James Michael Cofer (born February 19, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He attended Charlotte Country Day School. A 6'2", 197 lb (89 kg) kicker from North Carolina State University, Cofer played in the NFL from 1987 to 1993 and 1995. In the 1990s and 2002, he was also a stock car racing driver in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
| No. 4, 6, 3 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Placekicker | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | February 19, 1964 Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Charlotte Country Day (Charlotte, North Carolina) | ||||||||||
| College: | NC State | ||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 1987 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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| Awards | 1994 Featherlite Southwest Tour Rookie of the Year | ||||||||||
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career | |||||||||||
| 3 races run over 1 year | |||||||||||
| Best finish | 61st (2002) | ||||||||||
| First race | 2002 Power Stroke Diesel 200 (IRP) | ||||||||||
| Last race | 2002 Ford 200 (Homestead) | ||||||||||
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| Statistics current as of February 13, 2012. | |||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Professional career
editAfter going undrafted, Cofer was signed by the Cleveland Browns in the off-season, but was ultimately released and picked up by the New Orleans Saints, where he would put up a single made field goal attempt, as well as 5 made extra points out of 7 attempted in 2 games.
San Francisco 49ers
edit1988
editIn 1988, Cofer's first season with the team, he ended with 27 of 38 field goal attempts made, as well as 40 of 41 extra point attempts made. Despite his inconsistency, the 49ers would move on to Super Bowl XXIII, where they would defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16. For his performance in the season, Cofer would earn NFL All-Rookie honors. [1]
1989
editCofer's kicking slightly improved in 1989; he successfully made 29 of 36 field goal attempts, and also successfully made 49 of his 51 extra-point attempts. This season would prove to be one of the 49ers' most dominant in franchise history, as after making it to Super Bowl XXIV, during which Cofer made 7 out of 8 extra point attempts, they would beat the Denver Broncos 55-10, accounting for the most points ever scored by a winning team in a Super Bowl. For his performance this season (which included being the NFL's leader in scoring), Cofer would earn a First-team All-Pro nomination.
1990
editCofer's kicking would become inconsistent in 1990, as he only made 24 of his 36 field goal attempts, although he did successfully make all 39 of his extra point attempts. Despite his lows in kicking, the 49ers would successfully make it to the NFC Championship Game, where Cofer would successfully make 2 field goals, as well as his sole extra point attempt, in the 13-15 loss against the New York Giants.
1991-1993
editCofer's stats became more inconsistent in 1991; he would only make 14 of his 28 field goal attempts, good for a staggering 50%, but once again made almost all of his extra point attempts, successfully making 49 of 50 extra-point attempts. In this year, despite having a 10-6 record, Cofer and the 49ers would miss the playoffs.
In 1992, Cofer's field goal kicking would slightly improve, though he still only made 18 of his 27 field goal attempts. The 49ers would move on the NFC Championship game, where Cofer would successfully make both of his field goal attempts and both of his extra point attempts in the 20-30 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.
In 1993, Cofer's final season with the 49ers, Cofer's field goal percentage would drop again as he made only 16 of his 26 field goal attempts, but once again was consistent with extra-points, successfully making 59 of his 61 extra point attempts. The 49ers would once again face the Cowboys in the NFC Championship game, but once again lost, 21-38, as Cofer made all three of his extra-point attempts. Following this, Cofer left the 49ers, and he would not return to play for a team for the 1994 season.
Indianapolis Colts
editCofer returned to the NFL in 1995, signing with the Indianapolis Colts. With them, he only played 4 games, making just 4 of 9 field goal attempts, and making all 9 of his extra point attempts. Following his last game with the Colts, he decided to retire and pursue other endeavors, including racing.
NFL career statistics
edit| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | Overall FGs | PATs | Kickoffs | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lng | FGM | FGA | Pct | XPM | XPA | Pct | KO | Avg | TB | ||||
| 1987 | NO | 2 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 5 | 7 | 71.4 | — | — | — | 8 |
| 1988 | SF | 16 | 52 | 27 | 38 | 71.1 | 40 | 41 | 97.6 | — | — | — | 121 |
| 1989 | SF | 16 | 47 | 29 | 36 | 80.6 | 49 | 51 | 96.1 | — | — | — | 136 |
| 1990 | SF | 16 | 56 | 24 | 36 | 66.7 | 39 | 39 | 100.0 | — | — | — | 111 |
| 1991 | SF | 16 | 50 | 14 | 28 | 50.0 | 49 | 50 | 98.0 | 80 | 61.0 | 13 | 91 |
| 1992 | SF | 16 | 46 | 18 | 27 | 66.7 | 53 | 54 | 98.1 | 87 | 62.0 | 20 | 107 |
| 1993 | SF | 16 | 46 | 16 | 26 | 61.5 | 59 | 61 | 96.7 | 92 | 64.0 | 31 | 107 |
| 1995 | IND | 4 | 52 | 4 | 9 | 44.4 | 9 | 9 | 100.0 | — | — | — | 21 |
| Career | 102 | 56 | 133 | 201 | 66.2 | 303 | 312 | 97.1 | 259 | 62.0 | 64 | 702 | |
Postseason
edit| Year | Team | GP | Overall FGs | PATs | Kickoffs | Points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lng | FGM | FGA | Pct | XPM | XPA | Pct | KO | Avg | TB | ||||
| 1988 | SF | 3 | 41 | 2 | 5 | 40.0 | 10 | 11 | 90.9 | — | — | — | 16 |
| 1989 | SF | 3 | 36 | 3 | 6 | 50.0 | 15 | 17 | 88.2 | — | — | — | 24 |
| 1990 | SF | 2 | 47 | 2 | 2 | 100.0 | 5 | 5 | 100.0 | — | — | — | 11 |
| 1992 | SF | 2 | 42 | 4 | 5 | 80.0 | 4 | 4 | 100.0 | 10 | 57.0 | 0 | 16 |
| 1993 | SF | 2 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 100.0 | 8 | 9 | 88.9 | 12 | 59.0 | 4 | 11 |
| Career | 12 | 47 | 12 | 19 | 63.2 | 42 | 46 | 91.3 | 22 | 58.0 | 4 | 78 | |
Racing career
editIn 1993, Cofer began racing in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour, running a race at Sears Point Raceway and finishing 39th after an oil pump failed.[2] The following year, he began racing full-time in the series for JMC Enterprises, driving the No. 79 Chevrolet. Four races into the season, he won his first career race from the pole position at Stockton 99 Speedway, leading all 100 laps.[3] He won two more poles at Saugus Speedway and Tucson Raceway Park, finishing fifth in the final points standings[4] and winning the series' Rookie of the Year Award.[5]
In 1995, he was offered an invitation to compete in the newly formed SuperTruck Series presented by Craftsman, but turned it down to take the job as kickers coach with the Carolina Panthers.[5] In 2002, Cofer ran three races in the Truck Series starting at Indianapolis Raceway Park,[6] driving the No. 04 Ford F-150 for Quality Motorsports and finishing 33rd after his radiator failed.[7] He ran another for the team at Phoenix International Raceway,[8] starting 30th and finishing 21st, his best runs of the season.[9] Cofer later joined Ware Racing Enterprises for the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, driving the No. 5 Dodge Ram. After starting last, he finished 26th, the last car running.[10]
Motorsports career results
editNASCAR
edit(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
Craftsman Truck Series
edit| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | NCTC | Pts | Ref | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Quality Motorsports | 04 | Ford | DAY | DAR | MAR | GTY | PPR | DOV | TEX | MEM | MLW | KAN | KEN | NHA | MCH | IRP 33 |
NSH | RCH | TEX | SBO | LVS | CAL | PHO 21 |
61st | 249 | [11] | |||||||||||||||||
| Ware Racing Enterprises | 5 | Dodge | HOM 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Mike Cofer". www.slamnv.org. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ "1993 Budweiser 200". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ "1994 Plummer Pontiac 100". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ "1994 NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ a b "Daytona less than kind to racer Rusty Wallace". The Tuscaloosa News. February 5, 1995. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ "Former Niner Mike Cofer moving up in NASCAR ranks". Las Vegas Sun. July 24, 2002. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
- ^ "2002 Power Stroke Diesel 200". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ "2002 Chevy Silverado 150". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ Pockrass, Bob (January 31, 2014). "NFL and NASCAR: Former NFL stars who dabbled in stock-car racing". Sporting News. Archived from the original on May 22, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
- ^ "2002 Ford 200". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
- ^ "Mike Cofer – 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
External links
edit- Mike Cofer driver statistics at Racing-Reference
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