Chris Gannon

Christopher Stephen Gannon, born on January 20, 1966 in Brandon, Florida, emerged as a dominant defensive presence in American football before transitioning to coaching and a successful pharmaceutical sales career. Raised by Juanita L. and Donald F. Gannon Sr., the family moved to Orange Park where Gannon honed his athletic skills in Pop Warner and later excelled at Orange Park High School as a tight end and defensive end, earning All‑County, All‑District, second‑team Class AAAA and All‑State honors. He accepted a scholarship to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then University of Southwestern Louisiana), where over four seasons he amassed 133 tackles, 116 assists and 18 sacks, highlighted by a senior year that placed him second on the team with 52 tackles and a 4.8‑second 40‑yard dash, earning First Team All‑South Independent recognition and eventual induction into the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998. Selected 73rd overall in the 1989 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, Gannon wore number 98 and, despite early roster cuts, joined the San Diego Chargers where he contributed on defense and special teams before a knee injury placed him on injured reserve. He returned to the Patriots for a second stint (1990‑1993), becoming a reliable long‑snapper and special‑teams player, recording two fumble recoveries and an assisted sack while battling recurring knee issues that limited his playing time. After retiring from the NFL, Gannon served as an assistant and strength coach for the Ragin’ Cajuns from 1995‑2000, shaping the next generation of athletes. In 2001 he entered the pharmaceutical industry with Forest Pharmaceuticals (now Allergan), climbing to senior sales and leadership positions across Texas and Louisiana and earning multiple performance awards. Married to Ruth Ann Schoeffler in 1991, he fathered two children—Brandon, a defensive lineman at his alma mater, and Hailey, an All‑District soccer midfielder—while remaining active in community service, youth coaching, and university alumni leadership.