McCafferty played college football for Ohio State University under coach Paul Brown, where he was a key member of the offensive line.
Due to World War II, he was one of a select group of players to play twice in the annual College All-Star Game held in Chicago.
[5] After working in the Cleveland, Ohio, recreation department the following year, McCafferty was hired as an assistant coach at Kent State University in 1948.
McCafferty's easy-going personality helped serve as a buffer against the demanding Shula's quest for perfection, a contrast that played a major part in the team's three NFL playoff appearances during the next seven years.
In the turnover-filled Super Bowl V against the Dallas Cowboys, the Colts won 16–13 on a last-second field goal by rookie Jim O'Brien.
[17] On July 28, 1974, while spending some time at his home in West Bloomfield, Michigan, McCafferty suffered a heart attack while mowing his lawn.