Alain Kashama

Alain Kashama
No. 97
Date of birth (1979-12-08) December 8, 1979
Place of birth Democratic Republic of Congo
Career information
CFL status National
Position(s) DE
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 270 lb (120 kg)
College Michigan
High school Bramalea Secondary School, Brampton
CFL draft 2004 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Drafted by Montreal Alouettes
Career history
As player
2004 Chicago Bears
2005 Seattle Seahawks
2006-2008 Montreal Alouettes
2008 Hamilton Tiger-Cats
2009 Calgary Stampeders
Career stats

Alain Kaleta Olony T. Kashama is a former Canadian football defensive end who played in the Canadian Football League and National Football League. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines.

Kashama has also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Montreal Alouettes and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

College career

Kashama attended the University of Michigan where he majored in African-American studies.[1] He played in 40 games, starting six[1] for the Wolverines football team.[2] In those games Kashama recorded a total of 48 tackles and six sacks.[2] During his first three years at Michigan, Kashama was mainly a backup defensive end playing in pass rushing downs and when others were injured.[3] However, after Shantee Orr declared for the 2003 NFL Draft, Kashama was expected to start as a senior.[4]

Professional career

Chicago Bears

After going undrafted in the 2004 NFL Draft, Kashama signed with the Chicago Bears on April 26, 2004.[5] After his signing, the Bears were reportedly starting to, "envision ways in which Kashama could contribute if he keeps improving at his current rate."[6] He played in three games for Chicago before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks.[7]

Seattle Seahawks

After being traded to the Seahawks, Kashama played in one game with Seattle before the Seahawks released him on July 31, 2006.[8]

Montreal Alouettes

Kashama was drafted by the Montreal Alouettes in the 2004 CFL Draft but opted to sign with the NFL's Chicago Bears.[2] In 2007, Kashama led Montreal in sacks[9] with eight.[10] Kashama also recorded 29 tackles for the Alouettes.[11] On July 21, 2008, it was reported by The Montreal Gazette that Kashama was to be traded after suffering a knee injury. Jim Popp, the Alouettes general manager shot down the rumors of a possible trade although he did not deny that teams such as the Calgary Stampeders and Edmonton Eskimos were calling.[12]

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

Kashama was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on September 10, 2008, for a conditional pick in the 2009 CFL Draft.[11] With Hamilton he recorded five tackles and one sack.[8][10]

Calgary Stampeders

On February 24, 2009, Kashama signed with the Calgary Stampeders.[9]

Personal

Kashama was born on December 8, 1979, in the Democratic Republic of Congo before moving to Brampton, Ontario and then Montreal, Quebec as a child.[1][2] Because of this move, Kashama is now fluent in French.[1][13] He played high school football at Vieux Montreal, and recorded over 200 tackles and 50 sacks while being ranked as the second best prep player in Canada.[1] During high school, Kashama also played basketball and ran track.[14] His brother Fernand is his teammate with Calgary while his cousin Tim Biakabutuka was a running back for the Carolina Panthers. His brother Hakeem also played professional football with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[7] He credits his cousin for getting him interested in football and said that, "I started to play football after he was drafted in 1996."[2] Kashama is nicknamed "Sackmaster" by his teammates.[1][15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Montreal's Alain Kashama Among the Canadians Battling For Roster Spots As Training Camp Begins". Slam! Sports. July 22, 2004. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alain Kashama a les outils pour devenir un partant" (in French). Canoe.ca. June 20, 2007. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  3. ↑ "Michigan Player Comments Previewing Houston". Michigan Wolverines. September 1, 2003. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  4. ↑ Smith, Joe (January 16, 2003). "Orr's decision to leave should not bother fans". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  5. ↑ "How the 2004 Bears were built". The Baltimore Sun. September 8, 2004. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  6. ↑ Haugh, David (August 16, 2004). "Bears doing flips over Michigan rookie end". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  7. 1 2 "#97 Alain Kashama". Calgary Stampeders. Archived from the original on 23 June 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  8. 1 2 "#77 Alain Kashama". Hamilton Tiger-Cats Football Club. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  9. 1 2 "Alain Kashama quitte les Alouettes" (in French). Canoe.ca. February 23, 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  10. 1 2 "CFL.ca bio". Canadian Football League. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  11. 1 2 "Ticats Acquire Alain Kashama". Our Sports Central. September 10, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  12. ↑ "Kashama fait encore partie des plans" (in French). RDS.ca. July 21, 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  13. ↑ "Player Comments from Weekly U-M Football Media Luncheon". University of Michigan. September 30, 2002. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  14. ↑ "#95 Alain Kashama". University of Michigan. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
  15. ↑ McCollough, J. Brady (September 30, 2002). "'Sackmaster' finally makes impact". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2009-07-01.

External links

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