John Kasay, who kicked for the Carolina Panthers from their inaugural 1995 season until just before the 2011 training camp, has signed another one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.
Kasay told me in an email interview Wednesday that he seriously thought about retiring this offseason. he kicked for the Saints in 2011, finishing second in the NFL with 143 total points. But he ended up deciding to kick for one more year -- if he can beat out the Saints' Garrett Hartley in training camp. It was Hartley's preseason hip injury last year that opened the door for Kasay to kick all season for the Saints.
"We had a very enjoyable season last year," Kasay wrote in his emailed responses to my questions. "Laura and the [Kasays' four] children had a great time traveling to New Orleans, and the Saints were very gracious and accommodating of our family. Also, my 17-year-old son Steven said, 'Dad, in this economy, it's not a good idea to turn down a job.' "
I asked Kasay if -- when he did eventually decide to retire -- he would consider signing a one-day contract with Carolina so he could "officially" retire as a Panther. "Yes, I would consider it," he wrote.
Kasay, who wrote a gracious thank-you note to all Panther fans shortly after the team released him and asked The Observer publish it, said he "knew nothing" about the Saints' bounty program that has caused coach Sean Payton to be suspended for the 2012 season. Cam Newton was among the four quarterbacks the Saints had put a bounty on, according to the NFL's investigation.
"It was news to me as it was to you," he wrote.
Kasay said he had that when he did eventually retire that: "My two passions are ministry and coaching. We will wait and see what the Lord has planned for us."
More from Kasay and this interview in my column for Wednesday's Observer.
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9 years ago
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9 comments:
Have fun in that train wreck of an organization John. God help you.
My prediction is Kasay kicks this year for the Saints and makes us once again wonder why the Panthers' brain trust, in their infinite wisdom, cut him in favor of a guy who starts choking the moment he laces up his cleats.
Next spring he'll sign a one-day with Carolina and retire a Panther. Then comes the statue and his name on the "Ring of Honor".
But a big-time Christian like Kasay shouldn't lie about knowing about the bounty program, should he? Everybody on that team HAD to know what was going on. It's ridiculous to think they didn't. Those kind of secrets can't be kept by the kind of guys that would be involved with it. They're loudmouths and braggarts by nature. C'mon John.
Saints will be 4-12...0-2 against the Panthers...they get what they deserve...Lol
John Kasay always was and remains a class act. I miss him greatly, and I would trust him completely if he says he knew nothing about the bounty system. I agree that it is hard to understand how everyone did know, but it well could have been that the defense kept it public among themselves and quieter to the folks on special teams that usually practiced on another field.
After Mare loses two or three games this fall, we will yet again wonder just why Hurney-a even has a job, especially after watching him screw up this draft coming up Thursday.
The Panthers need to continue their game plan and consolidate all kicking functions in one player ( punting, Field goals and kick-offs) said player can also dispense water to the other players while he is not kicking to save having to pay for a water boy.
Archiguy,
They don't attend the same meetings. Given Kasay's track record, I believe him.
Kasay was probably targeted as one to avoid when discussing the bounty system. His core values plus his ties to the Panthers kept him out of that circle.
kicker wouldn't know about bounty, nobody ever talks to the special teams P/K.. lol
anyway congrats kasey, class act.
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