What JL brings
Notice everyone interviewed as Raider history and those that do not (Martz, Green) aren't in play.
Sark - qb coach
Fassell - asst. coach
Lofton: ex-player
Ryan - current dc
fatdog said:
If true so much for that young 30 something HC. Does anyone know what Lofton would bring to the raiders as a HC?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Lofton
James David Lofton (Born July 5, 1956, at Fort Ord, Monterey, California) is a former American Football wide receiver who played for the Green Bay Packers (1978-1986), Los Angeles Raiders (1987-1988), the Buffalo Bills (1989-1992), Los Angeles Rams (1993) and Philadelphia Eagles (1993). He was an 8-time Pro-Bowler for both Green Bay and Buffalo and played in three Super Bowls with the Bills. Lofton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the class of 2003.
In his 16 NFL seasons, Lofton caught 764 passes for 14,004 yards and 75 touchdowns. He averaged 20 yards per catch or more in five seasons, leading the league in 1983 and 1984 with an average of 22.4 and 22 yards respectively. He also rushed 32 times for 246 yards and 1 touchdown.
Lofton became the wide receiver coach for the San Diego Chargers in 2002 and has continued that role for four seasons. In 2006, Lofton was one of two finalists for the Stanford head coaching job. That job went to Jim Harbaugh.
Lofton is the first NFL player to record 14,000 yards receiving and the first to score a touchdown in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. During his nine seasons in Green Bay, Lofton played in seven Pro Bowls. In 1991, Lofton became the oldest player to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season.
College career
James Lofton graduated Stanford University. As a senior, Lofton received 68 passes for 1,216 yards (17.88 yards per reception average), and was an All-American selection.
He was also a track star, winning the NCAA long jump championship. At one point, Lofton was clocked at 20.7 seconds for the 200-meter dash. Lofton also won the NCAA long jump title as a senior.
Lofton has always stated that his greatest accomplishment in life was marrying his wife, Beverly and having three wonderful children, David, Daniel and Rachel. Rachel was on the TV show Endurance Hawaii.
Hall of Fame Bio:
http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=131
Chargers Website:
http://www.chargers.com/team/coaches/james-lofton.htm
James Lofton
Wide Receivers
21st NFL Season, 5th with Chargers
Hall of Fame wide receiver James Lofton is passing along his knowledge of the game to the Chargers’ corps of receivers. One of the most prolific pass catchers in NFL history, Lofton was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on January 25, 2003.
Under Lofton’s watchful eye in 2005, Keenan McCardell caught more touchdown passes (nine) than he had in any of his previous 13 seasons, while fellow wide receiver Eric Parker continued to raise the bar, upping his career bests for the second consecutive year with 57 catches for 725 yards.
During an NFL career than spanned 16 seasons (1978-1993), Lofton caught 764 passes for 14,004 yards (18.3 avg.) and scored 75 touchdowns. His 764 career receptions rank 17th in league history, while his 14,004 receiving yards is third in NFL annals to only Jerry Rice (22,466) and Tim Brown (14,734). Lofton played in 233 games during his career.
Lofton entered the NFL in 1978 as a first-round draft pick (sixth overall) of the Green Bay Packers. He spent nine seasons (1978-1986) in Green Bay before moving to Los Angeles to play for the Raiders during the 1987-88 seasons. In 1989, Lofton signed with Buffalo, where he spent the next four seasons (1989-1992). In Buffalo, Lofton was part of three AFC Championship teams and played in three Super Bowls following the 1990, ’91 and ’92 seasons.
In 1993, Lofton played one game for the Los Angeles Rams and nine games with the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring after the ’93 season. It was with Philadelphia that Lofton became the first player in NFL history to eclipse 14,000 receiving yards.
Lofton’s finest NFL seasons came in 1983 and 1984 with the Packers. In 1983, he caught 58 passes for 1,300 yards and eight touchdowns, leading the NFL with an average of 22.4 yards per catch. The following year, he caught 62 passes for 1,361 yards and seven scores for an average of 22.0 yards per catch, also tops in the NFL.
Lofton joined the Chargers after spending eight years in broadcasting. From 1994-96, he was an analyst for CNN’s NFL Preview Show. In 1997, he spent a year as an analyst on NFL games for NBC. In 1998, Lofton returned to CNN as a studio analyst for CNN-SI’s coverage of the NFL. He spent three years (1998-2001) as a game analyst on FOX Sports Net’s broadcast of Big 12 football games while also doing NFL games for CBS Radio on Westwood One. From 1995-2001, Lofton worked as an analyst for the Carolina Panthers on the team’s preseason telecasts. Lofton was born July 5, 1956 in Fort Ord, California. He attended George Washington High School in Los Angeles and Stanford University. His career receiving totals at Stanford included 68 catches for 1,216 yards (17.9 avg.). In 1977, he set the school single-season record with 12 touchdown catches. He was a three-year letterman (1975-77) for the Cardinal in football. He also had an outstanding career in track and field at Stanford where he was a four-time All-America selection. In 1978, he won the NCAA Championship in the long jump. Lofton graduated from Stanford in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering.
Lofton has competed in Master’s track and field events since 1997. He won the 2003 and 2005 Pacific Association championship in the 400 meters and posted the fastest time in the world in the 300 meters for the 45-49 year old division. In 2002, Lofton won the Western Regional championship in the 400 meters, and in 2001 he captured the long jump championship. Lofton also won the championship in the long jump at the World Master’s Games in 1999. His first titles were in 1997 in the 200 and 400 meters, and the long jump at the Texas State Master’s.
James and his wife, Beverly, have three children, sons David and Daniel, and daughter Rachel. David is a fifth-year senior free safety at Stanford, who graduated in June, 2006 with a degree in urban studies. Daniel is a freshman wide receiver at the University of California. Rachel attends Westview High School where she runs track and was the number two ranked freshman in San Diego in the 100 and 200 meters in 2006.
Since 2004, James has been the Chargers’ representative in the NFL Coaches Association.
James Lofton’s Coaching Experience
2002-06 - Wide Receivers, San Diego Chargers
