Casey Sayles
No. 44     Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Sayles with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2023
Born: (1995-09-04) September 4, 1995 (age 28)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Career information
StatusActive
CFL statusAmerican
Position(s)Defensive tackle
Height6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight289 lb (131 kg)
CollegeOhio Bobcats
High schoolOmaha North
NFL draft2017 / Undrafted
Career history
As player
2017*Los Angeles Rams
2018*Pittsburgh Steelers
2019Birmingham Iron
2019*Pittsburgh Steelers
2020St. Louis BattleHawks
2021–2022Winnipeg Blue Bombers
2023–presentHamilton Tiger-Cats
Career highlights and awards
CFL All-Star2023
CFL East All-Star2023
Career stats

Casey Sayles (born September 4, 1995) is an American professional football defensive tackle for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football with the Ohio Bobcats.

Early years

Sayles attended Omaha North High School in Omaha, Nebraska.[1] As a senior, Sayles compiled 36 solo tackles and 40 assists, with 19 tackles for loss for 71 yards, including 4 1/2 sacks. He also registered four pass breakups, and while playing tight end, he caught nine passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns.[2] He helped Omaha North reach the Class A championship game and was named to the All-Nebraska team. Sayles signed with the Ohio Bobcats out of high school.[3]

College career

Sayles played Defensive line for the Ohio Bobcats from 2013 to 2016. In 2013, he also played Special teams and returned 4 kicks for a total of 30 yards.[4] In 2014, he played in only seven games. In his senior season in 2016, Sayles has 33 tackles and six sacks, earning Second-team All-Mid-American Conference honors.[5] He finished his four year college career with 111 total tackles and 12.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries in 50 games.

Statistics

Tackles Def Int Fumbles
Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Sk Int Yds Avg TD PD FR Yds TD FF
*2013 Ohio MAC FR DL 11 14 18 32 5.0 3.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014 Ohio MAC SO DL 7 7 12 19 2.0 0.5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
*2015 Ohio MAC JR DL 13 9 18 27 6.0 2.5 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0
*2016 Ohio MAC SR DL 14 17 15 32 6.5 5.0 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 0
Career Ohio 45 47 63 110 19.5 11.5 0 0 0 0 6 3 0 0 0
*indicates bowl stats included. Reference[4]

Professional career

Los Angeles Rams

On May 3, 2017, Sayles was signed by the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent.[6] He was released by the team on September 3, 2017.[7]

Pittsburgh Steelers (first stint)

On January 18, 2018, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Sayles to a Reserve/Future contract.[7] He had four tackles in four preseason games.[8] On September 1, 2018, he was waived.[7]

Birmingham Iron

In 2019, Sayles played for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).[8] According to Pro Football Focus, he was one of the best defensive lineman in the league on a per-snap basis.[9] The league ceased operations in April 2019.[10]

Pittsburgh Steelers (second stint)

On April 9, 2019, the Steelers signed Sayles to a one-year contract.[7] On August 30, 2019, he was released.[11]

St. Louis BattleHawks

In October 2019, Sayles was drafted by the St. Louis BattleHawks via the 2020 XFL Draft. He was picked up in the first round of Phase 3: Defensive Front Seven.[12] He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.[13]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Sayles signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL on April 5, 2021.[14] He played for two seasons with the Blue Bombers where he won a Grey Cup in 2021 and became a free agent upon the expiry of his contract on February 14, 2023.[15]

Hamilton Tiger-Cats

On February 15, 2023, it was announced that Sayles had signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.[15] On November 8, 2023, Sayles was named a CFL All-Star, after leading the team in quarterback sacks and tackles for loss.[16]

References

  1. ^ "Profile: Casey Sayles". 247sports.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  2. ^ Hambleton, Ryan (December 8, 2012). "Casey Sayles, DL". Lincoln Journal-Star. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  3. ^ Pospisil, Stu (February 6, 2013). "Metro's Sayles, Keely twins sign letters". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Profile: Casey Sayles". sports-reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  5. ^ "Former Ohio Football Standout Sayles Set To Open Inaugural AAF Season With Birmingham Iron". Ohio Bobcats. February 9, 2019. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  6. ^ "Profile: Casey Sayles". rotoworld.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d "Profile: Casey Sayles". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  8. ^ a b Klinger, Jacob (April 9, 2019). "Steelers bring back former AAF DL Casey Sayles". PennLive. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  9. ^ Marczi, Matthew (March 7, 2019). "Casey Sayles Another Former Steeler Making Mark In Alliance With The Iron". Steelers Depot. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
  10. ^ Rothstein, Michael; Wickersham, Seth (June 13, 2019). "Inside the short, unhappy life of the Alliance of American Football". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  11. ^ Asti, Mike (August 30, 2019). "Report: Steelers Release DL Casey Sayles". steelersnow.com. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  12. ^ Bender, Bill (October 21, 2019). "XFL Draft picks 2019: Complete results, rosters, players for new football league". Sporting News. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  13. ^ Condotta, Bob (April 10, 2020). "XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue". SeattleTimes.com. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
  14. ^ Marra, Riley (April 5, 2021). "Bombers add Casey Sayles to roster". BlueBombers.com. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  15. ^ a b "Transactions – Football player trades and signings". Canadian Football League. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  16. ^ "TIGER-CATS WHITE AND SAYLES NAMED CFL ALL-STARS".

External links

Hamilton Tiger-Cats current roster
Winnipeg Blue Bombers 108th Grey Cup champions
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