Jim Wagstaff (June 12, 1936 — September 28, 2010) was an American professional football player and coach. He played as a

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). He was later an assistant coach. Wagstaff played college football for

Idaho State Bengals The Idaho State Bengals are the varsity intercollegiate athletic teams representing Idaho State University, located in Pocatello, Idaho. The university sponsors thirteen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, tennis, and trac ...

. He played in the NFL for the

Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...

before joining the AFL's Buffalo Bills. He earned second-team All-AFL honors in 1960. After his playing career, he was a defensive coordinator in college for the Boise State Broncos before becoming a secondary coach in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, and San Diego Chargers

Early life and high school

Wagstaff was born and grew up in

American Falls, Idaho American Falls is a city in and the county seat of Power County, Idaho. The population was 4,457 at the time of the 2010 census. History American Falls was a landmark waterfall on the Snake River, named after a party of American trappers whose ...

and attended American Falls High School.

College career

Wagstaff was a member of the

for four seasons, joining the team as a walk-on. He played quarterback, halfback and defensive back. He was named All-

Rocky Mountain Conference The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) from approximately 1910 through the late 1960s, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NC ...

as a senior. Wagstaff was also a four-year member of the Idaho State track team.

Professional career

Wagstaff was selected in the 21st round of the

1958 NFL Draft The 1958 National Football League draft had its first four rounds held on December 2, 1957, and its final twenty-six rounds on January 28, 1958. Both sessions were held at the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia. This was the 12th and final year in ...

by the Detroit Lions but was cut during training camp. He took a high school coaching position in Idaho and was invited to Lions camp for a second straight season but was cut a second time after suffering a knee injury. Wagstaff was teaching until was signed by the

in November of the 1959 season after the team suffered numerous injuries at the defensive back position and played in two games. He was re-signed by the Cardinals at the end of the season, but was cut on August 1, 1960. Shortly after being released by the Cardinals, Wagstaff was signed by the Buffalo Bills of the newly-formed American Football League. Wagstaff was named All-AFL in his first season with the Bills after intercepting six passes and returning one for a touchdown. He intercepted three passes in 1961. Wagstaff retired from playing football after suffering a severe injury during training camp in 1962.

Coaching career and later life

After his playing career ended, Wagstaff earned a masters degree in education from Utah State University. After teaching and coaching football at Pocatello High and then Idaho Falls High, he was hired as the defensive coordinator at Boise State. Wagstaff was hired as the Los Angeles Rams defensive backs coach in 1973. He was hired by the Bills in 1978, where he remained until he was hired away by the San Diego Chargers in 1981. After leaving coaching Wagstaff moved back to Idaho before moving to

Kenai, Alaska Kenai (, ) ( Dena'ina: ; russian: Кенай, ''Kenay'') is a city in the Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one hundred and fifty-eight miles by road southwest from Anchorage. The population was 7,424 as of the 2020 ce ...

, where he became the head football coach at

Kenai Central High School Kenai Central High School (KCHS) is a public high school serving grades 9–12 in Kenai, Alaska. The school operates under the authority of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, and is one of five high schools in the district. The School's ...

. Wagstaff died on September 28, 2010.

References

External links

Idaho State Hall of Fame profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wagstaff, Jim 1936 births 2010 deaths Buffalo Bills players Detroit Lions players Chicago Cardinals players American football safeties Idaho State Bengals football players Players of American football from Idaho Buffalo Bills coaches Los Angeles Rams coaches San Diego Chargers coaches Idaho State Bengals men's track and field athletes Boise State Broncos football coaches