Kansas City Chiefs Quarterback

Professional--Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982, Los Angeles, California) is the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He became the Patriots' starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2008 season after then reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury. According to ESPN research, he is the only known quarterback in NFL history to start an NFL game at quarterback without ever starting at quarterback in college.

In his first season as a starter, Cassel became only the fifth NFL quarterback to have passed for more than 400 yards in consecutive games, and the first since the NFL-AFL merger with 60 rushing yards in the same game.

* Cassel married his longtime girlfriend Lauren Killian, (born July 31, 1981) a former USC volleyball player, in February 2007; Carson Palmer was his best man. Cassel has three siblings, older brother Jack (who is married to Killian's USC roommate and teammate, Julie Mariani), younger brother Justin, and younger sister Amanda. Jack pitched for the Houston Astros in 2008, and signed in January 2009 with the Cleveland Indians. Justin is a pitcher for the Birmingham Barons, a AA baseball affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. Cassel is the son of Emmy-winning set designer Barbara Cassel and Greg Cassel