Andrew Gachkar
 Gachkar in 2011 | |||||||||||||
| Dallas Cowboys | |||||||||||||
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | November 4, 1988 Overland Park, Kansas | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 224 lb (102 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Overland Park (KS) Blue Valley | ||||||||||||
| College: | Missouri | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 2011 / round: 7 / pick: 234 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of Week 15, 2015 | |||||||||||||
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Andrew Gachkar (born November 4, 1988) is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Missouri.
Early life
Gachkar grew up in Overland Park, Kansas, while attending Blue Valley West High School, where he played both running back and linebacker.
College career
Gachkar, rated the number 12 overall prospect in the state of Kansas, chose to play collegiately at the University of Missouri. He was a two-year year starter for the Tigers. In 2009, he started 13 games at strongside linebacker and had 80 tackles (second on the team). The next year he was moved to weakside linebacker to replace All-American Sean Weatherspoon, finishing with 84 tackles.[1]
Professional career
San Diego Chargers
Gachkar was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round (234th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. On July 28, 2011, he was signed to a four-year deal with the Chargers. As a rookie he played mainly on special teams and posted 12 special teams tackles (second on the team).
He became a valuable special teams player, while also being a solid reserve linebacker. In 2012, he recorded 13 tackles (2 for loss), one sack and eight special teams tackles. The next season he started 3 games, making 25 tackles (one for loss) and 8 special teams tackles.
In 2014, he received more playing time due to injuries and defensive coordinator John Pagano's rotations at linebacker. He registered 5 starts, 46 tackles (6 for loss), 16 special teams tackles and also scored his first NFL touchdown against the St. Louis Rams on a fumble recovery.
Dallas Cowboys
On March 15, 2015, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys for a two-year, $5.5 million contract, reuniting with former Chargers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia.[2] As a reserve linebacker, he showed the ability to play all three positions and made Jasper Brinkley expendable.[3] He played in every game, registering 8 special teams tackles (second on the team) and 13 defensive tackles.[4]
Personal life
Gachkar overcame a life-threatening ailment to even be able to play football. In 2007, after his freshman year at Missouri, he was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. He had developed a blood clot because his collarbone and rib cage were too close together to allow proper blood flow through his veins. As a result, he underwent major surgery to remove one of his ribs, and a second surgery after another clot developed. Gachkar spent more than 20 hours in surgery and nearly a month in the hospital and he lost 30 pounds. The surgeries initially put his football future in doubt, but Gachkar was diligent in his rehabilitation and he made it back for the 2008 season without missing a game.[5]
Gachkar married Lauren Nuckolls, a former Missouri Tiger volleyball player and his high school sweetheart, on March 23, 2013.[6]
References
- ^ "Chargers draft Andrew Gachkar of Blue Valley West and Missouri in seventh round". Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Sessler, Marc (March 15, 2015). "Dallas Cowboys land linebacker Andrew Gachkar". NFL.com. Retrieved 2015-03-15.
- ^ "Cowboys turn attention to Andrew Gachkar at middle linebacker". Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ "Roster Rundown: Gachkar Provided Solid LB Depth, Special Teams Play". Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ "Gachkar overcomes challenges to lead Missouri football team". Retrieved February 19, 2016.
- ^ Dallas Cowboys agree to two-year deal with San Diego free agent LB Andrew Gachkar Archived March 16, 2015, at the Wayback Machine