Edward Thomas McCaffrey, Jr. (born August 17, 1968) is an American football coach and former wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. McCaffrey played college football for Stanford University, where he earned first-team All-American honors. He entered the 1991 NFL Draft, and was selected by the New York Giants in the third round with the 83rd overall selection. He played for the Giants from the 1991 through 1993 seasons, for the San Francisco 49ers in 1994, and for the Denver Broncos from 1995 to 2003.
From 2020 to 2022, McCaffrey was the head football coach of Northern Colorado, an NCAA Division I program in the Big Sky Conference.
Early life and education
McCaffrey was born on August 17, 1968, in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania and attended Allentown Central Catholic High School in Allentown, where he played football in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. He also was a standout basketball player for Allentown Central Catholic High School, leading the school to Pennsylvania state titles in 1984 and 1986.
College career
McCaffrey attended Stanford University, where he played college football for the Cardinal. He finished his Stanford career as the school's fifth all-time leader in receptions (146) and third all-time leader in receiving yards (2,333). He earned first-team All-America and All-Pac-10 Conference honors as a senior in 1990, catching 61 passes for 917 yards and eight touchdowns that season. McCaffrey was enshrined in Stanford's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. At Stanford, he also was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
National Football League
McCaffrey entered the 1991 NFL Draft and was selected by the New York Giants in the third round (83rd overall). During his thirteen-year career, he won three Super Bowl rings, Super Bowl XXIX with the San Francisco 49ers and Super Bowl XXXII and Super Bowl XXXIII with the Denver Broncos and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1998.
With the Denver Broncos, he became a reliable target for quarterback John Elway, set a Broncos record for most receptions in a season at the time with 101 receptions in the 2000 season, and had an exceptional performance in Super Bowl XXXIII against the Atlanta Falcons, recording five catches for 72 yards. In 2000, McCaffrey and teammate Rod Smith became only the second wide receiver duo from the same team to each gain 100 receptions in the same season, matching a record by Herman Moore and Brett Perriman.
In the opening game of the Broncos' 2001 season, McCaffrey suffered a leg fracture in a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants. He rebounded in the 2002 season for the Broncos, registering 69 receptions and 903 yards. Hampered by injuries during a disappointing 2003 season, McCaffrey retired on February 29, 2004. He finished his career with 565 career receptions for 7,422 yards along with 55 touchdowns.
NFL career statistics
Coaching career
Valor Christian High School
McCaffrey was named the head football coach at Valor Christian High School in February 2018.
Northern Colorado
On December 12, 2019, the University of Northern Colorado hired McCaffrey as head football coach. He was fired from the position on November 21, 2022.
Head coaching record
Life after football
McCaffrey began coaching youth football camps in the summer of 2000. In 2011, he founded SportsEddy, which includes not just football but lacrosse, soccer, baseball and basketball camps. The Ed McCaffrey "Dare to Play" football camp and the "Dare to Cheer" cheerleading camp for individuals with Down syndrome are produced in partnership with the Global Down Syndrome Foundation. McCaffrey also founded the McCaffrey Family Foundation with wife Lisa, to assist children whose medical situation has created an academic or financial hardship.
He also has his own brand of mustard and horseradish sauce, which can be found in supermarkets across Colorado and into Nebraska. On July 30, 2012, McCaffrey was named the new color analyst for 850 KOA, flagship station of the Denver Broncos Radio Network, replacing Brian Griese. On January 7, 2019, it was announced he would serve as the commissioner of the Pacific Pro Football league, a planned professional development football league founded by Don Yee.
Personal life
McCaffrey is the oldest of five children, with two brothers and two sisters: Monica, who played college basketball at Georgetown University, Billy, who played college basketball at Duke University and Vanderbilt University, Michael, and Meghan.