Canadian and American football player (born 1979)
Alain Kaleta Olony T. Kashama (born December 8, 1979) is a Canadian former 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 .
Early life
Kashama was born in Zaire before moving to Brampton , Ontario and then Montreal , Quebec as a child.[1] [2] Because of this move, Kashama is fluent in French.[1] [3] 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 .[4]
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] 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.[5] However, after Shantee Orr declared for the 2003 NFL Draft , Kashama was expected to start as a senior.[6]
Career
Chicago Bears
After going undrafted in the 2004 NFL Draft , Kashama signed with the Chicago Bears on April 26, 2004.[7] After his signing, the Bears were reportedly starting to, "envision ways in which Kashama could contribute if he keeps improving at his current rate."[8] He played in three games for Chicago before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks .[9]
Seattle Seahawks
After being traded to the Seahawks, Kashama played in one game with Seattle before the Seahawks released him on July 31, 2006.[10]
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 [11] with eight.[12] Kashama also recorded 29 tackles for the Alouettes.[13] 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.[14]
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Kashama was traded to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on September 10, 2008, for a conditional pick in the 2009 CFL Draft .[13] With Hamilton he recorded five tackles and one sack.[10] [12]
Calgary Stampeders
On February 24, 2009, Kashama signed with the Calgary Stampeders .[11]
Personal life
Kashama's 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 .[9] 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
^ a b c d e f "Montreal's Alain Kashama Among the Canadians Battling For Roster Spots As Training Camp Begins" . Slam! Sports. July 22, 2004. Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .{{cite news }}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link )
^ a b c d e "Alain Kashama a les outils pour devenir un partant" (in French). Canoe.ca. June 20, 2007. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
^ "Player Comments from Weekly U-M Football Media Luncheon" . University of Michigan. September 30, 2002. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .[permanent dead link ]
^ "#95 Alain Kashama" . University of Michigan. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .[permanent dead link ]
^ "Michigan Player Comments Previewing Houston" . Michigan Wolverines. September 1, 2003. Archived from the original on May 4, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
^ Smith, Joe (January 16, 2003). "Orr's decision to leave should not bother fans" . The Michigan Daily. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
^ "How the 2004 Bears were built" . The Baltimore Sun . September 8, 2004. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
^ Haugh, David (August 16, 2004). "Bears doing flips over Michigan rookie end" . Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
^ a b "#97 Alain Kashama" . Calgary Stampeders. Archived from the original on 23 June 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2009 .
^ a b "#77 Alain Kashama" . Hamilton Tiger-Cats Football Club. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .[permanent dead link ]
^ a b "Alain Kashama quitte les Alouettes" (in French). Canoe.ca. February 23, 2009. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
^ a b "CFL.ca bio" . Canadian Football League. Archived from the original on June 17, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
^ a b "Ticats Acquire Alain Kashama" . Our Sports Central. September 10, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
^ "Kashama fait encore partie des plans" (in French). RDS.ca. July 21, 2008. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
^ McCollough, J. Brady (September 30, 2002). " 'Sackmaster' finally makes impact" . The Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on February 25, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2009 .
External links