Mark Gastineau
Encyclopedia
Marcus Dell Gastineau is a former American football
player who was a leading defensive end
for the New York Jets
from 1979 to 1988. A five-time Pro Bowl
er, his 100½ quarterback sack
s in only his first 100 starts in the NFL
made him one of the quickest and most feared pass rushers of his generation. Gastineau is ranked the 8th greatest pass rusher in NFL History on NFL Network
's NFL Top 10
Pass Rushers.
, and moved to Springerville, Arizona
at the age of seven, when his parents, Ernie and Lou, bought a ranch. 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.
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
.
," the Jets defensive line that also included Joe Klecko
, Marty Lyons
and Abdul Salaam. The four combined for 66 sacks in 1981, including twenty by Gastineau (In 1981
sacks were unofficial, but Gastineau's 20 sacks trailed Klecko by only ½ a sack), to lead the Jets to their first playoff game since 1969
. He was Second-team All-Pro in 1981 as well as being consensus All-AFC. In November 1981, he, Klecko, Lyons and Salaam were invited to ring the ceremonial opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange
, which served as the inspiration for their nickname.
With Klecko rupturing the patella tendon in his right knee in the second game of the strike shortened 1982
season against the New England Patriots
, Gastineau became the new unofficial leader of the "Sack Exchange." Though he was often double teamed, he finished the season with six sacks, and was voted the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by NEA (and awarded the George S. Halas Trophy). The Jets made the playoffs again in 1982, losing the AFC
Championship game to the Miami Dolphins
.
started with Gastineau and the Jets' first round pick of the 1983 NFL Draft
, quarterback
Ken O'Brien
, getting arrested and charged with assault at Studio 54
. Despite this off-the-field indiscretion, Gastineau totaled 19 sacks to lead the NFL for the first time.
Gastineau was nationally famous for doing his signature "Sack Dance" after sacking an opposing quarterback. However, he had to stop when the NFL declared it "unsportsmanlike taunting" in March 1984 and began fining players for it. The ban on the Sack Dance stemmed from a 1983 game against the Los Angeles Rams, when Gastineau and Rams Pro Football Hall of Fame
offensive tackle Jackie Slater got into a fight following a Gastineau sack of Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo
.
Gastineau had his best individual season with an NFL record 22 sacks (leading the NFL for the second year in a row), 69 tackles and one fumble recovery for a touchdown in 1984
. He was voted the UPI AFC Defensive Player of the Year, and was also named MVP of that season's Pro Bowl
after tallying four sacks and a safety in that game. Gastineau's sack record stood for seventeen years until Michael Strahan
broke it in 2001
.
New defensive coordinator Bud Carson
installed a 3-4 defense for the 1985 season
. Gastineau shifted from left defensive end to right defensive end, although he did move him around to allow for mismatches. Gastineau broke his hand early in that season but still finished second in the league with 13½ sacks and was voted All-Pro by the NEA.
The Jets finished 11-5 in 1985 to earn a wildcard spot in the playoffs along with fellow AFC East
rivals, the New England Patriots
. Gastineau recorded a sack in the Jets' 26-14 loss to the Pats at the Meadowlands
.
, Gastineau was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
alongside New York Giants
star linebacker
Lawrence Taylor
. Injuries limited Gastineau to just two sacks in ten games (his lowest total since his rookie season) as he was slowed by groin and abdominal muscle ailments and then by a damaged left knee that required arthroscopic surgery and forced him to miss the last five games of the regular season.
Gastineau rebounded in the postseason, recording a sack in the Jets wildcard round victory over the Kansas City Chiefs
and 2½ more in the Divisional Round Playoff game against the Cleveland Browns
. However, late in the fourth quarter of that game, with the Jets leading 20-10 and the Browns facing a second down and 24 from their own 18-yard line, Gastineau was called for a roughing the passer penalty.
The play had originally resulted in an incomplete pass by Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar
so instead of having a 3rd-and-24 situation, the 15-yard penalty on Gastineau gave the Browns a first down at their own 33. From there, the Browns drove the remaining 67 yards to a touchdown which cut the Jets' lead to 20-17. The Browns would later tie the game with 7 seconds remaining in regulation on a 22-yard field goal by Mark Moseley
and win it on a 27-yard field goal by Moseley 2 minutes and 2 seconds into the second overtime period.
After the game, Gastineau said that he hadn't been guilty of roughing and that he was "just following through." Teammate Marty Lyons, the Jets' other starting defensive end, defended Gastineau saying, "(Ben Dreith
) is a referee who's known to take care of the quarterback." Joe Walton
, the Jets' head coach would say only, "It was a very key play, Mark was just trying to do the best he could do."
, Gastineau was the only New York Jet regular to immediately cross the picket line in that year's players' stike, citing his need to pay alimony. Teammate Dave Jennings
said of this understandably unpopular move: "We expected it from Mark. He's always put himself in front of the team. He's a very selfish individual." Gastineau got into a fight with backup center Guy Bingham
when he drove into the Jets complex early in the strike. Gastineau wound up having the last laugh of a sort when teammates Marty Lyons and Joe Klecko joined him later that season in breaking the players' strike.
following the 1987 season, and soon began a highly-publicized romance. Nielsen was driven onto the sidelines of the field in a limousine followed by photographers and TV cameras during a 1988 training camp scrimmage between the Jets and Washington Redskins
at Lafayette College
in Pennsylvania
. Following the scrimmage, she and Mark publicly hugged and kissed.
Gastineau's relationship with Nielsen coincided with a sudden resurgence in his game early in the 1988 season
. He seemed poised to return to his old self, leading the AFC
in sacks seven weeks into the 1988 season. However, he shocked the football world by announcing his retirement soon after Nielsen, to whom he had previously announced his engagement, claimed to be suffering from cancer of the uterus. At the time of his retirement, Gastineau was the NFL's all-time leader in sacks.
The announcement was followed by a surge of investigation by local New York papers of whether she was telling the truth, reflecting citywide mistrust of Gastineau. Years later, Gastineau admitted he actually retired out of concern that he would fail another drug test and that the public would learn he used anabolic steroids.
Gastineau tried a comeback, in the Canadian Football League
in 1990
. He signed a two-year contract with the BC Lions
, but got injured and was released after only four games.
produced a first-round knockout. Dukes, a professional wrestler, later admitted he took a dive. TV newsmagazine
show 60 Minutes
interviewed several others that fought Gastineau and were told to take dives to make Gastineau look good. His career ended in 1996 when he lost to another former football player, Alonzo Highsmith
. His record in boxing was fifteen wins, two losses, and one no-contest.
and their daughter Brittny Gastineau
(whom he has not seen in 17 years) were the stars of the E!
reality television show, The Gastineau Girls
. Gastineau has a son with actress Brigitte Nielsen, Killian Marcus (born on December 15, 1989 in Scottsdale, Arizona
). Killian, who lives in Milan, Italy, has never met his father.
Gastineau made a small cameo appearance as a prisoner in a crowd during a prison football game in the 1989 film Lock Up
starring Sylvester Stallone
(to whom Nielsen was married prior to her relationship with Gastineau). Later he himself would spend time in prison, as he has had several run-ins with the law, including domestic violence and drug possession in 1993. In 2000, Gastineau spent eleven months behind bars in Rikers Island
for parole violations.
Gastineau has said he has become a changed person and hopes to have put his turbulent past behind him. Shortly after his release from prison in 2001, he claimed to have a religious conversion to faith in Jesus Christ. Gastineau has appeared on programs such as The 700 Club
to speak of his experience.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a leading defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1979 to 1988. A five-time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er, his 100½ quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s in only his first 100 starts in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
made him one of the quickest and most feared pass rushers of his generation. Gastineau is ranked the 8th greatest pass rusher in NFL History on NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
's NFL Top 10
NFL Top 10
NFL Top 10 is a documentary program produced by NFL Films for airing on the NFL Network. The host and narrator is Derrin Horton.The program counts down 10 items directly related to the players, coaches, and events of the National Football League, with former players, NFL Network personalities, and...
Pass Rushers.
Early life
Gastineau was born in Ardmore, OklahomaArdmore, Oklahoma
Ardmore is a business, cultural and tourism city in and the county seat of Carter County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 24,283, while a 2007 estimate has the Ardmore micropolitan statistical area totaling 56,694 residents...
, and moved to Springerville, Arizona
Springerville, Arizona
Springerville is a town in Apache County, Arizona, United States within the White Mountains. Its postal ZIP code is 85938. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 1,956.Springerville sits at an elevation of 6,974 feet...
at the age of seven, when his parents, Ernie and Lou, bought a ranch. 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
Round Valley High School
Round Valley High School is a high school serving 445 students in Eagar, Arizona. It is the only high school in the Round Valley Unified School District.-History:...
, Gastineau needed urging from his father to play football. Gastineau showed promise, but not enough to attract attention from major colleges.
College
He entered Eastern Arizona Junior CollegeEastern Arizona College
Eastern Arizona College , is a community college located in Graham County, Arizona. The main campus is in Thatcher, with satellite locations in Gila County, and Greenlee County...
in 1975 and earned All-America honors in his first season. He transferred to Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, and spent just one season playing defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
there before finally settling upon East Central Oklahoma State University, now East Central University
East Central University
East Central University is a four year public university in Ada, Oklahoma, located in the south central region of the state. The university also has courses available in McAlester, Shawnee, Ardmore, and Durant....
, in Ada, Oklahoma
Ada, Oklahoma
Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,008 at the 2000 census. As of 2009, the city population was estimated at 17,019....
. 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
1979 NFL Draft
The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979...
.
New York Jets
Gastineau was among the most talented and honored defensive linemen of his era. He made the Pro Bowl five straight seasons (1981–85) and finished his ten year career with 107½ sacks, the Jets all-time record. He was a First-team All-Pro in 1982, 83, 84, and 85 and was consensus All-AFC in each of those years.The "New York Sack Exchange"
In New York, Gastineau was a key part of the famed "New York Sack ExchangeNew York Sack Exchange
The New York Sack Exchange is a nickname given to the New York Jets defensive line of the early 1980s, consisting of Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.-Origins:...
," the Jets defensive line that also included Joe Klecko
Joe Klecko
Joseph Edward Klecko is a former American football player as a defensive lineman best remembered for his days as a member of the New York Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange."-Temple University Owls:...
, Marty Lyons
Marty Lyons
Martin Anthony Lyons is a former American Football defensive tackle who played his entire eleven year career from 1979 to 1989 with the New York Jets of the National Football League...
and Abdul Salaam. The four combined for 66 sacks in 1981, including twenty by Gastineau (In 1981
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
sacks were unofficial, but Gastineau's 20 sacks trailed Klecko by only ½ a sack), to lead the Jets to their first playoff game since 1969
AFL playoffs, 1969
-Playoffs:-Divisional playoffs:Kansas City Chiefs 13, New York Jets 6|referee= Jack ReaderScoring*NY - Field goal Turner 27*KC - Field goal Stenerud 23*KC - Field goal Stenerud 25*NY - Field goal Turner 7...
. He was Second-team All-Pro in 1981 as well as being consensus All-AFC. In November 1981, he, Klecko, Lyons and Salaam were invited to ring the ceremonial opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
, which served as the inspiration for their nickname.
With Klecko rupturing the patella tendon in his right knee in the second game of the strike shortened 1982
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
season against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, Gastineau became the new unofficial leader of the "Sack Exchange." Though he was often double teamed, he finished the season with six sacks, and was voted the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by NEA (and awarded the George S. Halas Trophy). The Jets made the playoffs again in 1982, losing the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Championship game to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Defensive Player of the Year
The 1983 season1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
started with Gastineau and the Jets' first round pick of the 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
, quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Ken O'Brien
Ken O'Brien
Kenneth John O'Brien is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most...
, getting arrested and charged with assault at Studio 54
Studio 54
Studio 54 was a highly popular discotheque from 1977 until 1991, located at 254 West 54th Street in Manhattan, New York, USA. It was originally the Gallo Opera House, opening in 1927, after which it changed names several times, eventually becoming a CBS radio and television studio. In 1977 it...
. Despite this off-the-field indiscretion, Gastineau totaled 19 sacks to lead the NFL for the first time.
Gastineau was nationally famous for doing his signature "Sack Dance" after sacking an opposing quarterback. However, he had to stop when the NFL declared it "unsportsmanlike taunting" in March 1984 and began fining players for it. The ban on the Sack Dance stemmed from a 1983 game against the Los Angeles Rams, when Gastineau and Rams Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
offensive tackle Jackie Slater got into a fight following a Gastineau sack of Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo
Vince Ferragamo
Vince Anthony Ferragamo is a former professional football player, a quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League.-College career:...
.
Gastineau had his best individual season with an NFL record 22 sacks (leading the NFL for the second year in a row), 69 tackles and one fumble recovery for a touchdown in 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
. He was voted the UPI AFC Defensive Player of the Year, and was also named MVP of that season's Pro Bowl
1985 Pro Bowl
The 1985 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 27, 1985 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was AFC 22, NFC 14. Mark Gastineau of the New York Jets was the game's MVP. The referee was Chuck Heberling....
after tallying four sacks and a safety in that game. Gastineau's sack record stood for seventeen years until Michael Strahan
Michael Strahan
Michael Anthony Strahan is a former National Football League defensive end who played his entire career for the New York Giants; a career where he set the record for the most sacks in a single season and won a Super Bowl in his final year. He is currently a football analyst on Fox NFL Sunday, and...
broke it in 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
.
New defensive coordinator Bud Carson
Bud Carson
Leon H. "Bud" Carson was an American football coach best known for his role on the Pittsburgh Steelers' championship teams of the 1970s.-Player:Carson played defensive back for North Carolina from 1949 to 1951, then entered the Marines.-Georgia Tech:...
installed a 3-4 defense for the 1985 season
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
. Gastineau shifted from left defensive end to right defensive end, although he did move him around to allow for mismatches. Gastineau broke his hand early in that season but still finished second in the league with 13½ sacks and was voted All-Pro by the NEA.
The Jets finished 11-5 in 1985 to earn a wildcard spot in the playoffs along with fellow AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
rivals, the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Gastineau recorded a sack in the Jets' 26-14 loss to the Pats at the Meadowlands
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
.
1986 playoffs
For the start of the 1986 season1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
, Gastineau was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
alongside New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
star linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Taylor
Lawrence Julius Taylor , nicknamed "L.T.", is a Hall of Fame former American football player. Taylor played his entire professional career as a linebacker for the New York Giants in the National Football League...
. Injuries limited Gastineau to just two sacks in ten games (his lowest total since his rookie season) as he was slowed by groin and abdominal muscle ailments and then by a damaged left knee that required arthroscopic surgery and forced him to miss the last five games of the regular season.
Gastineau rebounded in the postseason, recording a sack in the Jets wildcard round victory over the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
and 2½ more in the Divisional Round Playoff game against the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. However, late in the fourth quarter of that game, with the Jets leading 20-10 and the Browns facing a second down and 24 from their own 18-yard line, Gastineau was called for a roughing the passer penalty.
The play had originally resulted in an incomplete pass by Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
so instead of having a 3rd-and-24 situation, the 15-yard penalty on Gastineau gave the Browns a first down at their own 33. From there, the Browns drove the remaining 67 yards to a touchdown which cut the Jets' lead to 20-17. The Browns would later tie the game with 7 seconds remaining in regulation on a 22-yard field goal by Mark Moseley
Mark Moseley
Mark DeWayne Moseley is a former professional American football placekicker in the National Football League who played for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Houston Oilers , the Washington Redskins , and the Cleveland Browns . He won the Most Valuable Player Award during the strike-shortened 1982 season...
and win it on a 27-yard field goal by Moseley 2 minutes and 2 seconds into the second overtime period.
After the game, Gastineau said that he hadn't been guilty of roughing and that he was "just following through." Teammate Marty Lyons, the Jets' other starting defensive end, defended Gastineau saying, "(Ben Dreith
Ben Dreith
Ben Dreith is a former American professional football on-field official who worked from 1960 to 1969 in the American Football League and from 1970 to 1990 in the NFL. Prior to his teaching and officiating career, he was a three-sport athlete at the University of Northern Colorado.Dreith developed...
) is a referee who's known to take care of the quarterback." Joe Walton
Joe Walton
Joseph Frank Walton is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Robert Morris University. Walton played eight seasons in the National Football League and served as head coach of the New York Jets for seven seasons...
, the Jets' head coach would say only, "It was a very key play, Mark was just trying to do the best he could do."
1987 NFL Players' strike
In 19871987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, Gastineau was the only New York Jet regular to immediately cross the picket line in that year's players' stike, citing his need to pay alimony. Teammate Dave Jennings
Dave Jennings (American football)
David Tuthill Jennings is a former American football punter with a 14 year career from 1974 to 1987 in the National Football League. He played for the New York Giants and the New York Jets. He worked as a radio color commentator for Giants games from 2002 until 2007, when he was replaced by former...
said of this understandably unpopular move: "We expected it from Mark. He's always put himself in front of the team. He's a very selfish individual." Gastineau got into a fight with backup center Guy Bingham
Guy Bingham
Guy Richard Bingham is a former American football center in the National Football League for the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of Montana and was drafted in the tenth round of the 1980 NFL Draft.Bingham attended and...
when he drove into the Jets complex early in the strike. Gastineau wound up having the last laugh of a sort when teammates Marty Lyons and Joe Klecko joined him later that season in breaking the players' strike.
Retirement
Gastineau met model and actress Brigitte NielsenBrigitte Nielsen
Brigitte Nielsen is a Danish model, actress, musician and reality television personality who began her career modelling for Greg Gorman and Helmut Newton and several years later made appearances in the 1985 films Red Sonja and Rocky IV and is also known for her marriage to Sylvester Stallone...
following the 1987 season, and soon began a highly-publicized romance. Nielsen was driven onto the sidelines of the field in a limousine followed by photographers and TV cameras during a 1988 training camp scrimmage between the Jets and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
at Lafayette College
Lafayette College
Lafayette College is a private coeducational liberal arts and engineering college located in Easton, Pennsylvania, USA. The school, founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter,son of General Andrew Porter of Norristown and citizens of Easton, first began holding classes in 1832...
in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. Following the scrimmage, she and Mark publicly hugged and kissed.
Gastineau's relationship with Nielsen coincided with a sudden resurgence in his game early in the 1988 season
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
. He seemed poised to return to his old self, leading the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
in sacks seven weeks into the 1988 season. However, he shocked the football world by announcing his retirement soon after Nielsen, to whom he had previously announced his engagement, claimed to be suffering from cancer of the uterus. At the time of his retirement, Gastineau was the NFL's all-time leader in sacks.
The announcement was followed by a surge of investigation by local New York papers of whether she was telling the truth, reflecting citywide mistrust of Gastineau. Years later, Gastineau admitted he actually retired out of concern that he would fail another drug test and that the public would learn he used anabolic steroids.
Gastineau tried a comeback, in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
in 1990
1990 CFL season
The 1990 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 37th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 33rd Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1990:J...
. He signed a two-year contract with the BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
, but got injured and was released after only four games.
Career statistics
| Year | Team | GP/GS | Sacks | Int | FR | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | New York Jets | 16/1 | 2* | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1980 | New York Jets | 16/16 | 11½* | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1981 | New York Jets | 16/16 | 20* | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1982 | New York Jets | 9/9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | New York Jets | 16/16 | 19 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1984 | New York Jets | 16/16 | 22 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1985 | New York Jets | 16/12 | 13½ | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1986 | New York Jets | 10/7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1987 | New York Jets | 15/7 | 4½ | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1988 | New York Jets | 7/7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 137/108 | 107 ½ | 0 | 10 | 2 |
- Sacks were not an official stat until 1982
- Postseason Stats: Played in seven postseason contests, with five starts, and had nine sacks including 4½ in 3 games during the 1982 postseason.
Boxing
In 1991, Gastineau began a career in boxing, compiling a 15-2 record before retiring in 1996. His first fight against Derrick DukesDerrick Dukes
Derrick Dukes is an American professional wrestler best known for his stint in the American Wrestling Association in the late 1980s as one half of the tag team The Top Guns with Ricky Rice. The team was originally made up off Rice and Jon Paul DeMans...
produced a first-round knockout. Dukes, a professional wrestler, later admitted he took a dive. TV newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
show 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
interviewed several others that fought Gastineau and were told to take dives to make Gastineau look good. His career ended in 1996 when he lost to another former football player, Alonzo Highsmith
Alonzo Highsmith
Alonzo Walter Highsmith is a former professional American football running back in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, Dallas Cowboys, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
. His record in boxing was fifteen wins, two losses, and one no-contest.
Personal life
His ex-wife Lisa GastineauLisa Gastineau
Lisa Gastineau is the co-star of the E! reality show The Gastineau Girls, which ran from 2005-2006. She is the mother of model and socialite Brittny Gastineau and the ex-wife of NFL player Mark Gastineau.- Biography :...
and their daughter Brittny Gastineau
Brittny Gastineau
Brittny Gastineau is an American model, socialite, and reality television personality.-Early life and family:Gastineau is the daughter of Lisa Gastineau and former New York Jets player Mark Gastineau...
(whom he has not seen in 17 years) were the stars of the E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
reality television show, The Gastineau Girls
The Gastineau Girls
Gastineau Girls was an American reality series that made its debut on the E! cable channel in 2005. The show followed the daily exploits of Lisa Gastineau and Brittny Gastineau, respectively the ex-wife and only daughter of former NFL player Mark Gastineau.-Synopsis:The first season chronicled...
. Gastineau has a son with actress Brigitte Nielsen, Killian Marcus (born on December 15, 1989 in Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is a city in the eastern part of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, as of 2010 the population of the city was 217,385...
). Killian, who lives in Milan, Italy, has never met his father.
Gastineau made a small cameo appearance as a prisoner in a crowd during a prison football game in the 1989 film Lock Up
Lock up
Lock up may refer to:* Lock Up , an American rock band, featuring guitarist Tom Morello during his pre-Rage Against the Machine career* Lock Up , a UK grindcore band* Lock Up , a 1989 movie featuring Sylvester Stallone...
starring Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
(to whom Nielsen was married prior to her relationship with Gastineau). Later he himself would spend time in prison, as he has had several run-ins with the law, including domestic violence and drug possession in 1993. In 2000, Gastineau spent eleven months behind bars in Rikers Island
Rikers Island
Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...
for parole violations.
Gastineau has said he has become a changed person and hopes to have put his turbulent past behind him. Shortly after his release from prison in 2001, he claimed to have a religious conversion to faith in Jesus Christ. Gastineau has appeared on programs such as The 700 Club
The 700 Club
The 700 Club is the flagship news talk show of the Christian Broadcasting Network, airing in syndication throughout the United States and Canada. In production since 1966, it is currently hosted by Pat Robertson, Terry Meeuwsen, Kristi Watts, and Gordon P. Robertson, two of whom will host on any...
to speak of his experience.