89 days to Gator football! #89 Wes Chandler

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#89 Wesley Sandy Chandler of New Smyrna Beach, Florida played wide receiver for Doug Dickey from 1974-1977. Three decades after he played his last game, Chandler still ranks 8th on the career receiving touchdowns list with 22. It is more amazing that he caught his 92 passes for 1,963 yards and a school record 22 touchdowns in a run-oriented, wishbone offense! He also had six more scores on rushes and kick returns, and led the team in receiving yards in 1975, 1976 and 1977. Chandler was a first-team All-SEC selection, a first-team All-American in 1976 and 1977, a first-team Academic All-American in 1977, and the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award as a senior team captain in 1977. He also finished tenth in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy in 1977. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Gator athletes ever. Wes was the third overall pick of the 1978 NFL Draft for the New Orleans Saints.

Wes played for the New Orleans Saints (1978-1981), the San Diego Chargers (1981-1987), and San Francisco 49ers (1988) where he was 4X Pro Bowl, First-Team All-Pro, NFL receiving yards leader (1982), and NFL receiving touchdowns leader (1982). He later coached wide receivers for the Orlando Thunder, University of Central Florida, Rhein Fire, Frankfurt Galaxy, Berlin Thunder (as head coach), Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, New York Sentinels, and University of California Berkeley.

He was named to the University of Florida Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1989. Wes is also a member of the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame.