Casey Sayles

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1995)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox Canadian Football League biography

| name = Casey Sayles

| image = 2023, 44, Casey Sayles.jpg

| image_upright = 1

| caption = Sayles with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2023

| team = Hamilton Tiger-Cats

| number = 44

| position = Defensive tackle

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|9|4}}

| birth_place = Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lbs = 289

| high_school = Omaha North

| college = Ohio Bobcats

| NFLDraftedYear = 2017

| NFLDraftedRound = Undrafted

| pastteams =

|playing_years1={{NFL Year|2017}}*

|playing_team1=Los Angeles Rams

|playing_years2={{NFL Year|2018}}*

|playing_team2=Pittsburgh Steelers

|playing_years3={{AAF Year|2019}}

|playing_team3=Birmingham Iron

|playing_years4={{NFL Year|2019}}*

|playing_team4=Pittsburgh Steelers

|playing_years5={{XFL Year|2020}}

|playing_team5=St. Louis BattleHawks

|playing_years6={{CFL Year|2021|2022}}

|playing_team6=Winnipeg Blue Bombers

|playing_years7={{CFL Year|2023}}–present

|playing_team7=Hamilton Tiger-Cats

| career_highlights = * Grey Cup champion (2021)

| CFLAllStar = {{CFL Year|2023}}

| CFLEastAllStar ={{CFL Year|2023}}

| status = Active

| import = Yes

| highlights =

| statleague =

| statweek =

| statseason =

| statlabel1 =

| statvalue1 =

| statlabel2 =

| statvalue2 =

| statlabel3 =

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| CFL = casey-sayles/163472/

| NFL-new =

}}

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 life

Sayles attended Omaha North High School in Omaha, Nebraska.{{Cite web |title=Profile: Casey Sayles |url=https://247sports.com/Player/Casey-Sayles-21571/ |access-date=February 5, 2020 |publisher=247sports.com}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Hambleton |first=Ryan |date=December 8, 2012 |title=Casey Sayles, DL |url=https://journalstar.com/sports/high-school/football/super-state-2012/casey-sayles-dl/article_f17dfa6d-d384-50de-b297-1e3382bff373.html |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=Lincoln Journal-Star}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Pospisil |first=Stu |date=February 6, 2013 |title=Metro's Sayles, Keely twins sign letters |url=https://www.omaha.com/sports/high-school/metro-s-sayles-keely-twins-sign-letters/article_c642bc47-f456-5f33-aab8-d897467d6ebe.html |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=Omaha World-Herald}}

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.{{Cite web |title=Profile: Casey Sayles |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/casey-sayles-1.html#defense::none |access-date=February 5, 2020 |publisher=sports-reference.com}} 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.{{Cite web |date=February 9, 2019 |title=Former Ohio Football Standout Sayles Set To Open Inaugural AAF Season With Birmingham Iron |url=https://www.ohiobobcats.com/sports/fball/2019-20/releases/20190209h3iqrf |access-date=February 12, 2020 |website=Ohio Bobcats |archive-date=May 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525194304/http://www.ohiobobcats.com/sports/fball/2019-20/releases/20190209h3iqrf |url-status=dead }} He finished his four year college career with 111 total tackles and 12.5 sacks and three fumble recoveries in 50 games.

=Statistics=

class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"

! colspan=6| !! colspan=5|Tackles !! colspan=5|Def Int !! colspan=4|Fumbles

YearSchoolConfClassPosGSoloAstTotLossSkIntYdsAvgTDPDFRYdsTDFF
*2013OhioMACFRDL111418325.03.5000000000
2014OhioMACSODL7712192.00.5000001000
*2015OhioMACJRDL13918276.02.5000031000
*2016OhioMACSRDL141715326.55.0000031000
CareerOhio45476311019.511.5000063000
colspan="20" style="font-size: 8pt" align="left"|*indicates bowl stats included. Reference

Professional career

=Los Angeles Rams=

On May 3, 2017, Sayles was signed by the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent.{{Cite web |title=Profile: Casey Sayles |url=https://www.rotoworld.com/football/nfl/player/6928/casey-sayles |access-date=February 5, 2020 |publisher=rotoworld.com}} He was released by the team on September 3, 2017.{{Cite web |title=Profile: Casey Sayles |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/S/SaylCa00.htm |access-date=February 5, 2020 |publisher=pro-football-reference.com}}

=Pittsburgh Steelers (first stint)=

On January 18, 2018, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Sayles to a Reserve/Future contract. He had four tackles in four preseason games.{{Cite news |last=Klinger |first=Jacob |date=April 9, 2019 |title=Steelers bring back former AAF DL Casey Sayles |url=https://www.pennlive.com/steelers/2019/04/steelers-bring-back-former-aaf-dl-casey-sayles.html |access-date=February 12, 2020 |work=PennLive}} On September 1, 2018, he was waived.

=Birmingham Iron=

In 2019, Sayles played for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF). According to Pro Football Focus, he was one of the best defensive lineman in the league on a per-snap basis.{{Cite news |last=Marczi |first=Matthew |date=March 7, 2019 |title=Casey Sayles Another Former Steeler Making Mark In Alliance With The Iron |url=https://steelersdepot.com/2019/03/casey-sayles-another-former-steeler-making-mark-in-alliance-with-the-iron/ |access-date=February 15, 2020 |work=Steelers Depot}} The league ceased operations in April 2019.{{Cite web |last=Rothstein |first=Michael |last2=Wickersham |first2=Seth |date=June 13, 2019 |title=Inside the short, unhappy life of the Alliance of American Football |url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/26957796/inside-short-unhappy-life-alliance-american-football |access-date=January 9, 2024 |website=ESPN.com}}

=Pittsburgh Steelers (second stint)=

On April 9, 2019, the Steelers signed Sayles to a one-year contract. On August 30, 2019, he was released.{{Cite web |last=Asti |first=Mike |date=August 30, 2019 |title=Report: Steelers Release DL Casey Sayles |url=https://steelersnow.com/steelers-release-dl-casey-sayles/ |access-date=February 5, 2020 |website=steelersnow.com}}

=St. Louis BattleHawks=

File:2022, 90, Casey Sayles.jpg

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.{{Cite web |last=Bender |first=Bill |date=October 21, 2019 |title=XFL Draft picks 2019: Complete results, rosters, players for new football league |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/xfl-draft-tracker-results-picks-list-rosters-football-league/jahz8p84e4i61hb8lajqs4a22 |access-date=October 23, 2019 |website=Sporting News}} He had his contract terminated when the league suspended operations on April 10, 2020.{{Cite news |last=Condotta, Bob |date=April 10, 2020 |title=XFL suspends operations, terminates all employees, but Jim Zorn says he has hopes league will continue |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/xfl-suspends-operations-terminates-all-employees/ |access-date=July 17, 2020 |work=SeattleTimes.com}}

=Winnipeg Blue Bombers=

Sayles signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL on April 5, 2021.{{Cite news |last=Marra, Riley |date=April 5, 2021 |title=Bombers add Casey Sayles to roster |url=https://www.bluebombers.com/2021/04/05/blue-bombers-add-casey-sayles-roster/ |access-date=April 5, 2021 |work=BlueBombers.com}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Transactions – Football player trades and signings |url=https://www.cfl.ca/transactions/2023/ |access-date=June 23, 2023 |publisher=Canadian Football League}}

=Hamilton Tiger-Cats=

On February 15, 2023, it was announced that Sayles had signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. On November 8, 2023, Sayles was named a CFL All-Star, after leading the team in quarterback sacks and tackles for loss.{{Cite web |title=TIGER-CATS WHITE AND SAYLES NAMED CFL ALL-STARS |url=https://ticats.ca/article/tiger-cats-white-and-sayles-named-cfl-all-stars}}

References

{{Reflist}}