Matt Cassel life and biography

Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel (born May 17, 1982, Northridge, California) is the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. 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 then 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 in college.

In his first season as a starter, Cassel became only the fifth NFL quarterback to have passed for more than 400 yards in consecutive games, and the first since the NFL-AFL merger with 60 rushing yards in the same game.

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. Later that offseason, the Patriots made a trade which sent Cassel to the Chiefs, who signed him to a six-year, $63 million contract in July 2009.

Cassel's Career

Pro Career: Mentally and physically tough competitor enters his second campaign in Kansas City ... Started 15 games a year ago, and was part of an evolving Chiefs offense that made positive strides as the season progressed ... Was acquired on February 28, 2009 along with LB Mike Vrabel from New England ... Former understudy to two-time Super Bowl MVP QB Tom Brady led the NFL with 10 fourth-quarter TD passes in 2009 ... Tied for third in Chiefs history for most TDs thrown (16) by a QB in his first year in Kansas City ... Has registered six contests with a 100.0 rating or better, posting a 5-1 record in those contests ... Owns four career 300-yard games, including a 331-yard effort vs. Cleveland (12/20/09) ... Has produced four four career wins when his club has been tied or tied in the fourth quarter, including a 27-24 OT victory vs. Pittsburgh (11/22/09) ... Has racked up 12 career multi-TD games ... Registered a 10-5 record with New England as a starter after Brady was injured on Opening Day vs. Kansas City (9/7/08) ... Despite not starting a game under center since his senior campaign in high school, promptly guided New England to a 19-10 victory in his initial NFL start at the N.Y. Jets (9/14/08) ... Helped guide New England to an 11-5 record in 2008, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week accolades on two occasions ... Was also named to USA Today’s All-Joe Team in 2008 ... Became one of five signal callers in NFL history to boast back-to-back 400-yard games ... .Played in 14 games during his first three pro campaigns, seeing action as a reserve quarterback and as a holder ... Has played in 45 career regular season games (30 starts) ... Has completed 620 of 1,048 passes (59.2%) for 6,870 yards with 39 TDs and 29 INTs, good for a 79.6 rating ... Also owns 135 carries for 487 yards with three TDs and has a 57-yard punt to his credit ... Has seen action in four postseason contests, rushing one time for a one-yard loss ... Was a member of the Patriots squad that advanced to Super Bowl XLII vs. the N.Y. Giants.

Transactions: Signed a contract extension with Kansas City (7/14/09) ... Traded to Kansas City along with LB Mike Vrabel in exchange for a 2009 second-round pick (34th overall - used on S Patrick Chung) from New England (2/28/09) ... Signed a franchise tender with New England (2/9/09) ... Signed with New England (6/28/05) ... Originally entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick (230th overall) of New England in the 2005 NFL Draft.

Kansas City (2009): Started 15 games at QB and was inactive for one contest with a knee injury ... Connected on 271 of 493 passes for 2,924 yards with 16 TDs and 16 INTs for a 69.9 rating ... Also rushed 50 times for 189 yards ... Completed 67 of 129 passes for 885 yards in the fourth quarter with a league-high 10 TDs ... Connected on 33 of 64 throws for 209 yards with 12 TDs in the Red Zone to rank sixth in the AFC with 98.2 rating ... Suffered a knee injury in the preseason vs. Seattle (8/28) and was inactive at Baltimore (9/13) ... Made his first start in a Chiefs uniform vs. Oakland (9/20) ... Connected on 23 of 41 throws for 253 yards with two TDs, good for a 90.8 rating vs. Dallas (10/11). Orchestrated a dramatic drive to force OT that culminated with a 16-yard TD on fourth down to WR Dwayne Bowe ... Completed 16 of 31 passes for 186 yards for a 70.1 rating at Washington (10/18), leading the club to its initial victory of the season ... Completed 23 of 39 passes for 262 yards with two TDs and a 96.3 rating at Jacksonville (11/8) ... Connected on 19 of 34 throws for 216 yards in a 16-10 win at Oakland (11/15).... Completed 15 of 30 passes for 248 yards with two TDs for a 100.4 rating vs. Pittsburgh (11/22), guiding the club to a 27-24 OT win ... Connected on 26 of 43 passes for 224 yards vs. Buffalo (12/13) ... Completed 22 of 40 throws for a season-high 331 yards with two TDs, good for a 99.1 rating vs. Cleveland (12/20), his fourth career 300-yard game ... Completed 13 of 24 throws for 207 yards at Denver (1/3/10), leading the club a 44-24 victory for the Chiefs first road win vs. the Broncos since 2000.

New England (2005-08): Played in 30 regular season games (15 starts), completeing 349 of 555 passes (62.9%) for 3,946 yards with 23 TDs and 11 INTs for an 88.2 rating ... Added 85 carries for 298 yards with three TDs, along with one punt for 57 yards ... Saw duty in four playoff games, primarily as a holder, rushing one time for a one-yard loss.

2008: Played in 16 games (15 starts), posting a 10-5 record as a starter ... Completed 327 of 516 passes (63.4%) for 3,693 yards with 21 TDs and 11 INTs, good for an 89.4 rating ... Added 73 carries for 270 yards with two TDs and had one punt for 57 yards ... Compiled 3,693 passing yards to finish fourth in the AFC, a figure that ranked as the eighth-higest seasonal total in New England history ... His 63.4 completion percentage ranked as the third-highest single-season mark in Patriots lore, while his 89.4 passer rating was the sixth-highest seasonal mark in team history ... Recorded 270 rushing yards, the fifth-highest single-season mark by a quarterback in New England annals ... Was named the 2008 Vizio Top Performer, an honor given to an NFL player whose performance outpaced their salary by the widest margin ... Replaced an injured QB Tom Brady in the first quarter vs. Kansas City (9/7), completing 13 of 18 passes for 152 yards with a 10-yard TD to WR Randy Moss for a 116.0 rating en route to a 17-10 victory ... Connected on 16 of 23 throws for 165 yards, good for an 89.9 rating in his first NFL start, a 19-10 win at the N.Y. Jets (9/14) ... Connected on 18 of 24 passes for 185 yards with three TDs, good for a 136.3 rating vs. Denver (10/20) to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors ... Connected on 22 of 32 throws for 234 yards and rushed nine times for 22 yards with a TD vs. Buffalo (11/9) ... Set a career high with 30 completions on a personal-best 51 attempts for 400 yards and three TDs, good for a 103.4 rating vs. the N.Y. Jets (11/13). Threw a 16-yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss with one second left in the fourth quarter to send the game to OT. Also had eight carries for a career-high 62 yards, becoming the fifth player since ’70 to post 400 yards passing and 60 yards rushing in the same game ... Tied a career high with 30 completions on 43 attempts for a career-best 415 yards with three TDs and an INT for a 114.0 rating at Miami (11/23). Also had two carries for 14 yards with a TD. Joined QB Drew Bledsoe as the only other player in Patriots history to record two 400-yard passing games in a season. Became the fifth player in NFL history to throw for 400 yards in back-to-back games, joining Dan Fouts (’82), Dan Marino (’84), Phil Simms (’85) and Billy Volek (2004). Earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week accolades ... Connected on 26 of 44 throws for 268 yards with a TD at Seattle (12/7) ... Hit 18 of 30 passes for 218 yards with a career-high four TDs and an INT for a 108.1 passer rating at Oakland (12/14) ... Completed 20 of 36 throws for 345 yards with three TDs, including a career-long 76-yard TD pass to Moss vs. Arizona (12/21) ... Booted a 57-yard punt that was downed at the two-yard line at Buffalo (12/28) .

2007: Saw action in six games, completing four of seven passes for 38 yards with an INT ... Added four carries for 12 yards with a TD ... Scored his first career rushing TD on a 15-yard run vs. Washington (10/28) ... Completed both of his pass attempts at Buffalo (11/18).

2006: Played in six games, connecting on five of eight throws for 32 yards and carrying the ball two times for four yards ... Completed two of three passes for 12 yards at Miami (12/10) ... Connected on three of four throws for 20 yards vs. Houston (12/17) ... Played in all three postseason games as the club’s holder.

2005: Saw duty in two contests, completing 13 of 24 passes for 183 yards with two TDs and an INT for an 89.4 rating ... Added six carries for 12 yards ... Saw duty in his first NFL contest vs. San Diego (10/2), completing his first NFL pass attempt to RB Patrick Pass for three yards ... Hit 11 of 20 passes with two TDs for 168 yards and a 116.2 rating vs. Miami (1/1/06), throwing his first NFL TD pass to WR Tim Dwight ... Rushed one time for a one-yard loss in an AFC Wild Card Game vs. Jacksonville (1/7/06).

College: Played in 25 games at USC, completing 20 of 33 passes for 192 yards ... Served as the backup to a pair of Heisman Trophy winners in QBs Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart ... Also played one year of baseball at USC ... Part of the Trojans squad that won back-to-back BCS National Championships in 2003-04 ... Saw action in nine games as a senior in 2004, connecting on 10 of 14 passes for 97 yards ... Played in eight games as a quarterback and tight end as a junior in 2003, hitting six of 13 passes for 63 yards ... Won the Howard Jones/Football Alumni Club Academic Award as the USC upperclassman with the highest GPA ... Saw duty in 10 games as a sophomore in 2002, completing three of four throws for 27 yards ... As a redshirt freshman in 2001, completed one of two passes for five yards and rushed three times for 22 yards ... Added a 12-yard catch and one tackle ... Redshirted as a true freshman in 2000 ... Majored in Communications at USC.

Personal

• A prep standout at Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth, California.
• Completed 137 of 261 passes for 2,020 yards with 14 TDs and five INTs to go with 115 carries for 252 yards with 11 TDs as a senior.
• Helped Chatsworth win the L.A. City baseball title in ’99 while hitting .390 with three home runs and 29 RBI as a first baseman and third baseman.
• Featured in the HBO documentary “Freshman Year” filmed in ’99-00.
• Played on the Northridge, California team that was a finalist at the ’94 Little League World Series.
• Was selected in the 36th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft by the Oakland A’s.
• His late father, Greg, was a longtime Hollywood script writer.
• Mother, Barbara, is a Hollywood set decorator who won an Emmy in 2007 for a TV special called An American Classic involving Tony Bennett.
• Married, wife Lauren, with a daughter, Quinn, born in May 2010.
• Lauren Cassel was a captain on the USC volleyball team that won the 2002 National Championship.

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