James Wilson Jeffcoat, Jr. (born April 1, 1961) is a former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

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 ...

for the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...

and

Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...

. He was most recently an assistant football coach for the

Dallas Renegades The Arlington Renegades are a professional American football team based in Arlington, Texas. The team was founded as the Dallas Renegades by Vince McMahon’s Alpha Entertainment and is an owned-and-operated member of the new XFL owned by Dwayn ...

of the

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. He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

. He won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys over the Bills.

Early years

Jeffcoat grew up in

Matawan, New Jersey Matawan is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A historic community located near the Raritan Bay in the much larger Raritan Valley region, the borough is a commuter town of New York City within the New York Metropol ...

, and attended

Matawan Regional High School Matawan Regional High School is a four-year regional public high school located in Aberdeen Township, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District ...

. As a senior defensive tackle, he earned high school football All-American honors. He also lettered in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

. The school retired his jersey (#79).

College career

Jeffcoat accepted a football scholarship from

. As a sophomore in 1980, he earned the starter job at

noseguard A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

. As a junior in 1981, he was named the starter at left defensive end, leading the team with 10 sacks and contributing to the defense leading the Pac-10 in rushing defense (121.1 yards per game). He received honorable-mention All-Pac-10 honors. As a senior in 1982, he became the catalyst of the Sun Devils' No. 1 ranked defense (228.9 yards per game). He collected 95 tackles, four sacks, four pass deflections, and forced two

fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful ...

s during his senior season, where he earned All-Pac-10, honorable-mention to the All-American

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and Sporting News teams. He had 13 tackles, one sack and 2 pass deflections against the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the university in Texas with over 47,000 students. Its campus, which is primarily in s ...

. He made 12 tackles against USC and

Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering co ...

. He had a dominating performance in the 1983 Fiesta Bowl, posting 16 tackles, one safety and one forced fumble, while earning outstanding defensive player honors in a 32–21 win over the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...

. He finished his college career with 20 sacks. He also played in the East–West Shrine Game and in the

Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...

. On October 22, 1994, he was inducted into the Arizona State Hall of Fame, as arguably one of the greatest

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

men to wear a Sun Devil uniform. In 2012, he was inducted into the Arizona State Football Ring of Honor. In 1991, he was inducted into the

Fiesta Bowl The Fiesta Bowl is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Phoenix metropolitan area. From its beginning in 1971 until 2006, the game was hosted at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. Since 2007, the game has been pla ...

Hall of Fame. In 2015, he was named to the Pac-12 Conference’s All-Century team as one of the five defensive ends.

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Jeffcoat was selected in the first round (23rd overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft by the

. He was also selected by the Arizona Wranglers in the 1983 USFL Territorial Draft. He was a backup

as a rookie. In 1984, he replaced

Harvey Martin Harvey Banks Martin (November 16, 1950 – December 24, 2001) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys from 1973 until 1983. He starred at South Oak Cliff ...

at the right

position, registering 82 tackles to go along with 11.5 sacks, ranking second on the team and in the top 15 among sack league leaders. In 1985, he was second on the team with 12 sacks and in the top ten among league leaders. His most memorable game was against the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

on November 10, 1985, when he tallied 11 tackles and sacked

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

Joe Theismann Joseph Robert Theismann (born September 9, 1949) is an American former professional football player, sports commentator, corporate speaker and restaurateur. He rose to fame playing quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and Canad ...

a franchise record 5 times, tying

Bob Lilly Robert Lewis Lilly (born July 26, 1939), nicknamed "Mr. Cowboy", is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle. After playing college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, he played for the Dallas Cowboys of the Nat ...

’s 19-year-old mark. Against the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

, he intercepted a

Phil Simms Phillip Martin Simms (born November 3, 1955) is an American former football quarterback who spent his entire 15-year professional career playing for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He is currently a television sport ...

pass that was batted down by

Ed "Too Tall" Jones Edward Lee Jones (born February 23, 1951), commonly known as Ed "Too Tall" Jones due to his height, is a former American football player who played 15 seasons (1974–1978, 1980–1989) in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys ...

and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown, making a critical play in a win that helped clinch the

NFC East The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Dallas Cowboys ...

title. In

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...

, he led the team with a career-high 14 sacks (seventh among league leaders). Jeffcoat maintained a high level of play through the Cowboys' difficult years of the late '80s. His best season came in 1989, when he finished with a career-high 100 tackles, a career-high 42

pressures, 11.5 sacks (led team and top 12 among league leaders) and a career-high three

recoveries. During the

1992 season Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 ''Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the ...

his role was reduced to a situational pass-rusher, after Tony Tolbert took over the left

position and the team traded for Charles Haley to make him the right

. Even with fewer opportunities, he managed to lead the team with 10.5 sacks (top 15 among league leaders) and six tackles for loss, during the team's drive towards winning Super Bowl XXVII. His repertoire of pass rushing moves and effort, allowed him to remain an effective player through the 1994 season, while playing mostly on passing situations. Jeffcoat left via

free agency 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 ...

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, after playing 12 seasons and never missing a game with the Cowboys. He finished with 698 tackles, 94.5 sacks and 149

pressures. He also accomplished five seasons with 70 or more tackles and five seasons with 10 or more sacks, leaving as the franchise official career sack leader (the NFL didn't start recognizing

sacks as a stat until 1982).

Buffalo Bills

On February 22,

, he was signed as a

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 ...

by the

. He had a streak of 224 consecutive games played, before being sidelined on September 21 and eventually being placed on the

injured reserve list The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...

on December 12, 1997. Jeffcoat retired after playing 15 seasons, with 102.5 sacks, 745 tackles, 194 quarterback pressures, 2 interceptions, 11

recoveries and 2

touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...

s. At the time he ranked among the NFL's top-15 career leaders in sacks and his 227 games, placed him among the top 30 players in NFL history in games played. He was nominated for the

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...

Class of 2008 although he was never selected to a

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...

Coaching career

After his retirement in 1997, he spent seven seasons (1998–2005) as the Cowboys'

s assistant coach. Jeffcoat spent his last five seasons in the organization as the defensive ends coach after two years as the club's assistant defensive line coach. He was let go on January 28, 2005. On January 28, 2008, Jeffcoat was hired to join

Kevin Sumlin Kevin Warren Sumlin (born August 3, 1964) is an American football coach who is the head coach and general manager for the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL). Sumlin served as the head football coach at the University o ...

's staff at the

as the defensive line assistant coach. Prior to arriving in Houston, Jeffcoat was in private business in the Dallas area for two years. From 2011 to 2012, Jeffcoat coached the

San Jose State San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sy ...

defensive line under head coach

Mike MacIntyre George Michael MacIntyre (born March 14, 1965) is an American football coach. He is the head coach at FIU. MacIntyre served as the head football coach at San Jose State University from 2010 to 2013 and the University of Colorado Boulder from 2 ...

, where he coached Western Athletic Conference player of the year Travis Johnson. In January 2013, he joined the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...

Buffaloes as the defensive line coach, following the recently hired MacIntyre. He was let go after the 2017 season. In November 2018, Jeffcoat was hired by Steve Spurrier as defensive line coach for the

Orlando Apollos The Orlando Apollos were a professional American football franchise based in Orlando, Florida, and one of the eight members of the Alliance of American Football (AAF), which began play in February 2019. The team played its home games at Spectru ...

of the

Alliance of American Football The Alliance of American Football (AAF) was a professional American football minor league. The AAF consisted of eight centrally owned and operated teams in the southern and western United States, seven of which were located in metropolitan are ...

. He coached with the team in 7 games, until the league ceased operations in April 2019. In June 2019, Jeffcoat was hired by Bob Stoops as defensive line coach for the

of the new

. In March, amid the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the league announced that it would be cancelling the rest of the season. On April 10, he had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations.

References

External links

Colorado Buffaloes bio

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jeffcoat, Jim 1961 births Living people American football defensive ends American football defensive tackles Arizona State Sun Devils football players Buffalo Bills players Colorado Buffaloes football coaches Dallas Cowboys coaches Dallas Cowboys players Dallas Renegades coaches Houston Cougars football coaches Orlando Apollos coaches San Jose State Spartans football coaches Matawan Regional High School alumni People from Matawan, New Jersey Sportspeople from Long Branch, New Jersey Players of American football from New Jersey African-American coaches of American football African-American players of American football Sportspeople from Monmouth County, New Jersey 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople 100 Sacks Club