John Kasay

Lore & Background

Kasay played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 1991 NFL draft. He left the Seahawks in 1995 to sign with the expansion Panthers, whom he was a member of for 16 seasons. He became the Panthers' all-time leading scorer, while also earning Pro Bowl honors during the 1996 season and making a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXVIII. Retiring after one season with the New Orleans Saints, Kasay was the last remaining active member of the inaugural Panthers team.

In Their Own Story

The booth lights are warm amber, cutting through the blue-black haze of a November night at Bank of America Stadium. Kasay adjusts his glasses, glances at the sideline feed. The Panthers are down three, two minutes left, ball on the forty. He doesn't need a script. He's been in this booth for twenty-nine years. He knows the rhythm of this crowd, the way they hold their breath on a third down, the way the Hornet's Nest section sways like a single organism. He leans into the mic. "And here we go, folks. One more drive. Carolina's got a chance." The words are simple, but they land in ten thousand living rooms like a hand on the shoulder. Outside the glass, a kid in a faded '95 jersey presses his face to the plexiglass, mouthing the words along. Kasay sees him. He always sees them. That's the job. That's been the job since the first season, when the team had no name in the record books and the only thing that mattered was the next play, the next breath, the next voice carrying the story forward into the dark.

Reader's Guide

Kasay attended Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia, where he was a soccer standout and football kicker/punter. He was an all-state selection with 37 career field goals, including a 54-yarder. He was a four-year letterman at the University of Georgia, finishing fifth on the school's career kick scoring list with 217 points, converting 46-of-65 field goals and 79-of-82 extra points. He graduated in 1991 with a degree in journalism. In the NFL, he was drafted in the fourth round in 1991 by the Seattle Seahawks, leading them in scoring all four years. He signed with the Panthers as a free agent prior to the 1995 season, played 15 seasons for Carolina, but missed the whole 2000 season after breaking his left kneecap. In Super Bowl XXXVIII, he converted a 50-yard field goal and both extra points, but his final kickoff went out of bounds, incurring an illegal procedure penalty that placed the ball on the 40, assisting the New England Patriots on their game-winning drive. He was released by Carolina on July 28, 2011, after they signed Olindo Mare. He signed with the New Orleans Saints on August 30, 2011, after an injury to Garrett Hartley, played the 2011 season, was re-signed through 2012, but released on August 31, 2012, with the return of Hartley. On May 7, 2013, the Panthers announced Kasay would sign a one-day contract and retire as a Panther. He became eligible for induction in the team's Ring of Honor five years after his retirement. Kasay formerly held the record for most field goals in a single season with 37 in 1996, earning a Pro Bowl appearance. He is second all-time for field goals made from 50+ yards (42) behind Jason Hanson (50) and is the only player to convert on four field goals from 46+ yards in a single game. He hit his 400th field goal on December 6, 2009, becoming the 7th player in NFL history to do so. As of 2017, he held at least 9 Panthers franchise records, including career extra points (429), career field goals (351), season field goals (37 in 1996), and all-time scoring leader with 1,482 points. Kasay is married with two sons and two daughters and is a Christian. He served as the athletic director for the Charlotte Christian School after retiring from football and is working to publish a biography.

Did You Know?

• Kasay was the last remaining active member of the inaugural Panthers team.
• He hit his 400th field goal on December 6, 2009, becoming only the 7th player in NFL history to accomplish that.