Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2011
A dual-athlete, George Coghill was a menacing force on both the football and baseball field for Wake Forest in the early 1990's. From 1989-1992 Coghill earned varsity letters in both sports, and started at defensive back in all but one of 45 football games during that time. Coghill proved to be most dominant on the gridiron, where he worked his way into the Wake Forest record books with his speed and agility.
Coghill ranks fourth in career interceptions in Wake Forest history with 12 and led the defense with four interceptions in both the 1990 and 1991 seasons. On special teams he topped the ACC in punt return average in 1990 and led Wake Forest in that same category from 1990-1992. Coghill's 86-yard punt return at Navy in 1991 ranks as the second longest in school history. His hard work and determination earned him back-to-back All-ACC honors in 1991 and 1992. In 1992, he was a team tri-captain, a third team All-America selection, and played in the Japan Bowl. That same year he helped Wake post a 39-35 comeback victory over Oregon in the 1992 Independence Bowl.
On the baseball diamond, Coghill lettered from 1989-1992, leading the team in triples in 1991 and tying for the team lead in stolen bases that same season.
Coghill also had a brief stint with the Wake Forest track program his freshman year after noticing his high school triple-jump mark was higher than the Wake Forest record. He broke the school record in Charlottesville, Va. at the ACC Outdoor Championships.
A leader on and off the field, Coghill often spent time during the holiday season with children at the Bowman Gray/Baptist Hospital Center dressed as Santa Claus. Upon graduation from Wake Forest, Coghill signed as a free agent with the New Orleans Saints in 1993 and would eventually win back-to-back Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos in 1998 and 1999.
