Mark Gastineau

Marcus Dell Gastineau (born November 20, 1956) is a former American football player who was a defensive end for the New York Jets from 1979 to 1988. A five-time Pro Bowler, his 107½ quarterback sacks in only his first 100 starts in the NFL made him one of the quickest and most feared pass rushers of his generation. Gastineau was ranked the 8th greatest pass rusher in NFL History on NFL Network\'s Top 10 Pass Rushers.\n', ' Gastineau was born in Ardmore, Oklahoma, and moved to Springerville, Arizona at the age of seven, when his parents, Ernie and Lou, bought a ranch. Mark broke his leg as a child in such a horrific manner that he was told by doctors that he would never walk again. Mark overcame the injury and the odds and Ernie built his son a rodeo ring, and Mark began entering team-roping events at 12. Mark\'s other passion was collecting Indian artifacts in Arizona\'s White Mountains. At Round Valley High School, Gastineau needed urging from his father to play football. Gastineau showed promise, but not enough to attract attention from major colleges.\n', ' He entered Eastern Arizona Junior College in 1975 and earned All-America honors in his first season. He transferred to Arizona State University, and spent just one season playing defensive end there before finally settling upon East Central Oklahoma State University, now East Central University, in Ada, Oklahoma. He had 27 quarterback sacks in his college career, and earned Outstanding Defensive Lineman honors for the North in the 1979 Senior Bowl. He became ECU\'s first-ever draft pick when the New York Jets selected him in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft.\n', '