August Gneisenau Jr.

Gneisenau Jr. with the Packers

## Career highlights:

* Super Bowl Champion (4)
* Super Bowl MVP (4)
* Offensive Player of the Year (7)
* First-team All-Pro (7)
* x3 Pro Bowl (1, 6, 7)
* Offensive Rookie of the Year
* Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year
* Consensus All-American
* First-team All-American
* Davey O'Brien Award
* Manning Award
* Fiesta Bowl MVP
* Orange Bowl MVP

**August Gneisenau Jr.** (born May 6) is a former American football quarterback of the National Football League (NFL) that played for 13 seasons. He played for the Green Bay Packers for 6 seasons, the New England Patriots for 3 seasons, and the Chicago Bears for 4 seasons. He played college football at Azur Lane before being drafted 12th overall by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the NFL Draft.

## Early life

Gneisenau was born on May 6 in the small German town of Schildau in Saxony before moving to New York City in his early teens. He attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School and started as the quarterback for the varsity team in his freshman year due to his size of 6'3".

The team, which had previously gone 1-7 the year before, went undefeated and won the State Championship. Gneisenau threw for 3,847 yards, 23 touchdowns, and rushed for 753 yards and 8 touchdowns. He became the first freshman selected for the Under Armour All-America Football Game.

In his sophomore season, the team once again appeared in the State Championship game, although they lost. Gneisenau reported 4,039 yards, 28 touchdowns, and rushed for 721 yards and 5 touchdowns. He was named Mr. New York Football and was ranked across all major ranking platforms as at least the top five best high school quarterback in the country, and the best high school quarterback in the state of New York.

In his junior season, Gneisenau was named Mr. New York Football for the second consecutive time as the team went undefeated and appeared in the State Championship game, with Gneisenau throwing for a record 4,375 yards, 31 touchdowns, and rushing for 904 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was named as the Gatorade Football Player of the Year and set the New York high school football record for most yards completed in a season, and most yards rushed by a quarterback in a season.

Gneisenau's senior season would result in another undefeated season with a State Championship win, 3,958 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 1,106 rushing yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns. He became the first quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards in New York football history, and was named as the Gatorade Football Player of the Year for the second consecutive time, and is the first player to have played in the Under Armour All-America Football Game twice. Gneisenau was rated by Scout as a five-star recruit, and Rivals as a four-star recruit. He received numerous D1 offers, including offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, USC, Michigan, and Oklahoma. Ultimately, he decided to commit to the University of Azur Lane to play for the Crimson Axis.

## College career

Upon committing to Azur Lane, Gneisenau refused to redshirt and started for the Axis as a true freshman. In his first year, the Axis went 9-1 with Gneisenau throwing for 3,982 yards and 25 touchdowns, rushing for 848 yards and 6 touchdowns. He competed in the Orange Bowl and received the MVP after throwing for 682 yards and five touchdowns against Alabama. He was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, First-team All-American, and received an honorable All-American mention.

In his sophomore year, Gneisenau passed for 4,589 yards, 31 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,231 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Axis went undefeated and beat USC in a blowout at the Fiesta Bowl 58-10. Gneisenau was named the Fiesta Bowl MVP and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting. He won both the Manning Award and the Davey O'Brien Award. In May before his junior year, Gneisenau announced that he would enter the NFL Draft, however just two weeks later he would redact his decision with intentions to play for Azur Lane for four years.

In his junior season, Gneisenau threw for 4,742 yards, 22 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,284 yards and 8 touchdowns, with the Axis going 7-3. He was awarded a Consensus All-American. In his senior and final season, Gneisenau would be injured in Week 4 with a fractured spleen. He would proceed to miss his entire senior season. Upon recovering in March, he announced his entering into the NFL Draft.

## Professional career

Gneisenau was thought to be the top quarterback prospect ever since he was in high school, although his senior season injury quickly dropped his draft stock from being a potential first overall to falling into the bottom half of the first round, with concerns about his health in a risky run-style. Although Gneisenau impressed teams at Azur Lane's Pro Day, with a 4.37-40, the highest 40-time for a quarterback and numerous deep-throws of over 75 yards, proving his rare combination of size, speed, and strength. Yet, many teams still didn't want to take a chance on Gneisenau, and he fell below the top ten as the Green Bay Packers selected him with the 12th overall pick.

### Season 1 and 2

He was named the starter for the upcoming season, and made his debut in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings, which he threw for 447 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 104 yards and one touchdown. He became just the third quarterback in NFL history to have one hundred yards both passing and rushing, and one touchdown passing and rushing in his first career start. The Packers proceeded to win the division with a 12-5 record, and beat the Carolina Panthers in the divisional playoff round 45-14, but lost in the conference playoff against the Chicago Bears. Gneisenau was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year after passing for 4,193 yards, 21 touchdowns, and rushing for 1,194 yards and 8 touchdowns. In his second season, he threw for 4,475 yards and 27 touchdowns, with 881 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns. The Packers once again won the division 11-6 and appeared in the divisional playoff, losing against the Washington Commanders 26-14. Gneisenau was named to the Pro Bowl and finished 10th in MVP voting.

### Seasons 3 and 4

In his third season, Gneisenau finished with 4,582 passing yards to 26 touchdowns, and 587 rushing yards with 8 rushing touchdowns. The Packers had a record of 9-8 for the regular season and lost in the wild card against the Seattle Seahawks 17-10. In his fourth season, he had 4,591 passing yards and 24 touchdowns with 635 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns. The Packers finished 10-7 and won the division, facing against the Atlanta Falcons in the divisional round and winning 21-13. In the conference round, the Packers narrowly defeated their division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, 18-10. In the Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals, Gneisenau threw for 412 yards and completed 69.2% of his passes for 3 touchdowns and one rushing touchdown, the Packers winning 28-14. He was named the Super Bowl MVP.

### Seasons 5 and 6

For Gneisenau's fifth season, the Packers upholded his fifth year option, and finished the season 8-9. The Packers tied for last in their division with the Chicago Bears and failed to make the playoffs for the first time in Gneisenau's career. Gneisenau recorded 4,269 yards and 19 touchdowns with 1,043 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. Prior to the sixth season, the Packers put Gneisenau on the market and were offered a second-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. The trade had been accepted by both parties, but the Eagles backed out and the Packers were forced to extend Gneisenau with a one-year $25m contract. In his sixth season, he finished with 5,019 yards and 28 touchdowns, tying as co-leader for the most touchdowns thrown in the season. He also rushed for 995 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Packers had a 11-6 record and won the divisional playoff versus the New Orleans Saints 23-21, and lost to the New York Giants in the conference round 14-24. He was selected to the Pro Bowl. The Packers offered Gneisenau a five-year $180m, but he refused and demanded a trade. He was traded to the New England Patriots for a first-round and second-round pick, a conditional fourth, and tight end Hunter Henry. Gneisenau signed a six-year $175m deal.

### Seasons 7 and 8

In his seventh overall season and first season debut for the New England Patriots, Gneisenau recorded an all-time high of 5,372 yards and 30 touchdowns, leading the league in passing touchdowns. He also had 845 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. The Patriots finished 12-5, and won both the divisional round against the Baltimore Ravens 32-16, and the conference against the Las Vegas Raiders 19-14. In the Super Bowl, Gneisenau threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots lost 17-28, and Gneisenau was named the Offensive Player of the Year. He also was selected to the Pro Bowl and was a First-team All-Pro selection. In his eighth season, he threw for 4,649 yards and 28 touchdowns, with 748 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. The Patriots finished 10-7 and won the wild card game against the Cleveland Browns, but lost the divisional against division rival Buffalo Bills.

### Seasons 9 and 10

Gneisenau in his ninth season threw for 4,274 yards and 27 touchdowns, rushing for 1,102 yards and 7 touchdowns. The Patriots had a 9-8 record, and would fall short of the playoffs. In his tenth season, Gneisenau would be traded to the Chicago Bears for two second-round picks, a third-round pick, and a conditional fourth. With the Bears, he threw for 4,285 yards and 31 touchdowns, leading the league in passing touchdowns, and rushing for 931 yards and 8 touchdowns. The Bears won their division with an 11-6 record, but lost in the first round of the playoffs against the San Francisco 49ers 34-37.

### Seasons 11, 12, and 13

In his 11th season, Gneisenau threw for 4,812 yards and 27 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,098 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Bears finished 12-5 and faced off against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, losing 13-21. In his twelfth season, Gneisenau twisted his ankle in the third game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and missed four games. He recorded 3,849 yards and 28 touchdowns with 936 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns. The Bears had a 9-8 record and missed the playoffs. He was extended by the Bears on a two-year $42m deal. In his thirteenth and final season, Gneisenau threw for 4,323 yards and 25 touchdowns, rushing for 877 yards and 3 touchdowns. Following the season, he announced his retirement.

## Personal life

Gneisenau is the son of August Gneisenau Sr., a former NFL player that played for the New York Jets. His uncle, Gerhard Scharnhorst, played for the Philadelphia Eagles, and his half-brother, Johann Scharnhorst, played for the Kansas City Chiefs. The Gneisenau-Scharnhorst family is the first to have four generational members, and for all of them to play the same position in both the NFL and the University of Azur Lane.