Jonathan Jerrod Hefney (born February 27, 1985 in

Rock Hill, South Carolina Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fifth-largest city in the state. It is also the fourth-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte, Concord, and Gastonia (all located in North Carolina, ...

) is a former

Canadian Football Canadian football () is a sport played in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed oval-shaped ball into the opposing team's scoring area ( ...

defensive back. He was signed by the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...

as an

undrafted free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

in 2008. He played college football at

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. Hefney has also been a member of the

Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...

and Detroit Lions.

High-School Career

Hefney played

high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...

at Rock Hill High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He led his school to an undefeated record in 2002. Following his senior season, Hefney played at

Hargrave Military Academy Hargrave Military Academy (HMA) is a private, all-male, military boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia. Hargrave is affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a col ...

in Chatham, Virginia.

College career

Hefney was a four-year starter at either

cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...

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 ...

during his time at Tennessee, starting every game except for the 2004 season opener against

UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes th ...

. Hefney also garnered attention as a punt

return specialist A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position ...

Professional career

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hefney was expected to be selected early in the 2008 NFL Draft but instead he went

undrafted In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

, and signed with the

. On July 25, 2008, he was released from the Buccaneers. Hefney was signed to the

practice squad on September 9, 2008.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Failing to make an NFL team, the

Winnipeg Blue Bombers The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...

of the CFL signed Hefney on May 28, 2009. He recorded 66 tackles and four interceptions his rookie season, earning Eastern Division Rookie of the Year and All-Star honors. However Hefney left the next year to play in the NFL again.

Detroit Lions

His time in the NFL that year was short however as Hefney was signed by the Detroit Lions on January 4, 2010, and released on September 4, 2010. He was re-signed to the practice squad on September 6, and released on September 23.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (II)

He returned to the Blue Bombers four days after being released by the Detroit Lions. The

2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season The 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers was the 54th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 79th overall. The Blue Bombers finished in 1st place in the East Division with a 10–8 record. The team clinched their first playoff berth s ...

saw Hefney as part of the self-titled "Swaggerville" defence that was arguably tops in the league. That season, Hefney won his second nod as a CFL East Division all-star, and was then named to his second CFL All-Star team a short time later. Hefney was named a CFL East Division all-star again in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

. Just prior to the start of June 2013 training camp, Hefney was charged with marijuana possession in his home state of South Carolina. He was released by the Bombers on June 15, 2013. Hefney played three full seasons and parts of a fourth with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Calgary Stampeders

On June 18, 2013, 3 days after being released by Winnipeg, Hefney signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League He was released by the Stampeders on May 21, 2014.

Statistics

Personal life

In September 2019 Hefney was sentenced to nine years in jail for trafficking cocaine.

References

External links

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Philadelphia Eagles bioTampa Bay Buccaneers bioTennessee Volunteers bioWinnipeg Blue Bombers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hefney, Jonathan 1985 births Living people American football cornerbacks American football safeties Players of Canadian football from South Carolina Canadian football defensive backs Canadian Football League Rookie of the Year Award winners Canadian football linebackers Detroit Lions players Sportspeople from Rock Hill, South Carolina Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from South Carolina Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Tennessee Volunteers football players Winnipeg Blue Bombers players Montreal Alouettes players Rock Hill High School (South Carolina) alumni Hargrave Military Academy alumni