John Christian Gesek Jr. (born February 18, 1963) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
offensive lineman in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for the
Los Angeles Raiders
The Los Angeles Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before relocating back to Oakland, California, where the team played from its inaugural 1960 season to the 1981 season and then agai ...
,
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
, and
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. He played
college football at
Sacramento State University
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is the eleventh oldest school in the 23-campus California ...
and was
drafted in the tenth round of the
1987 NFL Draft. He is best known for his role in winning two Super Bowls with the Cowboys over the
Buffalo Bills as a starting offensive lineman.
Early years
Gesek attended
San Ramon Valley High School, as a freshman and senior, transferring to
Bellflower High School
Bellflower High School is a six-year public high school located in Bellflower, California, as part of the Bellflower Unified School District (BUSD).
Demographics and class size
As of 2009, Bellflower had 136 regular educations teachers and 123 c ...
for his sophomore and junior seasons. He was a two-way player on the offensive and defensive line.
After graduation he moved on to
Diablo Valley College
Diablo Valley College (DVC) is a public community college with campuses in Pleasant Hill and San Ramon in Contra Costa County, California. DVC is one of three public community colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District (along with ...
where he did not participate in sports. As a sophomore, he transferred to
Sacramento State University
California State University, Sacramento (CSUS, Sacramento State, or informally Sac State) is a public university in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1947 as Sacramento State College, it is the eleventh oldest school in the 23-campus California ...
during its non-scholarship
Division II years. He played
defensive end
Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football.
This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...
, tallying 34 tackles and 4 sacks.
As a junior, he moved to
offensive tackle and found a starting spot at right tackle. As a senior, he was the only returning starter on an
offensive line
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...
that helped post 400.5 yards per game and won the
Western Football Conference title.
In 1996, he was inducted into the Sacramento State Football Hall of Fame. The school also created the annual "John Gesek Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award" in his honor.
Professional career
Los Angeles Raiders
Gesek was selected by the
Los Angeles Raiders
The Los Angeles Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994 before relocating back to Oakland, California, where the team played from its inaugural 1960 season to the 1981 season and then agai ...
in the 10th round (265th overall) of the
1987 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he appeared in 3 games (one start), before being placed on the
injured reserve list
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on September 7 with a knee injury.
The next season after
Charley Hannah
Charles Alvin Hannah (born July 26, 1955) is a former American football offensive guard and defensive end who played in the National Football League from 1977 to 1988. Charley played six years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six years for the L ...
suffered a season ending knee injury, he started 6 games between
left guard and
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
, but was placed on the
injured reserve list
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
with a knee injury on November 30, missing the last 3 contests.
In
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
, he was the full-time starter at
right guard
Right Guard is an American brand of deodorant and shower gel that is manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. It is the second largest brand in the male deodorant category in the United States. Right Guard was introduced in 1960 by The Gi ...
where he started all 16 games. After the Raiders signed
Max Montoya in
Plan B free agency
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
, Gesek became expendable and was traded to the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
in exchange for a fifth round draft choice (#124-
Ben Coates) on September 3,
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...
.
Dallas Cowboys
In
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...
, he passed
Kevin Gogan
Kevin Patrick Gogan (born November 2, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and Sa ...
on the depth chart and became the starter at right guard in the fifth game of the season.
Gesek was the starter at
right guard
Right Guard is an American brand of deodorant and shower gel that is manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. It is the second largest brand in the male deodorant category in the United States. Right Guard was introduced in 1960 by The Gi ...
during his first three seasons with the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
, including
Super Bowl XXVII.
In
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
, he started the first 14 games at right guard until suffering a left ankle sprain against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. The next game against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, he was limited to only short yardage situations, but was able to recover for the rest of the season and the playoffs. The offensive line helped
Emmit Smith lead the league with 365 carries for 1,563 rushing yards.
In
1992, he started all 16 games at right guard. The offensive line helped the offense rank fourth in the league in total offense, fifth in rushing and passing. It also contributed to Smith winning his second consecutive NFL rushing title with 1,713 yards. He was a part of the
XXVII winning team.
In
1993
File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...
, he was injured in a pre-season game against the Raiders and was replaced by
Kevin Gogan
Kevin Patrick Gogan (born November 2, 1964) is an American former professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins, and Sa ...
and remained in a reserve role, until
Mark Stepnoski suffered a knee injury against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
in the 13th game of the season. After trying
Frank Cornish as the replacement at
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
, the team settled on Gesek for the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...
run and
Super Bowl XXVIII.
His role in one of the greatest
offensive line
In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...
s in
NFL history was detailed in
NFL Network
NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League (NFL) and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and NF ...
's 2013
A Football Life: "The Great Wall of Dallas". Before the start of the
1994 season, with four Cowboys offensive linemen declared as
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
s, the Cowboys focused on re-signing
guard Nate Newton
Nathaniel Newton (born December 20, 1961) is a former American football guard in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers. He also was a member of the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League. He ...
, and Gesek became a sought after free agent and opted to change teams.
Washington Redskins
After fielding offers from several teams, including the Los Angeles Raiders and San Francisco 49ers, he signed a contract on March 16,
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...
as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, reuniting him with head coach
Norv Turner
Norval Turner (born May 17, 1952) is an American football coach in the National Football League (NFL). An offensive assistant for the majority of his coaching career, he came to prominence as the Dallas Cowboys' offensive coordinator during the ...
, who was his offensive coordinator with the Cowboys. Although he had played most of his career at
guard, the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
signed him as a free agent to play
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
and allow the move of
Raleigh McKenzie to
right guard
Right Guard is an American brand of deodorant and shower gel that is manufactured and sold by Thriving Brands LLC. It is the second largest brand in the male deodorant category in the United States. Right Guard was introduced in 1960 by The Gi ...
.
Gesek was the starting
center
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
during his 2 seasons with the team. In
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...
, he started 12 games at center and four at right guard, despite being limited with pain in his neck and arm, caused by a bulging disk in his neck, which eventually forced him to retire. On August 20,
1996, he was waived injured and was replaced with a platoon of
Jeff Uhlenhake and
Cory Raymer. Gesek was ultimately granted his tenth year through arbitration when it was found the Redskins released him while injured.
Personal life
After retiring from the NFL, Gesek became an entrepreneur, real estate developer, and founder of Optimus Capital Advisors, where he continues in his role as a financial advisor and firm principal. He is married to Gina and has four grown children, daughters Presley, Audra, Payton and son Tanner, as well as granddaughter Evaliah.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gesek, John
1963 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Danville, California
Players of American football from Contra Costa County, California
American football offensive linemen
Diablo Valley Vikings football players
Sacramento State Hornets football players
Los Angeles Raiders players
Dallas Cowboys players
Washington Redskins players