We are 40 days away from college football kickoff. Happy Monday all y’all! Today, we have Howard Cassady and Luke Kuechly. Two more fantastic college football players. Be sure to check back tomorrow as we kickoff with #39 in our countdown to kickoff. Enjoy!
Howard Cassady (40) Days Away From College Football Kickoff
Howard Cassady was the third Ohio State player to win the Heisman Trophy, after Les Horvath and Vic Janowicz.
OSU fans quickly noticed why Howard “Hopalong” Cassady was special. In his first college game, the 150-pound freshman came off the bench and scored three touchdowns, helping the Buckeyes beat Indiana 33-13. After that, “Hop” became a regular, playing in 36 out of 37 games and leading the team to a 29-8 record over four years.
In 1954, Cassady was named a unanimous All-American and helped the Buckeyes finish 10-0, winning the first of five national championships for Coach Woody Hayes. That season ended with a 20-7 win over Southern Cal. Cassady was named an All-American again in 1955, rushing for 958 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns. That same year, he won the Heisman Trophy and was chosen as the Associated Press 1955 Athlete of the Year. Cassady also stood out as a defensive back and finished his college career with 2,466 rushing yards, which still ranks 11th in OSU history. He played baseball too, starting at shortstop for three years. three years.
After graduating, Cassady was a first-round pick for the Detroit Lions. He played defensive back for Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia before retiring. Later, “Hop” lived in Tampa but spent many summers in Columbus coaching the Columbus Clippers, the Yankees’ AAA farm team. His jersey number 40 was retired on November 18, 2000.
Another Great #40, Luke Kuechly, Boston College
Luke Kuechly combined size, speed, and football smarts, earning him the reputation of someone who “looked like Clark Kent and played like Superman.” He finished his college career with the second-most tackles in NCAA history and became Boston College’s most decorated defensive player. The Cincinnati native is now the eighth Eagles player to join the College Football Hall of Fame.
Kuechly was a two-time First Team All-American, earning unanimous honors in 2010 and consensus honors in 2011. In 2011, he won every major national defensive award, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Butkus Award, the Rotary Lombardi Award, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy, after leading all college players with 191 tackles and 102 solo tackles. He also led the nation in tackles in 2010 with 183, including 110 solo. As a freshman in 2009, he was named an FWAA Freshman All-American and made 158 tackles, 87 of them solo. Over three years, he totaled 532 tackles, the second-most in NCAA history. He also holds the NCAA record for tackles per game at 14.0 and ranks second in solo tackles per game at 7.87.
Kuechly helped lead the Eagles to two bowl games: the 2009 Emerald Bowl against Southern California and the 2010 Fight Hunger Bowl against Nevada. Although the team lost both games, he was named Defensive MVP in each one.
In 2011, Kuechly was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He was a three-time First Team All-ACC pick and won ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2009. He led the conference in tackles per game every season he played. As team captain and MVP in 2011, he set Boston College records for career tackles (532), career solo tackles (299), and single-season tackles (191 in 2011). He had at least 10 tackles in 34 of 38 games, including a streak of 33 straight. He is third all-time at BC with 44 tackles for loss and finished his career with three sacks, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and 10 pass breakups.
Kuechly was picked ninth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers and spent his entire career with the team from 2012 to 2019. He made five Pro Bowls and started in Super Bowl 50. He was named the 2012 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and the 2013 AP and TSN Defensive Player of the Year.
Kuechly was a two-time First Team All-American, earning unanimous honors in 2010 and consensus honors in 2011. In 2011, he won every major national defensive award, including the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Butkus Award, the Rotary Lombardi Award, and the Lott IMPACT Trophy, after leading all college players with 191 tackles and 102 solo tackles. He also led the nation in tackles in 2010 with 183, including 110 solo. As a freshman in 2009, he was named an FWAA Freshman All-American and made 158 tackles, 87 of them solo. Over three years, he totaled 532 tackles, the second-most in NCAA history. He also holds the NCAA record for tackles per game at 14.0 and ranks second in solo tackles per game at 7.87.
Kuechly helped lead the Eagles to two bowl games: the 2009 Emerald Bowl against Southern California and the 2010 Fight Hunger Bowl against Nevada. Although the team lost both games, he was named Defensive MVP in each one.
In 2011, Kuechly was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He was a three-time First Team All-ACC pick and won ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2009. He led the conference in tackles per game every season he played. As team captain and MVP in 2011, he set Boston College records for career tackles (532), career solo tackles (299), and single-season tackles (191 in 2011). He had at least 10 tackles in 34 of 38 games, including a streak of 33 straight. He is third all-time at BC with 44 tackles for loss and finished his career with three sacks, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and 10 pass breakups.
Kuechly was picked ninth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers and spent his entire career with the team from 2012 to 2019. He made five Pro Bowls and started in Super Bowl 50. He was named the 2012 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year and the 2013 AP and TSN Defensive Player of the Year.
Boston College retired his jersey in 2016.
Kuechly currently works as a commentator for the Carolina Panthers radio team and helps with the D.J. Moore Pro Camp. He is also a brand ambassador for Q-Collar, a device that helps reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury. In 2022, he took part in the NFF’s Future for Football campaign to highlight new technology making the sport safer.
Kuechly currently works as a commentator for the Carolina Panthers radio team and helps with the D.J. Moore Pro Camp. He is also a brand ambassador for Q-Collar, a device that helps reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury. In 2022, he took part in the NFF’s Future for Football campaign to highlight new technology making the sport safer.
Editor’s Note: The countdown to college football kickoff has been a series on the Last Word on College Football social media platforms for the past 9 years. They consisted of a photo and a small blurb for each player, with the jersey corresponding to the number of days until kickoff. The rank of the players is sourced from articles by Bleacher Report, Fox Sports, and The Athletic. There are also some favorite players of the Last Word on College Football writers. Their bios are sourced from multiple online sources, including but not limited to the College Football Hall of Fame, their Heisman profiles, and school websites.
Main Photo: Ohio State University Athletics
