| Jon Gissinger |
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- 2006 2nd-Team Academic All-Big 12
2008 SPRING OUTLOOK
Dedicated tight end prospect who is also an accomplished long snapper, who hopes to win the snapping job in 2008 ... Has good combination of size, speed and strength and has displayed good hands over the past 3 years in the program ... Enters spring ball listed No. 2 on the depth chart at tight end, and is likely to continue his service on the Tiger kickoff return unit ... Is also an accomplished long snapper, as taught by his father, Andrew, who did that and played offensive line for Syracuse collegiately, and from 1982-86 for the NFL's San Diego Chargers ... Enters spring camp atop the depth at the long snapper position ... Is the roommate of starting QB Chase Daniel.
2007 SEASON
Reserve tight end who was a key member of the kickoff return team, a unit which ranked 23rd in the nation with an average of 23.33 yards per return ... Played in all 14 games, and helped spring the way for Jeremy Maclin to take a return 99 yards for a TD at Kansas State, which represented MU's first kickoff return for a score since 1982 (breaking a string of 287 games and 976 returns between TDs for the Tigers) ... Is a tight end by trade who began seeing the field more and more during the course of the season in certain offensive sets.
2006 SEASON
Saw action in all 13 games, playing on MU's kickoff return unit, primarily ... An outstanding student who earned 2nd-Team Academic All-Big 12 honors ... Showed good progress throughout the spring period, and he capped his spring camp by catching 2 passes in the Black & Gold Game for 31 yards ... Entered fall camp listed No. 4 on the depth chart at tight end.
2005 SEASON
Redshirt season.
HIGH SCHOOL
An accomplished tight end and long snapper prospect from Poway High School in San Diego, Calif. ... Is known as a physical player with excellent hands who works effectively in open space ... Was an all-conference selection at tight end as a senior, catching 43 passes for 563 yards and 7 TDs ... Also carried 8 times on the year for 68 yards ... Was a team captain and earned team's most inspirational team award ... As a junior in 2003, caught 8 passes for 1 TD and was named the league's special teams player of the year ... Learned to long snap from his father, who was a standout offensive lineman at Syracuse University and a 5-year NFL veteran for the San Diego Chargers ... Is also considered one of the top lacrosse players on the West Coast, who was recruited by virtually all high-profile lacrosse programs around the country ... Had scholarship offer from defending national champion Syracuse for lacrosse, among many other schools ... Was an all-state selection in lacrosse who was his league's defensive player of the year ... High school coach - Damian Gonzalez.
PERSONAL
Son of Andrew III & Melissa Gissinger and Gloria Truitte ... Father played offensive line for Syracuse collegiately, and later played professionally from 1982-86 for the NFL's San Diego Chargers ... Chose MU over LSU, Arizona State, Maryland, Kansas, Hawaii and South Florida, among others ... Plans to study marketing, and MU's School of Business was a factor in his decision to attend Mizzou.
