Celebrity News January 20, 2017
NFL Legend Mark Gastineau’s Heartbreaking Health Battle Revealed
Nearly 30 years after retiring, former Jets football legend Mark Gastineau is suffering some serious health problems.
Gastineau, 60, blamed his time on the football field for why he is battling brain disorders. He said in an interview with WOR Radio in New York, "When my results came back, I had dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Those are three things that I have.”
He reflected about playing football, "I led with my head all the time. People would come and gather around because when we hit each other, you would hear pops, like a shotgun going off.”
Though he doesn't regret playing in the NFL, he would have done some things differently if given the chance again. Gastineau, who currently works with USA Football's Heads Up Football program, said, "There are techniques out there now. I would have had them, I wouldn't have the results I have now.”
Back in the 1980s, Mark was one of the most dominant pass-rushers in the NFL. After his retirement in 1988, he went on to become a professional boxer and fought 17 matches in the '90s.