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Matt Cassel Matt Cassel during the 2008 NFL season. Kansas City Chiefs — No. -- Quarterback Date of birth: May 17, 1982 (1982-05-17) (age 26) Place of birth: Northridge, California Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Weight: 230 lb (100 kg) Professional debut 2005 for the New England Patriots Career history College: Southern California New England Patriots (2005–2008) Kansas City Chiefs (2009–present) Roster status: Active Career highlights and awards No notable achievements Selected NFL statistics (through Week 17 of the 2008 NFL season) TD-INT 23-13 Passing yards 3,946 QB Rating 88.2 Stats at NFL.com Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982 in Northridge, California) is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League.[1] He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He became the Patriots' starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2008 season after reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury. According to ESPN research, he is the only known quarterback in NFL history to start an NFL game at quarterback without ever starting at quarterback at college.[2] In February 2009, the Patriots used their franchise tag on Cassel, extending him a one-year contract worth over $14 million, the largest one-year contract for an offensive player in NFL history.[3][4] Later that offseason, the Patriots made a trade which sent Cassel to the Chiefs.[5] Contents [hide] 1 Early years 2 College career 3 Professional career 3.1 2005 season 3.2 Early years Cassel was the starting first baseman on the Northridge, California baseball team that reached the finals of the 1994 Little League World Series.[6] Cassel attended Chatsworth High School and was a letterman, an all-city selection, and a standout in both football and baseball. As a senior, he was ranked as the number eight quarterback and number 53 overall of the top high school players in the nation according to ESPN's Tom Lemming's Top 100. Lemming called Cassel a "pro-style pocket passer with a very strong, accurate delivery."[7] Cassel committed to play at USC before starting his senior year in high school.[8] Cassel also had an appearance in the HBO Family program Freshman Year, a reality show in which his younger brother was one of the featured students. College career Cassel spent his entire Trojan career as a backup behind Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer [9] and Matt Leinart. Cassel was the backup for Palmer during his Heisman-winning 2002 season. In the fall, Cassel lost the battle for the starting position to the previous third-string quarterback in Leinart. As a result of Leinart's success, Cassel spent time at tight end, even making his lone collegiate start at that position. During | ||||
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