Teams played for:
- Detroit Lions; 1983-1993
Another one of the early players trying to help Tennessee football rebuild under Johnny Majors, Mike Cofer took over as a full-time starter in 1981, a year after the Vols’ second losing season in four years under Majors. He helped them begin a run of seven straight bowl appearances, and although he didn’t get to see it, he laid the foundation for an SEC Championship and 10-win year.
Cofer was a local Knoxville product who had 237 tackles and 178 in his final two years alone. He mostly played defensive end and had five career sacks, four of which came his senior season, and another seven tackles for a loss, five of which came his senior season. Add in nine forced fumbles, four each of his final two seasons, and he truly was a force.
This all led to the Detroit Lions taking Cofer in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft. At 6’5″ 245 pounds, he played defensive end for them for two years. However, he moved to outside linebacker full-time in 1985, where he became a star. Cofer’s career peaked in 1988 with a Pro Bowl appearance, and he was a star around the edge.
After 10 years in the pros, Cofer spent the entire 1993 season on the injured reserved list and was then waived, effectively ending his career. However, he still appeared in 123 games and started in 104 of them. During that run, he had 62.5 sacks, an incredible 10 fumble recoveries and an interception. He tragically passed away in 2019 but still left his mark as a Vol in the NFL.