Mark Gastineau Confronts Brett Favre for 'Taking a Dive' on Record-Breaking Play 22 Years Ago

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Mark Gastineau, a former New York Jets defensive end, is best known for his five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances and All-Pro honors from 1981-85. He also set the single-season sack record with 22 in 1984.

Gastineau's record stood for 22 years until Michael Strahan broke it with 22.5 sacks in 2001. However, Gastineau believes Favre "robbed" him of the record and that the NFL should not have credited Strahan with the sack.

On the play in question, Favre rolled out on a designed handoff with the Packers blocking Strahan with a wide receiver on the opposite side of the field. When Favre rolled out, Strahan was waiting for him. Instead of taking the hit, Favre gave himself up and was touched down by Strahan, giving the Hall of Famer the single-season sack record.

Gastineau's legacy is complicated. He was a great pass rusher, but he was also known for being selfish and not caring about stopping the run. He was recently dubbed a "dirty" player by 1988 MVP quarterback Boomer Esiason.

Despite his flaws, Gastineau should be mentioned in the conversation with some of the best pass rushers of all time. He paved the way for the NFL's modern sack specialists and helped make the New York Sack Exchange one of the most feared defenses in the league.