What is Mark Gastineau's Net Worth?
Mark Gastineau is a former professional football player who has a net worth of $3.5 million. Mark Gastineau played as a defensive end for the NFL's New York Jets from 1979 to 1988. A five-time Pro Bowler, he was also the first player ever to lead the NFL in sacks in consecutive seasons, doing so in 1983 and 1984. Gastineau is considered one of the greatest pass rushers in the history of the league.
Early Life and High School
Mark Gastineau was born on November 20, 1956 in Ardmore, Oklahoma. He attended Round Valley High School in Eagar, Arizona.
Collegiate Career
In 1975, Gastineau began attending Eastern Arizona Junior College. He subsequently transferred to Arizona State University, where he played one season as a defensive end before transferring to East Central Oklahoma State University.
NFL Career
In the 1979 NFL draft, Gastineau was chosen in the second round by the New York Jets. This made him the first player ever to be drafted from East Central Oklahoma State University. Gastineau quickly became one of the most skilled and honored defensive linemen of his generation. With Jets teammates Joe Klecko, Abdul Salaam, and Marty Lyons, he was part of the infamous "New York Sack Exchange" defensive line, with the four players posting a combined 66 sacks in the 1981 season. That season, the Jets made their first playoff appearance in 12 years, and Gastineau was selected to his first of five consecutive Pro Bowls. Despite being shortened by a players' strike, the 1982 season was another big one, with the Jets reaching the AFC Championship Game and Gastineau earning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. Gastineau truly cemented his status as an NFL great in the 1983 season when he led the league in sacks, with 19. He became nationally famous for his signature (albeit controversial) "Sack Dance," which he performed after sacking a rival quarterback. The dance was ultimately banned by the NFL due to a bench-clearing brawl in September 1983 that was precipitated by Gastineau's sack of Los Angeles Rams player Vince Ferragamo.
Gastineau had his greatest career season in 1984 when he led the NFL in sacks for the second consecutive year, this time with 22. In the process, he became the first player to lead the NFL in sacks in consecutive seasons. In that season's Pro Bowl, Gastineau was named the MVP after recording four sacks and a safety in the game. Despite breaking his hand early in the 1985 season, he managed to finish second in the league with 13.5 sacks. The Jets went on to reach the wildcard playoffs, where they lost to the New England Patriots. Gastineau had a disappointing 1986 regular season due to myriad injuries, leaving him to record just two sacks in ten games. However, he came back strong in the postseason as the Jets reached the divisional playoffs against the Cleveland Browns. In the 1987 season, Gastineau participated in the players' strike as the only Jets regular to immediately cross the picket line. This inflamed already existing tensions between him and his teammates. Although Gastineau had an auspicious start to the 1988 season, leading the AFC in sacks over the first seven games, he abruptly announced his retirement so he could care for his fiancé Brigitte Nielsen, who was reportedly dealing with cancer. At the time of his retirement, he was the NFL's all-time leader in sacks.
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Post-retirement
In 1990, Gastineau attempted a football comeback with the Canadian Football League's BC Lions, but was released after just four games. The next year, he began boxing, and appeared to knock out professional wrestler Derrick Dukes. However, Dukes later admitted to taking a dive, as did several others who had fought Gastineau and were instructed to throw their matches in order to make the former football star look good. Gastineau's boxing career ended in 1996 after he lost to fellow former football player Alonzo Highsmith.
Legal Problems
Gastineau has had several run-ins with the law. In 1984, he was found guilty of assaulting a patron at Studio 54 in New York, and was sentenced to 90 hours of community service at Rikers. Later, in the early 1990s, Gastineau was arrested for picking up a package of amphetamines at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, and was sentenced to three years probation. He got into legal trouble again in 2000 when he failed to complete an anger management course after hitting his wife, resulting in an 18-month jail sentence.
Personal Life
Gastineau married his first wife, Lisa D'Amico, today known as Lisa Gastineau, in 1979. They had a daughter named Brittny before divorcing in 1991. Toward the end of their marriage, Gastineau had an affair with Danish actress, singer, and model Brigitte Nielsen; they had a son named Killian. Later, in 2007, Gastineau married a woman named JoAnn.
In 2016, Gastineau was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. A few years later, he revealed that he had been battling colon cancer, as well.
