John Hufnagel

John Coleman Hufnagel (born September 13, 1951) is a special advisor for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

He has previously served as the Stampeders' President, General Manager, Head Coach, and Offensive Coordinator.

He played quarterback for fifteen professional seasons in the CFL and National Football League (NFL).

Hufnagel was an All-American at Penn State University in 1972, where he was the starting quarterback for three seasons (1970–1972) with a 26–3 record under head coach Joe Paterno.

As a junior, he was instrumental in the Nittany Lions' 30–6 Cotton Bowl victory in Dallas over the University of Texas.

He led a backfield which included Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell and Penn State finished 11–1, fifth in the final AP poll.

In 1972, Hufnagel became the first Nittany Lion quarterback to pass for more than 2,000 yards in a season.

His 2,039 passing yards set Penn State's single-season record for passing yards (since broken) and he remains among the top 10 in most major career passing categories.

He finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year, won by Johnny Rodgers of Nebraska, (and won the following year by Penn State running back John Cappelletti).

Hufnagel's final game as a collegian was the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, a 14–0 shutout loss to the University of Oklahoma on New Year's Eve.

Without Cappelletti due to the flu, the Penn State running game was weak and the Sooner defense dominated the game.

A 14th-round selection (348th overall) of the Denver Broncos in the 1973 NFL Draft, Hufnagel spent three seasons with the Broncos, then twelve more in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders (1976–1979), Saskatchewan Roughriders (1980–1983, 1987), and Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1984–1986).

In 1987, Hufnagel served as a player-coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

The Roughriders acquired his playing rights from Winnipeg, and named him as their Quarterback/Receiver Coach.

On August 28, in a 39-13 loss to the Edmonton Eskimos, Hufnagel saw his first playing action of the season.

During the game, he suffered a career ending Achilles tendon injury.

In his coaching role, Hufnagel helped mentor the team's young quarterbacks: Jeff Bentrim, Tom Burgess, and Kent Austin, who joined the team later in the season.

In 1988 and 1989, Hufnagel worked as real estate agent in Calgary.

During this time, he also served as a guest coach for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and as a volunteer coach at the University of Calgary.

In January 1990, Hufnagel was hired by new Calgary Stampeders head coach, Wally Buono, to be the team's quarterbacks and running backs coach.

By March, he had been given the title of offensive coordinator.

Receiver Dave Sapunjis was the CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian twice (1993 and 1995).

In June 1994, Hufnagel added Assistant Head Coach to his title.

Under Hufnagel's tutelage, the five- and six-receiver package became a staple in Calgary's offence.

In 1994, Calgary set CFL records for points scored one season (698), touchdowns one season (82), and touchdowns passing one season (52).

Future Pro Bowler quarterbacks Doug Flutie and Jeff Garcia earned All-CFL honors.

In 1994, Allen Pitts set a CFL record for receiving yards in a season (2,036).

In 1995, Pitts and Sapunjis both caught 100 passes.

In 1997, Hufnagel became head coach and general manager of the Arena Football League’s New Jersey Red Dogs.

In two seasons there, he posted a 17–11 record.

In the second half of both the 1997 and 1998 CFL seasons, the BC Lions brought Hufnagel in as a consultant to help with their offence.

After two seasons (1999, 2000) as the quarterbacks coach for the Cleveland Browns, Hufnagel was named the quarterbacks coach of the Indianapolis Colts, where he coached Peyton Manning to a 62.7 percent completion percentage and for 4,131 yards passing.

He spent the 2002 season as the quarterbacks coach on Tom Coughlin’s staff in Jacksonville.

That year, quarterback Mark Brunell threw only seven interceptions in 416 pass attempts, and an 85.7 quarterback rating.

He spent the 2003 season with the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.

Under Hufnagel's tutelage, Tom Brady earned a second Super Bowl MVP award, completing 60.2 percent of his passes for 3,620 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Hufnagel became the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants in 2004, and molded them into one of the NFL's most potent offenses.

Tiki Barber set a franchise rushing record two years in a row, and the Giants became only the fifth team in NFL history to have five different players score at least seven touchdowns.

Prior to his hiring to the Stampeders on December 3, 2007, he was the offensive coordinator of the New York Giants of the NFL.

During the 2014 Grey Cup Coaches News Conference, when Hufnagel and Austin were opposing coaches, Austin credited Hufnagel for giving him shortcuts in 1987 so that he could have a chance to succeed early as a Canadian Football quarterback instead of having to go through huge growing pains due to inexperience.