a better receiver than I was. … I’m more proud of his career than mine. He’s home-grown. It wasn’t easy but it was worth it once the light came on for him.”
Derrick Gaffney grew up in Jacksonville, FL, and attended William M. Raines HS there. Then he headed southwest to Gainesville and the University of Florida, where in 1977 he was a part of the longest play of his college career that also tied for the…
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