Jonathan Hefney
Encyclopedia
Jonathan Jerrod Hefney is a Canadian Football
Defensive Back
who is currently playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
of the Canadian Football League
. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
at Tennessee
.
Hefney has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
and Detroit Lions
.
at Rock Hill High School
in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He led his school to an undefeated record in 2002. Following his senior season, Hefney played at Hargrave Military Academy
in Chatham, Virginia
.
at either cornerback
or safety during his time at Tennessee, starting every game except for the 2004 season opener against UNLV
. Hefney also garnered attention as a punt
return specialist
.
but instead he went undrafted
, and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. On July 25, 2008 he was released from the Buccaneers. Hefney was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles
practice squad on September 9, 2008.
of the CFL signed Hefney on May 28, 2009. He recorded 66 tackles and four interceptions his rookie season, earning Eastern Division Rookie of the Year and All-Star honors. However Hefney left the next year to play in the NFL again.
His time in the NFL that year was short however as Hefney was signed by the Detroit Lions
on January 4, 2010, and released on September 4, 2010. He was re-signed to the practice squad on September 6, and released on September 23.
He returned to the Blue Bombers four days after being released by the Detroit Lions. The 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season
saw Hefney as part of the self-titled "Swaggerville" defence that was arguably tops in the league. That season, Hefney won his second nod as a CFL East Division all-star, and was then named to his second CFL All-Star team a short time later.
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
Defensive Back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
who is currently playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
.
Hefney has also been a member of the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
Early years
Hefney played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Rock Hill High School
Rock Hill High School
Rock Hill High School was the first of the three high schools in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It offers the International Baccalaureate diploma to its senior class students, as well as duel credit and Advanced Placement...
in Rock Hill, South Carolina. He led his school to an undefeated record in 2002. Following his senior season, Hefney played at Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy
Hargrave Military Academy is a private American boarding school located in the town of Chatham, Virginia.Hargrave is a school affiliated with the Baptist General Association of Virginia emphasizing Christian values that focuses on a college and military preparatory program...
in Chatham, Virginia
Chatham, Virginia
Chatham is a town in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, United States. Chatham's population was 1,338 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Danville, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. Chatham is home to Chatham High School and Hargrave Military Academy. It is also home to Chatham Hall , an...
.
College career
Hefney was a four year starterStarting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
at either cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
or safety during his time at Tennessee, starting every game except for the 2004 season opener against UNLV
UNLV Rebels football
The UNLV Rebels football program is a college football team that represents the University of Nevada, Las Vegas . The team is currently a member of the Mountain West Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association...
. Hefney also garnered attention as a punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
return specialist
Return specialist
A Return Specialist is a player on American football or Canadian football special teams who specializes in returning punts and kickoff returns. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most play other positions as well. The special teams counterpart of a return specialist is a...
.
Early NFL career
Hefney was expected to be selected early in the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL Draft
The 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so...
but instead he went undrafted
Undrafted
An undrafted sportsperson or undrafted free agent is specific type of sportsperson who plays, or attempts to play, in a professional sports league without first being selected in a draft....
, and signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. On July 25, 2008 he was released from the Buccaneers. Hefney was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
practice squad on September 9, 2008.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Failing to make an NFL team, the Winnipeg Blue BombersWinnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
of the CFL signed Hefney on May 28, 2009. He recorded 66 tackles and four interceptions his rookie season, earning Eastern Division Rookie of the Year and All-Star honors. However Hefney left the next year to play in the NFL again.
His time in the NFL that year was short however as Hefney was signed by the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on January 4, 2010, and released on September 4, 2010. He was re-signed to the practice squad on September 6, and released on September 23.
He returned to the Blue Bombers four days after being released by the Detroit Lions. The 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season
2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season
The 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season will be the 54th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 79th overall. The Blue Bombers finished in 1st place in the East division with a 10–8 record. The team clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 on October 7th, 2011 after a...
saw Hefney as part of the self-titled "Swaggerville" defence that was arguably tops in the league. That season, Hefney won his second nod as a CFL East Division all-star, and was then named to his second CFL All-Star team a short time later.
Statistics
| Regular season | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | Tackles | Stt | Sacks | Int | Yards | Long | TD | Fumbles | Yards | Long | TD | |||
| 2009 2009 CFL season The 2009 CFL season was the 56th season of modern professional Canadian football. Officially, it was the 52nd season of the Canadian Football League. The Montreal Alouettes won the 97th Grey Cup on November 29 with a last second 28–27 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders... |
WPG 2009 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season The 2009 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season was the 52nd season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 77th overall. The Blue Bombers were in the playoff hunt until the last game of the season, at home, against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, but lost the game and failed to qualify for the... |
66 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2010 2010 CFL season The 2010 CFL season is the 57th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it is the 53rd season of the league. Edmonton is scheduled to host the 98th Grey Cup on November 28... |
WPG 2010 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season The 2010 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season was the 53rd season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 78th overall. The Blue Bombers finished the year in 4th place in the East division with a 4–14 record and failed to make the playoffs... |
25 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2011 2011 CFL season The 2011 CFL season was the 58th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 54th season of the league. The complete schedule was released on February 18 and featured the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes opening the season against the visiting BC Lions on... |
WPG 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season The 2011 Winnipeg Blue Bombers season will be the 54th season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 79th overall. The Blue Bombers finished in 1st place in the East division with a 10–8 record. The team clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 on October 7th, 2011 after a... |
76 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 11 | 0 | |||
| CFL Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football.... totals |
167 | 10 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 11 | 0 | ||||