Matt Cassel
- New England Patriots (2005-2008)
- Kansas City Chiefs (2009-2012)
- Minnesota Vikings (since 2013)
- Pro Bowl 2010
- 2 × AFC Offensive Player of the Week (2008)
Matt Cassel ( born May 17, 1982 in Northridge, California) is an American professional American football player at the position of quarterback. He plays for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League ( NFL).
According to ESPN he is the only quarterback who played a game from the start in the NFL that was not a single game as a starter on the field in college.
Early years
1994 reached Cassel with the baseball team from his city the final of the Little League World Series. He played on the position of the first baseman.
In high school, Cassel played alongside baseball and football. In his last year he was seen in Tom Lemming 's Top 100 as the eight best quarterback and a total of 53 best players in the country. Lemming described Cassel as a pocket passer with a very strong and accurate throw.
Even before Cassel went to high school in his final year, he decided college football for the University of Southern California ( USC) to play.
College
In college, he played only as a replacement for Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, who both won the Heisman Trophy. After Palmer 2002, the school left in the direction of NFL, Cassel lost the duel for the position of Startin quarterbacks on his own substitute Leinart. As a result, Cassel was used as a tight end and wide receiver. He also played on special teams and started a game on the position of the half- backs. In four seasons Cassel threw 33 passes, 19 of them for 192 yards, were successful. He threw no touchdown and one interception.
His roommates in college were the later NFL players Carson Palmer and Troy Polamalu.
In 2004, Cassel also played baseball again. In MLB Draft 2004 Major League Baseball ( MLB), he was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 34th place.
Professional career
Although Cassel in college had little opportunity to prove himself, he stood after workouts for many NFL teams on the list. A former coach from college wanted to sign him as a free agent after the 2005 NFL Draft and was surprised that the New England Patriots Cassel on the court chose 230 in the seventh round. They gave him the preference over better-known quarterbacks, such as Jason White, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2003.
2005
At the start of the 2005 season, Cassel was second replacement at the Patriots Tom Brady behind Doug Flutie for. Previously, he had prevailed against Chris Redman and Rohan Davey. His first game he made in the final minutes of a 41:17 defeat against the San Diego Chargers. Two of his four passes were successful for 15 yards. He also threw an interception.
In the last game of the 2005 season against the Miami Dolphins Cassel was allowed from the second quarter of play. The Patriots lost with 26:28. Cassel was sacked for a safety, but also threw two touchdown passes.
2006
After Flutie had resigned after last season, Cassel inherited without a fight, the position of the spare man at the Patriots. Cassel was in every game of the 2006 season in the team. He sat by and against the debtor only during the season Vinny Testaverde.
In week 16 of the season Cassel was to the ball holder in field goals. He also threw in the 17th week a late touchdown against the Tennessee Titans.
2007
In the 7th week of the 2007 season Cassel threw an interception against the Miami Dolphins, which led to a touchdown. A week later he came off the bench against the Washington Redskins, as the Patriots were already leading by 45:0. The game ended 52:7. Cassel even ran the last 15 yards for a touchdown by leaping into the end zone over two defenders. It was the longest touchdown run of quarterbacks the Patriots for two decades.
2008
In the first game of the 2008 season against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tom Brady injured. Substitute Cassel threw 13 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots won with 17:10. A day later, gave the Patriots announced that Tom Brady would turn the whole season and Matt Cassel from now will be on the quarterback of the team.
On 14 September, he played against the New York Jets on for the first time from the beginning. 16 of his 23 passes for 165 yards were successful. It was the first time that a quarterback who could defeat in his first game from the outset, a team in which Brett Favre was the quarterback.
In the 7th week Cassel ( Offensive Player of the Week for the AFC ) was determined for the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He threw 183 yards for three touchdowns against the Denver Broncos, in a 41:7 victory.
In week 10, he ran his second touchdown of career against the Buffalo Bills for 13 yards. The Patriots won the game 20:10. Overall, the ball was about 37 minutes in the possession of the Patriots. Only the last drive lasted more than nine minutes in which the Patriots the ball played 19 times. So they were like from the old record.
On September 13, the Patriots lost 31:34 against the New York Jets. In the meantime, Cassel had brought three consecutive successful tests with 24:6 lead. In the end, 30 of his 51 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns successful. He reached a quarterback rating of 103.4. In addition, Cassel ran himself for 62 yards. He became the first player of the Patriots who threw 300 yards in the same game and ran 50. In addition, he is the first player in NFL history who threw for more than 400 yards and at the same time ran more than 60 yards.
A week later, in Week 12, Cassel led the Patriots to a 48:28 victory over the Miami Dolphins. He threw 30 of 43 passes for 415 yards. He also threw three touchdowns to Randy Moss, reaching a rating of 114.0. In addition, he ran a touchdown on eight yards. Thus Cassel is only the fifth quarterback who threw for more than 400 yards in two consecutive games. Thanks to this performance he was diagnosed for the second time this season for the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
In the 15th week against the Oakland Raiders Cassel set a personal best with four touchdown passes, though his father was six days earlier died. The Patriots won with 49:26.
In the last home game of the Patriots this season, against the Arizona Cardinals, were difficult conditions with ice and sleet. Thanks Cassel the Patriots won clearly with 47:7. Cassel, who played for the first time in snow, threw 20 passes for 345 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the difficult conditions, he cast no bad pass. When the Patriots were 44:0 in leadership was the quarterback of the Cardinals, Kurt Warner, replaced by Cassels old teammate Matt Leinart. This threw a touchdown and an interception.
The last game of the season the Patriots won with 17-0 against the Buffalo Bills. Thus, the Patriots won their fourth game in a row. In the game, there was a very strong wind, so that Cassel threw just eight passes and six of them successfully completed. Although he did not throw a touchdown, but no interception. Despite eleven victories managed the Patriots not in the play-offs, what had happened more with such a good track record since 1985 no team.
Franchise day
After the end of the season, Cassel ran out of the contract. Because of its strong performance, and the still uncertain return Brady the Patriots used their franchise tag to keep Cassel. On 5 February 2009, he made an official offer the Patriots, the Cassel took two days later. This was with about 14 million U.S. dollars, the highest prize one-year contract NFL history.
Kansas City Chiefs
On February 28, 2009 Cassel was traded along with his teammate Mike Vrabel for the 34th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft to the Kansas City Chiefs. On 14 July 2009 Cassel signed a six - year contract for 63 million U.S. dollars. The Detroit Lions and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers proposed a swap with the Denver Broncos. This would have meant that one of the teams would get the quarterback of the Broncos, Jay Cutler. Matt Cassel would be changed to Denver and the Patriots had the Erstrundenrecht in the NFL Draft in 2009 the team get to the Jay Cutler would be changed.
In Kansas City, he struggled with Tyler Thigpen to the position of quarterbacks. Cassel won out and Thigpen was traded to the Miami Dolphins. As his number 16 was not available in Kansas City, he chose the number seven as a team normally achieved seven points for a touchdown.
In the first game of the preseason against the Seattle Seahawks to Cassel injured his knee, but played down to the last all games of the preseason. Also the first game of the regular season against the Baltimore Ravens could not play Cassel. The remaining games of the season played Cassel all from the start, but the Chiefs scored just four wins in eleven defeats.
Minnesota Vikings
The Kansas City Chiefs Cassel dismissed on 13 March 2013. On the same day the Minnesota Vikings committed the quarterback.
Private
In February 2007, Cassel married his girlfriend Lauren Killian, who played at his college volleyball. His best man was Carson Palmer College colleague.
Cassel has three siblings. His elder brother Jack married the girlfriend of Cassels woman and plays for the Cleveland Indians as a pitcher. His younger brother Justin plays on the position of the pitcher, but for the farm team of the Chicago White Sox, the Birmingham Barons.
His parents are the Emmy - winner Barbara Cassel and Greg Cassel, which could be, however, divorced when Cassel was 14 years old. His father died on 8 December 2008.
- Football player (United States)
- Born in 1982
- Man