Following a productive four-year career at the University of Montreal, Gesse was the Lions' third pick (16th overall) in the 2010 Canadian Draft.

2011:  Joash was off to a great start in 2011 with four special team tackles in the first three outings of the season, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week Three and spent the rest of the season on the club’s injured list.

2010:  Joash joined the Lions via the 2010 CFL Draft and made the club coming out of training camp. He spent the first eight weeks of the season on the active roster, playing primarily on special teams, where he logged nine tackles over the course of the year. He got back into action for the final three weeks of the season after a spell on the practice roster and also dressed for the West Semi-Final at Saskatchewan where he led all players in the game with two special teams tackles.

Games Played: Career: 14, Playoff: 1, Grey Cup: 0

2010-2012:  Joash joined the Lions via the 2010 CFL Draft and made the club coming out of training camp. After three seasons he has now played 32 CFL regular season games primarily as a special teams star.

His total of 28 special teams tackles ranks fifth on the club since 2010. He has saved his best for the post-season with six special teams tackles in only two games.

Gesse spent four seasons at Montreal where he was a force in the Carabins' defensive corps.  During his last year, in an injury-shortened 2009 campaign, the hard-hitting linebacker appeared in six games, notching 22 tackles, two for a loss.

As a junior in 2008, he was named a Canadian and a QUA First Team All-Star in addition to being recognized as QUA’s Defensive Player of the Year. He also played in the prestigious East-West Bowl in 2009.  

As a freshman in 2006, he was given the nod as the conference’s Rookie of the Year. That same year he earned a gold medal at the NFL Global Junior Championship as well as a selection to the tournament’s all-star team.

Gesse studied to be a math teacher at the University of Montreal and is a former college teammate of fellow Lions 2010 Draft pick Hamid Mahmoudi.

Joash continues to complete his degree while trying to maintain a strict workout schedule away from the field. He keeps fit by adding swimming and kickboxing to his regimen. An admitted lover of fast food, he also enjoys sitting down to catch episodes of The Simpsons or his favourite movie The Dark Knight.

Joash has four brothers and two sisters and considers his mother as his biggest idol. An accomplished musician, he can play both the trumpet and the piano.