I had originally gone looking for an article about the Buffalo Bills defensive end, Tom Day, last night when I stumbled upon a great old Sports Illustrated piece on Day’s teammate, Tom Sestak.  One of two defensive tackles on the league’s All-Time Team (Houston Antwine is the other), Tom Sestak ravaged offensive lines throughout the AFL.  Sestak was that rare combination of size, speed, strength and heart.  In addition, his threshold for pain was nearly off the charts.  He was the measuring stick for his position in the 1960s.

Sadly, Tom Sestak is also one of the many AFL players who passed away at an early age.  On April 3, 1987, at just 51 years of age, Tom Sestak died of a heart attack.  As sad as his passing was, some might still consider it a blessing.  Just a week prior, Sestak had been diagnosed with ALS, more commonly-known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.