Ken Mastrole
Encyclopedia
Ken Mastrole is an American former football
player. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League
(NFL), NFL Europe
, and intercollegiate football
at the University of Maryland
and University of Rhode Island
.
. He attended Cardinal Gibbons High School
where he played football. He was highly-recruited out of high school, with interest from Duke
, Miami
, Clemson
, and Virginia Tech
. He ultimately chose to attend Maryland
. His high school coach said that "he liked everything about Maryland—the atmosphere, the school, the curriculum, the football program."
status. During the following two seasons, he served as the back-up behind starting quarterback Brian Cummings.
In 1996, he saw action in eight games, including three starts. Mastrole was the first redshirt freshman to ever start as a quarterback at Maryland. He recorded a total of 36 completions in 89 attempts for 354 yards and one touchdown. Against , starting quarterback Brian Cummings separated his right shoulder, and Mastrole relieved him. He recorded nine completions on 15 attempts for 66 yards and two interceptions. Mastrole started against in place of an injured Brian Cummings, and became the first quarterback in Maryland history to start as a freshman. The following week, he started against NC State, where he completed 15 of 28 pass attempts for 140 yards and one interception. In that game, he completed a career-best 52-yard pass to Geroy Simon
in the fourth quarter and then connected with tight end Tim Brown for a two-point conversion. He started against in place of Cummings who had suffered a concussion the previous week. Mastrole completed five of 17 passes for 106 yards including his career first touchdown
pass, but suffered a fractured right clavicle which ended his season.
In 1997, he saw action in seven games as a backup and threw 19 passes. Against Florida State
, he saw action in the Terrapins' last two series, where he completed one pass for nine yards and made two rushing attempts. Against , he completed three of 11 pass attempts for 47 yards.
In 1998, Mastrole shared playing time with Randall Jones. Mastrole started against , but was held to three completions on nine passes for 27 yards, before being replaced by Jones in the third quarter. In the fourth game of the season, against , Mastrole completed a 39-yard pass for his first touchdown since the 1996 season.
After Maryland head coach Ron Vanderlinden
changed the offensive scheme to the option
, Mastrole, a drop-back passer, decided to transfer. For his senior season in 1999, he transferred to the University of Rhode Island
, which employed a three-receiver offense. There, he completed 202 passes on 374 attempts for 2,113 yards, ten interceptions, and seven touchdowns. He also rushed for a net gain of 90 yards. Rhode Island compiled a 1–10 record that season.
, who needed a quarterback to replace injured Chris Weinke
. He played for the Orlando Predators
in the Arena Football League. Mastrole was allocated by the Chicago Bears to the Amsterdam Admirals
in the NFL Europe
. He was cut on March 31, 2002. On May 3, he was signed by the Scottish Claymores
as a reserve behind starter Scott Dreisbach
and backup James Brown. On May 16, he was activated from the Amsterdam practice squad to serve as the second-string quarterback, and saw action against Barcelona
. With Amsterdam, Mastrole completed 12 of 28 passes for 147 yards, two interceptions, and one touchdown. In 2002, he competed for the Chicago Bears third-string quarterback position. In the preseason game against St. Louis Rams
, Mastrole led an 81-yard drive for the game-winning touchdown. He lost out to Henry Burris
.
In 2003, with the Florida Firecats in the af2
, he threw for 2,284 yards and 55 touchdowns in 11 games. He then rejoined the AFL, where he served as a back-up for the Dallas Desperadoes before requesting his release to return to the Firecats. During the 2004 season, he recorded 59 completions on 94 attempts for 733 yards, four interceptions, and 15 touchdowns. He led Florida to the ArenaCup
, where they defeated the Peoria Pirates
, 39–26.
and served in that role through the 2008 season. Over those four years, he directed the league's number-one scoring offense, the number-one rated quarterback, and three 1,000-yard wide receivers.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL), NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
, and intercollegiate football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
and University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
.
Early years
Mastrole was born on February 25, 1977 and raised in Fort Lauderdale, FloridaFort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. He attended Cardinal Gibbons High School
Cardinal Gibbons High School (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Cardinal Gibbons High School, commonly known as Gibbons, is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. CGHS was established in 1961 and was named after James Gibbons, the second Cardinal in the United States. CGHS is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami and...
where he played football. He was highly-recruited out of high school, with interest from Duke
Duke Blue Devils football
The Duke Blue Devils football program is a college football team that represents Duke University . The team is currently a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference , which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The Blue Devils compete in the Coastal...
, Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
, Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
, and Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
. He ultimately chose to attend Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. His high school coach said that "he liked everything about Maryland—the atmosphere, the school, the curriculum, the football program."
College career
Mastrole sat out his true freshman year in 1995 on redshirtRedshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
status. During the following two seasons, he served as the back-up behind starting quarterback Brian Cummings.
In 1996, he saw action in eight games, including three starts. Mastrole was the first redshirt freshman to ever start as a quarterback at Maryland. He recorded a total of 36 completions in 89 attempts for 354 yards and one touchdown. Against , starting quarterback Brian Cummings separated his right shoulder, and Mastrole relieved him. He recorded nine completions on 15 attempts for 66 yards and two interceptions. Mastrole started against in place of an injured Brian Cummings, and became the first quarterback in Maryland history to start as a freshman. The following week, he started against NC State, where he completed 15 of 28 pass attempts for 140 yards and one interception. In that game, he completed a career-best 52-yard pass to Geroy Simon
Geroy Simon
Geroy Simon is a professional Canadian football slotback with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League...
in the fourth quarter and then connected with tight end Tim Brown for a two-point conversion. He started against in place of Cummings who had suffered a concussion the previous week. Mastrole completed five of 17 passes for 106 yards including his career first touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
pass, but suffered a fractured right clavicle which ended his season.
In 1997, he saw action in seven games as a backup and threw 19 passes. Against Florida State
1997 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1997 Florida State Seminoles football team represented the Florida State Seminoles in the college football season of 1997. The team was coached by Bobby Bowden and played their home games in Doak Campbell Stadium.-Schedule:...
, he saw action in the Terrapins' last two series, where he completed one pass for nine yards and made two rushing attempts. Against , he completed three of 11 pass attempts for 47 yards.
In 1998, Mastrole shared playing time with Randall Jones. Mastrole started against , but was held to three completions on nine passes for 27 yards, before being replaced by Jones in the third quarter. In the fourth game of the season, against , Mastrole completed a 39-yard pass for his first touchdown since the 1996 season.
After Maryland head coach Ron Vanderlinden
Ron Vanderlinden
Ron Vanderlinden is an American college football coach. He is currently the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Penn State University. Vanderlinden previously served as the head coach at the University of Maryland from 1997 to 2000....
changed the offensive scheme to the option
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
, Mastrole, a drop-back passer, decided to transfer. For his senior season in 1999, he transferred to the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
, which employed a three-receiver offense. There, he completed 202 passes on 374 attempts for 2,113 yards, ten interceptions, and seven touchdowns. He also rushed for a net gain of 90 yards. Rhode Island compiled a 1–10 record that season.
Professional career
In 2001, Mastrole auditioned for the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, who needed a quarterback to replace injured Chris Weinke
Chris Weinke
Christopher Jon Weinke is a former professional American football and baseball player. After spending six years in the Toronto Blue Jays minor league baseball system, he enrolled at Florida State University at the age of 26, and played quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles...
. He played for the Orlando Predators
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators are an Arena Football League team based in Orlando, Florida that was founded in 1991. Their playoff streak is currently 19 seasons in a row, as of the season, becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000...
in the Arena Football League. Mastrole was allocated by the Chicago Bears to the Amsterdam Admirals
Amsterdam Admirals
The Amsterdam Admirals were a professional American football team in NFL Europe based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.-History:The Admirals were formed in 1995 as part of the NFL's plan to restart the World League of American Football, to be based entirely in Europe...
in the NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
. He was cut on March 31, 2002. On May 3, he was signed by the Scottish Claymores
Scottish Claymores
The Scottish Claymores were an American football team from Scotland. The franchise played in the World League of American Football between 1995 and 2004, initially playing all home games at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh and latterly sharing home games with Hampden Park, Glasgow...
as a reserve behind starter Scott Dreisbach
Scott Dreisbach
Scott Dreisbach is a former American football quarterback who last played for the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League...
and backup James Brown. On May 16, he was activated from the Amsterdam practice squad to serve as the second-string quarterback, and saw action against Barcelona
Barcelona Dragons
The Barcelona Dragons were a team originally in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. Their home field in Barcelona was the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuic, the 1992 Olympic Stadium, and later the Mini Estadi. The Dragons were successful on the field, making it...
. With Amsterdam, Mastrole completed 12 of 28 passes for 147 yards, two interceptions, and one touchdown. In 2002, he competed for the Chicago Bears third-string quarterback position. In the preseason game against St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, Mastrole led an 81-yard drive for the game-winning touchdown. He lost out to Henry Burris
Henry Burris
Henry Burris, Jr. is a professional Canadian and former American football player. Burris plays the quarterback position with the Canadian Football League Calgary Stampeders. Burris spent one year as a reserve quarterback for the National Football League's Chicago Bears...
.
In 2003, with the Florida Firecats in the af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
, he threw for 2,284 yards and 55 touchdowns in 11 games. He then rejoined the AFL, where he served as a back-up for the Dallas Desperadoes before requesting his release to return to the Firecats. During the 2004 season, he recorded 59 completions on 94 attempts for 733 yards, four interceptions, and 15 touchdowns. He led Florida to the ArenaCup
ArenaCup
The ArenaCup is the af2's championship game. For the league's first five years, it was held at the arena of the higher seeded team. However, the 2005 ArenaCup was the first to be played at a neutral site in Bossier City, Louisiana. The 2006 ArenaCup was played in Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San...
, where they defeated the Peoria Pirates
Peoria Pirates
The Peoria Pirates were a professional arena football team that last played in af2, the minor league to the Arena Football League. They played their home games at Carver Arena, part of the Peoria Civic Center in Illinois, and were coached by Mike Hohensee...
, 39–26.
Coaching career
In 2005, Mastrole became the Florida Firecats offensive coordinatorOffensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
and served in that role through the 2008 season. Over those four years, he directed the league's number-one scoring offense, the number-one rated quarterback, and three 1,000-yard wide receivers.
Personal life
He lives in Florida with his wife, Kim, and stepson, Dylan. Mastrole now runs his own football training camp in Florida, the Mastrole Passing Academy.External links
- Beem gives hope to those who dream, Daily Herald, August 20, 2002.
- Maryland's Young Quarterbacks Brace for an Early Call to Arms, The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, p. C05, August 9, 1995. - 'Flipping, Flopping' QBs Lead Terrapins, The Washington Post, p. D01, September 27, 1998.
- QB aiming for memorable senior season, The Miami HeraldThe Miami HeraldThe Miami Herald is a daily newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company headquartered on Biscayne Bay in the Omni district of Downtown Miami, Florida, United States...
, August 28, 1994. - Terps Quarterbacks Pass by Controversy; Mastrole, Evans Grow Close in Competition, The Washington Post, August 15, 1998.
- 3rd string QB duel bears watching, Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, August 27, 2002. - Mastrole transfers to Rhode Island, The Washington TimesThe Washington TimesThe Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, February 3, 1999.