Lee Gissendaner facts for kids
| Green Bay Packers | |
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| Position: | Player personnel executive |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | October 25, 1971 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Stow (OH) |
| College: | Northwestern |
| NFL Draft: | 1994 / Round: 6 / Pick: 187 |
| Career history | |
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| As executive: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Lee Gissendaner, born on October 25, 1971, is an important person behind the scenes in professional football. He currently works as the player personnel executive for the Green Bay Packers. This means he helps decide which players join the team.
Before his current role, Gissendaner was a scout for the Green Bay Packers for 17 years, from 1998 to 2014. He then worked as a scout for the New York Jets from 2015 to 2017.
Gissendaner also used to play professional football himself. He was a wide receiver, which is a player who catches passes from the quarterback. He played in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the World League of American Football (WLAF).
Lee's College Football Journey
Lee Gissendaner played college football at Northwestern University. He was a standout player for the Wildcats. In 1992, he was named the Big Ten Most Valuable Player. This is a big award given to the best player in the Big Ten Conference. He was also chosen for the First-team All-Big Ten that year.
Playing Professional Football
After college, Lee Gissendaner was chosen by the Houston Oilers in the sixth round of the 1994 NFL draft. The NFL draft is where professional teams pick college players to join their teams. Even though he was drafted, he did not play in any official NFL games.
He continued his professional career in other leagues. He played for the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League (CFL). The CFL is a professional football league in Canada. He also played for the Scottish Claymores in the World League of American Football (WLAF). This league featured teams from different countries.
Working Behind the Scenes: A Football Executive
After his playing career, Lee Gissendaner moved into coaching and then into team management. He started as a graduate assistant coach at Kent State University in 1997.
In 1998, he joined the Green Bay Packers as a national scouting service representative. He then became an area scout for the Packers, a role he held until 2014. A scout's job is to travel and watch college players. They evaluate players' skills and potential to play in the NFL.
From 2015 to 2017, Gissendaner worked as an area scout for the New York Jets. In 2018, he returned to the Green Bay Packers. He now serves as their player personnel executive. In this role, he helps make important decisions about the team's roster. This includes scouting new talent and managing the players already on the team.
