CFL hall of famer Tommy Joe Coffey dies at age 83

HAMILTON – Seven-time CFL all-star Tommy Joe Coffey has died, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have confirmed.

Coffey was 83.

Inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1977, Coffey played in the CFL for 14 years as a kicker and receiver from 1959 to 1973.

A member of the Edmonton Eskimos (1959-60, 1962-66), the Ticats (1967-72) and the Toronto Argonauts (1973), Coffey was a finalist for the CFL’s most outstanding player award three times and won two Grey Cups with Hamilton in 1967 and ’72.

The West Texas State product led the CFL in scoring in four seasons and also topped the league in pass receptions in four campaigns.

“Tommy is one of the most decorated players to ever wear a Ticats jersey and will forever be a huge part of our franchise’s great history,” Ticats chief executive officer Scott Mitchell said in a statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 26, 2020.