Saturday, September 17, 2011

Coffman Rumbles Against Oilers

Today’s photo is of Packers TE Paul Coffman, who will be well-known and well-remembered for a lot of fans of a certain age. Coffman played tight end for ten seasons for the Packers and then the Kansas City Chiefs, his career spanning the 1978-1987 seasons. A free agent in 1978, Coffman signed with the Packers and became a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end. In his second season, Coffman caught 56 passes, breaking Ron Kramer’s then-record for receptions by a tight end. The 6'-3", 225-pound Coffman asked for a tryout when Packer assistant coach John Meyer was working out Coffman’s Kansas State University teammate, linebacker Gary Spani. Coffman caught 322 passes for 39 touchdowns and averaged 13.1 yards per catch from 1978-’85. On October 17, 1983, he caught six passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns as the Packers beat the Washington Redskins 48-47 in the highest-scoring Monday Night Football game ever. His son, Chase, was an all star tight end for the University of Missouri and currently plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. His son, Carson, is the starting quarterback for Kansas State University. The photo above was taken on the day that the Packers played the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) at home in Lambeau, December 14, 1980. Houston won the game 22-3 in front of 53,201 fans.