| No. 21 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | May 5, 1957 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight: | 270 lb (122 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Capitol (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) |
| College: | McNeese State |
| NFL draft: | 1979 / round: 4 / pick: 105 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Charles Ray Jefferson (born May 5, 1957) is a former American football defensive back who played for the Houston Oilers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at McNeese State University.[1]
Jefferson was born on May 5, 1957, in New Orleans, Louisiana.[2] He attended Capitol High School and is one of three of their alumni to play in the NFL.[3] He began attending McNeese State University in 1975.[4] As a sophomore in 1976, Jefferson helped McNeese win their first Southland Conference championship while reaching the Independence Bowl.[5] He was the team leader and conference leader with seven interceptions on the season and placed seventh in the nation in that category, being a unanimous first-team choice on the all-conference team.[4][5] He also received selection to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana team.[6]
Jefferson again led McNeese in interceptions in 1977 and was named second-team all-conference.[5][7] As a senior, he led the team in interceptions, with six, for the third straight year and also led the conference in that category, being a unanimous first-team All-Southland choice.[5][8] He ended his collegiate career with 19 interceptions, which ranked second in school history and in the top 10 all-time in state history as of 2014.[5]
Selected by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round (105th overall) of the 1979 NFL draft, Jefferson was placed on injured reserve before the season began.[9] He was waived in October and claimed off waivers by the Houston Oilers.[10] He appeared in five regular season games as a backup and later played in the team's two playoff games, for seven combined appearances in the 1979 season.[2] He became among the first 10 NFL alumni in McNeese history.[11] Jefferson was placed on injured reserve to begin the 1980 season.[12] He was waived prior to the 1981 season.[13]
Jefferson was named in a poll to the Southland Conference 1970s All-Decade team in 2013 and one year later was inducted into the McNeese State Hall of Fame.[5] He wrote a book on his life, titled Memoirs: The Legacy of a Professional Football Player, in 2019.[14]
- ^ "Charles Jefferson, DB". NFL.com. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ a b "Charles Jefferson Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "Capitol (Baton Rouge, LA) Alumni Pro Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ a b "Four Cowboys, Three 'Dogs on All-SLC". The Shreveport Journal. December 1, 1976. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f "Charles Jefferson". McNeese Cowboys.
- ^ McDonald, Dan (January 26, 1977). "Duhe, Ryckman Pace All-Louisiana Grid Team". The Crowley Post-Signal. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Three Cajuns All-SLC". Abbeville Meridional. December 5, 1977. p. 20 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "McCann, six other Bulldogs all-SLC". The Times. December 3, 1978. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "transactions". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. August 15, 1979. p. 26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oilers claim rookie defender Jefferson". El Paso Herald-Post. United Press International. October 27, 1979. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "McNeese St. Players/Alumni". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "Transactions". Victoria Advocate. September 2, 1980. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Oilers waive pair, extend vet's pact". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Associated Press. August 9, 1981. p. 60 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Book Talk with Pro Football Player Charles Jefferson". Country Roads Magazine. January 26, 2020.
