Mike Cofer (kicker)

Mike Cofer
No. 6, 2
Position: Kicker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1964-02-19) February 19, 1964
Place of birth: Columbia, South Carolina
Career information
College: North Carolina State
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
FG Att: 201
FGM: 133
Pct: 66.2
Player stats at NFL.com

James Michael Cofer (born February 19, 1964 in Columbia, South Carolina), is a former professional American football player who attended Charlotte Country Day School. A 6'2", 197 lb (89 kg) placekicker from North Carolina State University, Cofer kicked in the National Football League for eight seasons from 1987–1993 and 1995. In the 1990s and 2002, he was also a stock car racing driver in the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour and Craftsman Truck Series.

Professional career

Cofer was the kicker for the San Francisco 49ers when they won back-to-back Super Bowls — Super Bowl XXIII and Super Bowl XXIV.

Cofer had a strong leg but was inconsistent for the 49ers in the late 1980s. Fans lost faith in him early in the 1990s as he missed several short field goals, the lowest point being in 1991 where he made just 14 of 28 attempts. Cofer eventually ended his career with the Indianapolis Colts in 1995.

Racing career

Mike Cofer
Awards 1994 Featherlite Southwest Tour Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Camping World 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)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of February 13, 2012.

In 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.[1] 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.[2] He won two more poles at Saugus Speedway and Tucson Raceway Park, finishing fifth in the final points standings[3] and winning the series' Rookie of the Year Award.[4]

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.[4] In 2002, Cofer ran three races in the Truck Series starting at Indianapolis Raceway Park,[5] driving the No. 04 Ford F-150 for Quality Motorsports and finishing 33rd after his radiator failed.[6] He ran another for the team at Phoenix International Raceway,[7] starting 30th and finishing 21st, his best runs of the season.[8] 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.[9]

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Craftsman Truck Series

References

  1. ↑ "1993 Budweiser 200". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  2. ↑ "1994 Plummer Pontiac 100". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  3. ↑ "1994 NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Daytona less than kind to racer Rusty Wallace". The Tuscaloosa News. February 5, 1995. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Former Niner Mike Cofer moving up in NASCAR ranks". Las Vegas Sun. July 24, 2002. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  6. ↑ "2002 Power Stroke Diesel 200". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  7. ↑ "2002 Chevy Silverado 150". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.
  8. ↑ Pockrass, Bob (January 31, 2014). "NFL and NASCAR: Former NFL stars who dabbled in stock-car racing". Sporting News. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  9. ↑ "2002 Ford 200". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 31, 2015.

External links


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