Ken MacAfee
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Adams MacAfee, Jr. (born January 9, 1956 in Portland, Oregon
), is a former college
and professional American football
player. He played collegiately at the University of Notre Dame
and professionally for the San Francisco 49ers.
and was a star as a high school player at Brockton High School
. He emerged as a star as a sophomore, and as a junior he led the Brockton Boxers to the first Massachusetts high school scholastic "Super Bowl"—the state championship game, which Brockton won. After the season MacAfee was selected as a First-team All-American.
In his senior season he caught 10 touchdown passes as his school went through a second straight undefeated season, scoring 360 points and allowing only 21 and again heading to the scholastic "Super Bowl." In that game MacAfee caught four passes for 111 yards in a 41-0 win to seal a second consecutive state title. Again, MacAfee was an All-America selection. MacAfee finished his career with 23 touchdown receptions. In his four years at Brockton High School, the team was 33-3-1.
—a First-team selection in 1975
and a consensus selection in 1976
and 1977
. MacAfee was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1997.
In 1977 he also was Academic All-America
, won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
and was third in voting for the Heisman Trophy
. That year he caught 54 passes for 797 yards and six touchdowns. In his time Notre Dame had a 38-9 record and was the National Champion in 1977, with Joe Montana
quarterbacking the Irish team. In his collegiate career he caught 128 career passes for 1,759 yards and 15 TDs, ranking third on Notre Dame career receiving chart. He was a participant in Hula Bowl
and Japan Bowl after his senior season.
. He was a starter in his rookie season he caught 22 passes with one going for a touchdown. He was a starter in his second season, 1979 and caught 24 passes for 4 touchdowns.
In 1980 MacAfee was asked to play guard for the 49ers, and not feeling suited to play that position, he left and began dental school. After the season his rights were traded to the Minnesota Vikings
, but never played a regular season game with them. He was placed on injured reserve in September, 1981.
and obtained his degree in 1983. He set up a practice in dentistry and oral surgery and taught at the University of Pennsylvania. He now has his own practice in Waltham, Massachusetts
, where he was once a hated rival of the Waltham High School
football team. Additionally, MacAfee became active in United Way, Health Volunteers Overseas
, Physicians Fighting Cancer, Homes for Homeless, AIDS Awareness Center, and Home for Wayward Children.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
), is a former college
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...
and professional American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He played collegiately at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
and professionally for the San Francisco 49ers.
High school
MacAfee grew up in Brockton, MassachusettsBrockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
and was a star as a high school player at Brockton High School
Brockton High School
Brockton High School, established in 1871, is a high school located in Brockton, Massachusetts and is the largest high school in Massachusetts and New England. Although it is smaller by approximately 200 students than Reading High School, Brockton is one of the largest high schools east of the...
. He emerged as a star as a sophomore, and as a junior he led the Brockton Boxers to the first Massachusetts high school scholastic "Super Bowl"—the state championship game, which Brockton won. After the season MacAfee was selected as a First-team All-American.
In his senior season he caught 10 touchdown passes as his school went through a second straight undefeated season, scoring 360 points and allowing only 21 and again heading to the scholastic "Super Bowl." In that game MacAfee caught four passes for 111 yards in a 41-0 win to seal a second consecutive state title. Again, MacAfee was an All-America selection. MacAfee finished his career with 23 touchdown receptions. In his four years at Brockton High School, the team was 33-3-1.
College
MacAfee was a three-time All-American at the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
—a First-team selection in 1975
1975 College Football All-America Team
The 1975 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
and a consensus selection in 1976
1976 College Football All-America Team
The 1976 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
and 1977
1977 College Football All-America Team
The 1977 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
. MacAfee was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1997.
In 1977 he also was Academic All-America
Academic All-America
Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program...
, won the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award
Walter Camp Award
The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football Player of the Year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-A head coaches and sports information directors under the auspices of the Walter Camp Football Foundation;...
and was third in voting for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. That year he caught 54 passes for 797 yards and six touchdowns. In his time Notre Dame had a 38-9 record and was the National Champion in 1977, with Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
quarterbacking the Irish team. In his collegiate career he caught 128 career passes for 1,759 yards and 15 TDs, ranking third on Notre Dame career receiving chart. He was a participant in Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
and Japan Bowl after his senior season.
NFL
MacAfee played with the San Francisco 49ers in 1978-79 after being drafted seventh overall in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft1978 NFL Draft
The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978...
. He was a starter in his rookie season he caught 22 passes with one going for a touchdown. He was a starter in his second season, 1979 and caught 24 passes for 4 touchdowns.
In 1980 MacAfee was asked to play guard for the 49ers, and not feeling suited to play that position, he left and began dental school. After the season his rights were traded to the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, but never played a regular season game with them. He was placed on injured reserve in September, 1981.
Post-football
He enrolled in dental school at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
and obtained his degree in 1983. He set up a practice in dentistry and oral surgery and taught at the University of Pennsylvania. He now has his own practice in Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
, where he was once a hated rival of the Waltham High School
Waltham High School
Waltham High School is the only public high school serving the city of Waltham, Massachusetts.-Old School Building:The old Waltham High School was originally constructed in 1902. Designed by Samuel Patch and Robert Glancey, it follows the local contemporary style of Romanesque and Classical...
football team. Additionally, MacAfee became active in United Way, Health Volunteers Overseas
Health Volunteers Overseas
Health Volunteers Overseas is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health care of developing countries through the training and education of local health care providers.-History:...
, Physicians Fighting Cancer, Homes for Homeless, AIDS Awareness Center, and Home for Wayward Children.