Kevin Kaesviharn Unlikely Journey Returns to the Nati

Brian Simmons returns after nine seasons in Cincinnati

By Adam Kiefaber

Kevin Kaesviharn and former Bengal linebacker Brian Simmons return to Cincinnati in a preseason game this Saturday.

Simmons, who attended North Carolina, was drafted 17th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. Earlier in that draft the Bengals grabbed Auburn linebacker Takeo Spikes with the 13th overall pick. Cincinnati obtained the extra first-round pick (the one used on Simmons) when the Washington Redskins signed the franchise-tagged defensive tackle Dan “Big Daddy” Wilkinson (Cincinnati got a third-round pick from Washington as well and used it on offensive guard Mike Goff).

Simmons was a solid, but never a great LB for Cincinnati. His high in sacks was 6.5 (in ‘01) and his high in tackles was 90 (in ‘99). Personally, I didn’t think Simmons was that great of a tackler, however for a linebacker he was great in coverage. For his career he had 11 interceptions and defended 40 passes.

Kaesviharn journey to the NFL isn’t as simple as Simmons, which is one of the reasons he became a fan favorite.

On the morning of October 19th of 2001, the Bengals called Kaesviharn for a tryout. At the time, Kaesviharn was working as a substitute high-school gym teacher in Sioux Falls, S.D.

I remember when he signed with Cincinnati during the ‘01 season; many fans thought it was a joke. Although soon after joining the active roster on November 10th of 2001, Kaesviharn became a fan favorite.

On December 9th of ‘01, Kaesviharn picked off a Mark Burnell pass. The interception set up the Bengals’ only touchdown in a 14-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars (that was when Cincinnati would play Jacksonville twice in a season- do you remember that?). It was the first interception of his career.

“It’s one of those stories, a great story,” cornerbacks coach Kevin Coyle (now the defensive backs coach for Cincy) said at the time. “You just don’t know where it’s going to end up eventually.”

Kaesviharn kept the great story going and his career statistics include 260 tackles, 45 passes defended and 15 interceptions. Last year, Kaesviharn had four sacks and six interceptions.

After playing six seasons for the Cincinnati Bengals, safety Kevin Kaesviharn was rewarded with a fat four-year contract with the New Orleans Saints.

When Kaesviharn signed with Cincinnati, fans thought it was crazy that a substitute high-school gym teacher could make an NFL team. However, that was his job during the fall. During the summer, he played for the Iowa Barnstormers for two seasons. Also, he played for the XFL’s San Francisco Demons for one season.