Kevin Kaesviharn
Encyclopedia
Kevin Robert Kaesviharn (born August 29, 1976 in Paramount, California
) is an American football
safety who is currently a free agent
. He was signed by the Iowa Barnstormers
as a street free agent in 1998. He played college football
at Augustana
.
Kaesviharn has been a member of the San Francisco Demons
, Green Bay Packers
, Cincinnati Bengals
, New Orleans Saints
and Carolina Panthers
.
in Lakeville, Minnesota
, Kaesviharn lettered
in football
, track
, and basketball
.
in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
, a NCAA Division II school and was a three year starter
for the Vikings. He finished his collegiate
career with 167 tackles, six interceptions, and 34 passes defensed.
As a freshman, Kaesviharn was credited with seven tackles (four solo) and one pass defense. In 1995, he started at cornerback, recording 45 tackles (29 solo), two interceptions, 10 passes defended and two fumble recoveries.
He had a stand out year in 1996, and was named an All-North Central Conference
Second Team defensive back
, picking up 47 tackles (26 solo), two interceptions and 11 passes defended.
Kaesviharn finished his collegiate career at cornerback
in 1997 as a four-year letter winner. Shortly after his senior season he participated in the Division II All-Star game and was named First-Team All-North Central Conference at cornerback, Academic All-North Central Conference, GTE
Academic All-American District VII Second Team and Daktronics
Division II All-Midwest Region Second Team. At season end, he was ranked third on the team with 68 tackles (44 of which were solo), and led the team with two interceptions and 12 pass breakups.
As a member of Augustana's Track and Field Program, he placed fourth in the triple jump
and sixth in the long jump
in the North Central Conference Outdoor Championships. Kaesviharn graduated with a degree in Mathematics
and Physical Education
.
, Kaesviharn signed with the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers
.
In 1999, Kaesviharn was named the Barnstormers' Rookie of the Year, leading the team with five interceptions for the season despite having played in only 10 games before breaking a bone in his foot.
His strong success continued into 2000, when Kaesviharn was named to the All-Arena First Team at Defensive Specialist, as the third player in AFL history to register more than 100 tackles in a single season. His 107 tackles were ranked second in the AFL overall. He set a Barnstormers record that year with 10 interceptions (for 81 yards) in one season.
In his two years with the Barnstormers, Kaesviharn recorded 133 tackles, 15 interceptions, 19 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and caught six passes for 93 yards as a wide receiver.
vs. the Los Angeles Xtreme
. On April 21, 2001, the Xtreme defeated the Demons 38-6.
. He was released on March 26, 2009.
on August 24, 2009 after safety Charles Godfrey
underwent surgery
on a broken hand
. Wide receiver
Jason Carter was waived to make room for Kaesviharn on the roster.
Paramount, California
Paramount is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. According to the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 54,098 down from 55,266 at the 2000 census...
) is an American football
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...
safety who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was signed by the Iowa Barnstormers
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
as a street free agent in 1998. He played college 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 Augustana
Augustana College (South Dakota)
Augustana College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The campus makes the school the largest private university in South Dakota...
.
Kaesviharn has been a member of the San Francisco Demons
San Francisco Demons
The San Francisco Demons were a short-lived springtime American football team based in San Francisco, California. This team was part of the failed XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States...
, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and Carolina Panthers
Carolina 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...
.
Early years
At Lakeville High SchoolLakeville North High School
Lakeville North High School is a public high school in northern Lakeville, Minnesota. Formerly Lakeville High School, LNHS received its current name when a second high school, Lakeville South High School, was built...
in Lakeville, Minnesota
Lakeville, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,128 people, 13,609 households, and 11,526 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,192.4 people per square mile . There were 13,799 housing units at an average density of 381.5 per square mile...
, Kaesviharn lettered
Varsity letter
A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...
in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
College career
Graduating in 1994, He attended Augustana CollegeAugustana College (South Dakota)
Augustana College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The campus makes the school the largest private university in South Dakota...
in Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Sioux Falls is the county seat of Minnehaha County, and also extends into Lincoln County to the south...
, a NCAA Division II school and was a three year starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
for the Vikings. He finished his collegiate
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...
career with 167 tackles, six interceptions, and 34 passes defensed.
As a freshman, Kaesviharn was credited with seven tackles (four solo) and one pass defense. In 1995, he started at cornerback, recording 45 tackles (29 solo), two interceptions, 10 passes defended and two fumble recoveries.
He had a stand out year in 1996, and was named an All-North Central Conference
North Central Conference
The North Central Conference , also known as North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was a college athletic conference which operated in the north central United States. It participated in the NCAA's Division II.-History:...
Second Team defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, picking up 47 tackles (26 solo), two interceptions and 11 passes defended.
Kaesviharn finished his collegiate career at cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
in 1997 as a four-year letter winner. Shortly after his senior season he participated in the Division II All-Star game and was named First-Team All-North Central Conference at cornerback, Academic All-North Central Conference, GTE
GTE
GTE Corporation, formerly General Telephone & Electronics Corporation was the largest independent telephone company in the United States during the days of the Bell System....
Academic All-American District VII Second Team and Daktronics
Daktronics
Daktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video board, scoreboards, digital billboards and related products. The company is best known for its electronic LED displays...
Division II All-Midwest Region Second Team. At season end, he was ranked third on the team with 68 tackles (44 of which were solo), and led the team with two interceptions and 12 pass breakups.
As a member of Augustana's Track and Field Program, he placed fourth in the triple jump
Triple jump
The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...
and sixth in the long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
in the North Central Conference Outdoor Championships. Kaesviharn graduated with a degree in Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
.
Iowa Barnstormers
After going undrafted in the 1998 NFL Draft1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
, Kaesviharn signed with the Arena Football League's Iowa Barnstormers
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
.
In 1999, Kaesviharn was named the Barnstormers' Rookie of the Year, leading the team with five interceptions for the season despite having played in only 10 games before breaking a bone in his foot.
His strong success continued into 2000, when Kaesviharn was named to the All-Arena First Team at Defensive Specialist, as the third player in AFL history to register more than 100 tackles in a single season. His 107 tackles were ranked second in the AFL overall. He set a Barnstormers record that year with 10 interceptions (for 81 yards) in one season.
In his two years with the Barnstormers, Kaesviharn recorded 133 tackles, 15 interceptions, 19 pass deflections, one fumble recovery, and caught six passes for 93 yards as a wide receiver.
San Francisco Demons
In 2000, Kaesviharn was drafted by the San Francisco Demons for the inaugural season of the XFL. Over the course of the season he was credited with 41 tackles (32 solo), three interceptions and three passes defended. He recorded 3 punt returns for a total of 25 yards (averaging 8.3 yards per carry). The Demons went 5-5 for the season, finishing second in their division and going on to the Million Dollar GameMillion Dollar Game
The Million Dollar Game was the XFL's championship game at the end of its only season in 2001. At first it had no special name, then was going to be called "The Big Game at the End," but eventually received the name it ended up with because a pot of one million dollars was to be split among the...
vs. the Los Angeles Xtreme
Los Angeles Xtreme
The Los Angeles Xtreme was a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The team was a member of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. The team played its home games in the Los Angeles...
. On April 21, 2001, the Xtreme defeated the Demons 38-6.
Green Bay Packers
In 2001, Kaesviharn started his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, but was waived just before their season opener.Cincinnati Bengals
He was signed to the Cincinnati Bengals' squad four weeks later. During his stretch with the Bengals, Kaesviharn played in 87 games and logged 363 tackles (286 solo), six sacks, 15 interceptions, 28 passes defended and four fumble recoveries; one of which resulted in a touchdown when he returned the ball three yards on a Lee Suggs fumble in the second quarter vs. the Cleveland Browns on October 17, 2004. In 2006, he had his best year as a Bengal, despite only playing in 14 games, and starting in 7 of them. Kaesviharn recorded 6 interceptions, along with 4 sacks for the season.New Orleans Saints
On March 13, 2007, after five full seasons with the Bengals, Kaesviharn signed a four-year contract with the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. He was released on March 26, 2009.
Carolina Panthers
Kaesviharn was signed by 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...
on August 24, 2009 after safety Charles Godfrey
Charles Godfrey (American football)
Charles Godfrey is an American football safety/nickelback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Panthers in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
underwent surgery
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
on a broken hand
Hand
A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered extremity located at the end of an arm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs...
. Wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Jason Carter was waived to make room for Kaesviharn on the roster.