John Gerst

High School:
• Played for the Danville Ironmen for Coach John Wiley 1990-92
• 1992 Small School All-State Outside Linebacker
• 1992 North-South Allstar Game Defensive Player of the Game

College:
• Four-year starter at defensive end
• 1997 2nd Team PSAC and 1st Team ECAC defensive end
• 1997 co-captain
• 1997 homecoming defensive player of the game

Career records:
• #1 quarterback sacks 18.5 (1994-1997)
• #5 tackles for loss 29 (1994-1997)
• #5 yards from sacks 107 (1994-1997)
• #6 yards from tackles for loss 102 (1994-1997)

 Single season records:
• #5 sacks 7.5 (1996)
• #7 tackles for loss 12 (1997)
• #10 yards from tackles for loss (1997)

After graduation from Lock Haven University in 1998, John taught emotional support classes at Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit in Danville. In 1999, he married his college sweetheart, Jill Boyer (LHU class of 1999), and took over the family roofing business which employs approximately 20 people from the Lock Haven/Jersey Shore area. John and Jill have 4 daughters. Abigale is 19 and attends Bucknell University where she rows on the women’s varsity crew team. Madelyn is 18 and will also attend Bucknell University in fall to major in business. Ella is 16; she plays varsity tennis and track for the Jersey Shore Bulldogs. Josie is 14; she enjoys competing in Shore track and basketball. John shares his love for the outdoors with his daughters involving them in fishing, archery, and hunting in central Pennsylvania.

From Coach Chris Sprague:” The best way I can describe John is no different than his “brother” Matt Hendricks, they complimented each other, both had that “continuity of excellence”… John had everything you wanted in a defensive end, he had all the physical characteristics that you look for… length, speed off the edge, toughness (physical and mental). He was hard to block at the point of attack, he would chase plays down from the backside and his biggest attribute was his attack of the pocket. That 1997 DL was special… and whether in practice or a game, he always seemed to be the voice of reason. When the shit started getting dicey, he was the guy that could step in and level everyone out. Hendricks was always 100% no joking around, all business on the field… Gerst was that guy that would keep things together, level it out.”