Jason Gildon

Jason Gildon

No. 92, 56
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1972-07-31) July 31, 1972 (age 52) Altus, Oklahoma, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	250 lb (113 kg)
Career information
High school:	Altus
College:	Oklahoma State
NFL draft:	1994  / round: 3 / pick: 88
Career history
Pittsburgh Steelers (1994–2003) Buffalo Bills (2004)* Jacksonville Jaguars (2004)
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards First-team All-Pro (2001) 3× Pro Bowl (2000–2002) Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor 2× First-team All-Big Eight (1991, 1993) 2× Second-team All-Big Eight (1990, 1992) Career NFL statistics Total tackles: 519 Sacks: 80.0 Forced fumbles: 15 Fumble recoveries: 11 Interceptions: 2 Defensive touchdowns: 3 Stats at Pro Football Reference Jason Larue Gildon (born July 31, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1994 to 2003 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2004. He was selected to three Pro Bowl teams from 2000, 2001, and 2002, and is currently ranked sixth in Steelers all-time career sacks with 77. He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. College career Gildon is an Oklahoma State University alum. Professional career Pre-draft measurables Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press 6 ft 3+1⁄4 in (1.91 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 33+1⁄2 in (0.85 m) 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) 4.90 s 1.77 s 2.87 s 4.40 s 36 in (0.91 m) 9 ft 8 in (2.95 m) 18 reps All values from NFL Combine [1] Gildon was selected in the third round of the 1994 NFL draft by the Steelers. [2] Gildon played a large role on the Steelers special teams unit during his first two years before being inserted into the starting lineup in 1996, after All-Pro pass-rusher Greg Lloyd, Sr. went down in the season opener with a torn knee ligament. Gildon turned in 7.0 sacks in 1996. 1997 saw Gildon lineup opposite Lloyd after returning and recorded 5.0 sacks, 53 tackles, 12 passes defensed, and 1 defensive touchdown. Gildon was most remembered in 1997 for recovering a Drew Bledsoe fumble late into the Steelers 1997 Divisional Playoff match-up against the New England Patriots; the Steelers would win this game 7-6 thanks to Gildon securing the ball, preventing a possible Patriots field goal or touchdown. Over the course of the 1998 and 1999 seasons, Gildon would rack up a total of 19.5 sacks and 109 tackles. The 2000 Steelers season was Gildon's break-out year. He would amass 13.5 sacks, 75 tackles, and 1 defensive touchdown, and was the anchor of a Steelers defense that helped the team record its first winning season in three years. Now teamed up with young outside linebacker Joey Porter, many speculated that the Steelers had their best pair of pass-rushing linebackers since Lloyd and Kevin Greene from the mid-90s. Gildon capped off an impressive season with his first Pro Bowl berth. In 2001, the Steelers finally made their way back to the playoffs and Gildon kept up his charge. He would record 12.0 sacks, score his third career defensive touchdown, and pull down his first career interception against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was named to his second Pro-Bowl, but his dreams and that of the Steelers' of getting to the Super Bowl were erased after a defeat to the Patriots in the 2001 AFC Championship Game. Gildon made his third and final Pro Bowl team in 2002 while his numbers decreased a bit. He had 9.0 sacks, his lowest total since 1999. Gildon had reached age 30 while Porter finished 2002 as the Steelers co-MVP and new defensive leader. 2003 was Gildon's last season with the Steelers, who had finished the year 6–10. He started the season with 71.0, needing just 3.0 sacks to pass L. C. Greenwood. During a game against the Arizona Cardinals, Gildon brought the home crowd to its feet one last time when he sacked Cardinals quarterback Jeff Blake in the third quarter to surpass Greenwood. Gildon was a member of the Buffalo Bills during the 2004 training camp, but he was cut two weeks into camp. Midway through the 2004 season, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Gildon to their roster, who needed help at defensive end. Gildon contributed 3.0 sacks, including one against his former team on December 5, 2004. For his career, Gildon finished with 80.0 sacks, 520 tackles, 44 passes defensed, 2 interceptions, and 3 defensive touchdowns. Post-NFL career After his professional football career ended, Gildon went into coaching. He was an assistant coach at Seneca Valley and Peters Township, near Pittsburgh. In Feb. 2015, he beat out 40 applicants from 10 states and became the head football coach at Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic HS in a Pittsburgh suburb. [3] He left that position in December 2016 after two seasons and a record of 17–6 overall. [4] Personal life Gildon is the older brother of former Tennessee Titans defensive end Larry Birdine. NFL career statistics Year Team GP COMB TOTAL AST SACK FF FR FR YDS INT IR YDS AVG IR LNG TD PD 1994 PIT 16 5 4 1 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1995 PIT 16 13 8 5 3.0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1996 PIT 14 58 46 12 7.0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1997 PIT 16 53 41 12 5.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 1998 PIT 16 53 41 12 11.0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1999 PIT 16 56 42 14 8.5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2000 PIT 16 75 56 19 13.5 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2001 PIT 16 53 42 11 12.0 3 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 2002 PIT 16 67 45 22 9.0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2003 PIT 16 61 42 19 6.0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 7 2004 JAX 9 12 11 1 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Career 167 506 378 128 80.0 18 10 0 2 1 1 1 0 46 [5] References "Jason Gildon NFL Combine Stats 1994". nflcombineresults.com. June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022. "1994 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 31, 2023. "Former Steeler Jason Gildon Takes over as Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic Football Coach". February 17, 2015. "Ex-Steeler Jason Gildon out as North Catholic football coach | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette". "Jason Gildon Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved May 1, 2014. This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.