Kevin Kassis
Photo by: Andrew Pedersen
Kevin Kassis' California Cool Demeanor Belies Relentless Work Ethic
8/16/2017 4:40:00 PM | Football
Sophomore receiver considered one of Bobcats' hardest workers
Late in the first half of Montana State's final home game of 2016, Montana State faced a third-and-three from the UC Davis 23-yard line. Freshman receiver Kevin Kassis took the ball from freshman quarterback Chris Murray in the backfield, ran to his right as if running a reverse, then threw a touchdown pass to freshman receiver Cam Sutton.
That play broke a 10-10 tie and the Bobcats would lead from that point on in a 27-13 victory. That win sent MSU's seniors out in style on Senior Day, snapped a six-game losing streak, and, importantly, gave the Bobcats momentum heading into what would be a season-defining win at Montana one week later. That the pass was thrown by a true freshman receiver from California in November in Bozeman might surprise you, except for one thing.
Nothing should surprise you about Kevin Kassis. "There's no doubt," Bobcat coach Jeff Choate smiles when Kassis' California-cool demeanor is mentioned. "He has an easy-going attitude."
But that's only a tiny part of Kassis' story. The El Dorado, California, product caught nine passes last year to go with the one he completed, for 152 yards. Both were top five marks on the Bobcat team. He was MSU's leading return man, bringing back 10 kickoffs and a dozen punts, and his 514 all-purpose yards was fourth on the team and among the top 10 marks in Montana State history by a freshman.
But the production, too, is a small part of Kassis' story. Most of that story, Choate says, is his motivation to work. "He's just obviously personally driven to be great," Choate said. "I do think it's a rare young man that is purely motivated to improve and be the best he can be, that goes to work every single day regardless of the weather, regardless of where he's at on the depth chart, whether he's getting a scholarship or not, it doesn't matter. They just want to see how good they can be."
Kassis almost never got that chance. "It was late January" in 2016, just days away from National Signing Day, when Kassis says of the first time he heard from Montana State.
MSU receivers coach Matt Miller, who heard of Kassis through a "friend in Boise," remembers the conversation. "I think Kevin was a little shocked that Montana State was calling him," Miller said. "Things happened really quickly because it was so late in the game. We got him up here on a trip with his parents, they fell in love with it, and the rest is history."
When the phone call first came, Kassis had no idea it would lead him to a beautiful college town in the northern Rocky Mountains where passion for college football pulsates. "It was kind of a late thing," he said, "and I wasn't sure I was even going to play (football) in college."
Fast forward seven months, and Kassis was finding his way through his true freshman season at receiver and the person throwing him the ball during the second half of the season was in a similar situation. "Him and me were the only true freshmen that really got good playing time each game (on offense)," said quarterback Chris Murray, who finished last season as the Big Sky Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-America. Six of Kassis' nine catches came once Murray took over as the starting quarterback midway through the season.
Murray said the bond between the two sophomores from California is strong. "He's one of my go-to guys, I know I can count on him and he has great confidence in me that I'll get him the ball."
Regardless of where the conversation about Kassis drifts, it always returns to one place. "I think Kevin has one of the best work ethics on the team," said Miller, who had a similar reputation as a record-setting receiver at Helena Capital and then Boise State. "He's a blue collar kid, he wants to grind all day. He likes going into the lab and get a lot of film study in. You'll see him down in the weight room, catching jugs, getting an extra lift in, and obviously he takes care of his body as well."
Miller said part of Kassis' relentless pursuit of improvement comes from the time just before the two connected over the phone, when Kassis was generating little recruiting interest. "I think Kevin's got a big chip on his shoulder. He wants to prove something to everybody."
Kassis' motivation, Choate says, is pure. "He's not motivated by the financial reward, the scholarship. He comes from a good family that can provide for him. He's not motivated, I think, by the allure of being a college football player. I think he truly loves the game and has a passion for it, and it doesn't matter if it's in the weight room in the off-season, or between the white lines during (player-run practices in the summer) or on Saturday afternoon in the fall, the kid just loves the game, only knows one speed, and really sets the tone for that wide receiver room in terms of his work ethic."
In appearance, the 6-0, 180 lb sophomore is all California, but Murray – who boasts a similar demeanor – recognizes his pedigree. And the two use it to their advantage, whether in practices during the summer or home games in Bobcat Stadium in November. "When things are tough we have to be calm," Murray says with a smile. "Being from California I think we already have that trait in us already."
That play broke a 10-10 tie and the Bobcats would lead from that point on in a 27-13 victory. That win sent MSU's seniors out in style on Senior Day, snapped a six-game losing streak, and, importantly, gave the Bobcats momentum heading into what would be a season-defining win at Montana one week later. That the pass was thrown by a true freshman receiver from California in November in Bozeman might surprise you, except for one thing.
Nothing should surprise you about Kevin Kassis. "There's no doubt," Bobcat coach Jeff Choate smiles when Kassis' California-cool demeanor is mentioned. "He has an easy-going attitude."
But that's only a tiny part of Kassis' story. The El Dorado, California, product caught nine passes last year to go with the one he completed, for 152 yards. Both were top five marks on the Bobcat team. He was MSU's leading return man, bringing back 10 kickoffs and a dozen punts, and his 514 all-purpose yards was fourth on the team and among the top 10 marks in Montana State history by a freshman.
But the production, too, is a small part of Kassis' story. Most of that story, Choate says, is his motivation to work. "He's just obviously personally driven to be great," Choate said. "I do think it's a rare young man that is purely motivated to improve and be the best he can be, that goes to work every single day regardless of the weather, regardless of where he's at on the depth chart, whether he's getting a scholarship or not, it doesn't matter. They just want to see how good they can be."
Kassis almost never got that chance. "It was late January" in 2016, just days away from National Signing Day, when Kassis says of the first time he heard from Montana State.
MSU receivers coach Matt Miller, who heard of Kassis through a "friend in Boise," remembers the conversation. "I think Kevin was a little shocked that Montana State was calling him," Miller said. "Things happened really quickly because it was so late in the game. We got him up here on a trip with his parents, they fell in love with it, and the rest is history."
When the phone call first came, Kassis had no idea it would lead him to a beautiful college town in the northern Rocky Mountains where passion for college football pulsates. "It was kind of a late thing," he said, "and I wasn't sure I was even going to play (football) in college."
Fast forward seven months, and Kassis was finding his way through his true freshman season at receiver and the person throwing him the ball during the second half of the season was in a similar situation. "Him and me were the only true freshmen that really got good playing time each game (on offense)," said quarterback Chris Murray, who finished last season as the Big Sky Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-America. Six of Kassis' nine catches came once Murray took over as the starting quarterback midway through the season.
Murray said the bond between the two sophomores from California is strong. "He's one of my go-to guys, I know I can count on him and he has great confidence in me that I'll get him the ball."
Regardless of where the conversation about Kassis drifts, it always returns to one place. "I think Kevin has one of the best work ethics on the team," said Miller, who had a similar reputation as a record-setting receiver at Helena Capital and then Boise State. "He's a blue collar kid, he wants to grind all day. He likes going into the lab and get a lot of film study in. You'll see him down in the weight room, catching jugs, getting an extra lift in, and obviously he takes care of his body as well."
Miller said part of Kassis' relentless pursuit of improvement comes from the time just before the two connected over the phone, when Kassis was generating little recruiting interest. "I think Kevin's got a big chip on his shoulder. He wants to prove something to everybody."
Kassis' motivation, Choate says, is pure. "He's not motivated by the financial reward, the scholarship. He comes from a good family that can provide for him. He's not motivated, I think, by the allure of being a college football player. I think he truly loves the game and has a passion for it, and it doesn't matter if it's in the weight room in the off-season, or between the white lines during (player-run practices in the summer) or on Saturday afternoon in the fall, the kid just loves the game, only knows one speed, and really sets the tone for that wide receiver room in terms of his work ethic."
In appearance, the 6-0, 180 lb sophomore is all California, but Murray – who boasts a similar demeanor – recognizes his pedigree. And the two use it to their advantage, whether in practices during the summer or home games in Bobcat Stadium in November. "When things are tough we have to be calm," Murray says with a smile. "Being from California I think we already have that trait in us already."
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