[3] On February 23, 1989, he was signed in Plan B free agency by the Los Angeles Raiders,[4] but spent all of the season on the injured reserve list after breaking the fibula bone and dislocating the ankle in his left leg during training camp.
[5] On August 20, 1990, he was traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a seventh round draft choice (#180-Tripp Welborne).
[6] The Dallas Cowboys acquired him with the intention of concentrating on playing long snapper in all of the special teams units and to back up the guard and center positions.
In the 1990s, the Cowboys organization felt they could find placekickers and punters through free agency, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap, so they allowed talented and productive players to leave, instead of signing them into long-term contracts.
In his 11 seasons playing with the Cowboys, Hellestrae had to snap for eight different placekickers and seven punters, while helping the team win 3 Super Bowls.
On January 3, 2002, he was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent to fill in for injured rookie Joe Maese.
[11] He appears as a guest analyst on "Sports Tonight" on KPNX, Channel 12, in Phoenix with co-hosts Kevin Hunt and Bruce Cooper.