I am sure the third player on our list of Jets Draft successes will be a controversial one. Mark Gastineau did a lot to make people dislike him during his career. Although his flamboyant sack dance would probably fit in perfectly with the swagger of today's Jets, many fans found this member of the New York Sack Exchange's self-congratulatory manner distasteful. Gastineau took steroids as a player. He crossed the picket line during a strike. He left his wife for an actress in a public fashion. He stunningly retired during a season claiming that actress had a cancer scare. He later admitted he retired mainly because he feared failing a drug test. He had trouble with domestic violence after his career ended. He also committed an infamous and boneheaded personal foul that contributed to a brutal loss in the 1986 Playoffs against the Browns.
Why does the 1979 second round pick make the list? He was a terror on the football field. When he retired, he had 107.5 sacks, a record at the time. He had a Defensive Player of the Year award. He had three 19 sack seasons. He held the single season sack record, which might still be standing if not for Michael Strahan's sack of Brett Favre under suspect circumstances the final week of 2001. He made five Pro Bowls and four All Pro teams. Sacks were not even an official stat his first three years in the league.
Gastineau is a born again Christian. His run with the Jets was eventful. On the field, he was extremely productive for a long time despite the sideshow. That is why he is on the list.
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