Marcus Dell Gastineau (born November 20, 1956) 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 Bowler, his 100.5 quarterback sacks in only his first hundred starts in the NFL made him one of the quickest and most-feared pass-rushers of his generation. In 1984 Gastineau set the record for most sacks in a single season (22) which stood for seventeen years until Michael Strahan broke it in 2001.
Gastineau retired in the middle of the 1988 season to spend more time with actress Brigitte Nielsen because she had health problems. In 1990, Gastineau tried a comeback with the British Columbia Lions in the Canadian Football League but played in only four games. A year later, he began a career in boxing.
Gastineau had several run-ins with the law, including drug-possession and domestic violence, and spent eleven months in prison for parole violations in 1999.
In recent times, Gastineau has said he has become a changed person and hopes to have put his turbulent past behind him.
