Tom Sestak
| No. 70 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Defensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 9, 1936 Gonzales, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died: | April 3, 1987 (aged 51) Buffalo, New York, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 267 lb (121 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Gonzales | ||||||||
| College: | McNeese State | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1962 / Round: 16 / Pick: 220 | ||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1962 / Round: 17 / Pick: 132 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career AFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||
Thomas Joseph Sestak (March 9, 1936 – April 3, 1987) was an American professional
Early life
Sestak was born in Gonzales, Texas. He had mixed European heritage, with his grandparents on his father's side being from Czechoslovakia while his grandparents on his mother's side being from Poland. Alongside his two brothers, he played in numerous sports as a child, such as football and track.[1] He played tight end in the collegiate ranks at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Career
His talents led to him being drafted in the 17th round by the Buffalo Bills in 1962. He was also drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixteenth round that year. He was an example of a trend of the young league to draft players from small colleges, which was deemed innovative in part due to its results that it cultivated, which Sestak represented well. He was to play defensive lineman for the Bills, owing to his 6-4 size, speed, and strength.
Sestak was a starter in his rookie year and, until a series of knee injuries ended his career after the 1967 season, used his strength to dominate the line of scrimmage. Sestak was a three-time selection to
His teammates described his play as "crazy as hell". He notably played a season with three broken ribs, and his knees problems meant that he spent time at a stationary bicycle instead of scrimmage during practice.
During the 1960s, only six professional defensive linemen were unanimous All-League selections for three or more years, Sestak (3), Bob Lily (5), Merlin Olsen (4), Willie Davis (3), Gino Marchetti (3), and Deacon Jones (3). The latter five, all former NFL players, have already been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while Sestak, a star from the AFL, like many other AFL players has been ignored by the Hall of Fame selectors. He was named to the First Team for his position at defensive tackle, along with Houston Antwine. In contrast, Buck Buchanan (a Second Team selection) is a Hall of Famer while Sestak is not.
In January 1970, Sestak was selected as a member of the
Sestak died of a heart attack in 1987.
See also
References
- ^ "Tom Sestak | National Polish-American Sports Hall Of Fame". www.polishsportshof.com. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016.
- ^ "Hall of Very Good Class of 2011". Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- NFL.com.