Jeff Gossett
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Alan Gossett is a former American football
punter who played in the National Football League
(NFL) and the United States Football League
(USFL). He was the starting
punter for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
from 1988 through 1996. During the 1996 season, at age 39, Jeff was the NFL's oldest punter. He ended his football career after the 1996 season. One of the top punters in the NFL in the 1980s he averaged a career high 44.2 yards per punt in 1991 and earned a spot on the Pro Bowl
roster. He also played in the USFL for the Chicago Blitz
in 1984 and the Portland Breakers
in 1985.
and played in their farm system
for two seasons as an outfielder
and third baseman
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
punter who played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) and the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
(USFL). He was the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
punter for the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1988 through 1996. During the 1996 season, at age 39, Jeff was the NFL's oldest punter. He ended his football career after the 1996 season. One of the top punters in the NFL in the 1980s he averaged a career high 44.2 yards per punt in 1991 and earned a spot on the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
roster. He also played in the USFL for the Chicago Blitz
Chicago Blitz
The Chicago Blitz were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. They played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.- Team history :...
in 1984 and the Portland Breakers
Portland Breakers
The Portland Breakers were a professional American Football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid 1980s. Before moving to Portland, Oregon, the franchise was previously in Boston, Massachusetts as the Boston Breakers and New Orleans, Louisiana as the New Orleans...
in 1985.
Trivia
In 1978, Gossett was drafted in the fifth round by the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and played in their farm system
Farm team
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team or nursery club, is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point...
for two seasons as an outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
.