He wasn’t big by anybody’s yardstick but the way Pete Kasap performed on the football field it didn’t really matter. During his senior year at Augustana he was listed at 5’ 9” and 190 pounds but there was no measure for heart and toughness. If there was, Kasap would have been off the charts.
Pete Kasap was easy to take for granted. You knew he was going to practice every day, be in the starting lineup every Saturday and when it came time for a big play he was going to be right in the middle of the action. A consummate leader, Kasap loved challenges and was always at his best in big games. He possessed the speed of a running back, had the body of defensive back and played linebacker. It may not have made sense on paper but this was a guy who was all about what happened on the field, not on some computer printout.
He was part of head coach Bob Reade’s first recruiting class at Augustana and it didn’t take long for him to break into the starting lineup as a freshman. He was a running back when he first came to camp in the fall of 1980 but switched over to defense, fought his way into the starting lineup at linebacker and refused to give up his spot. For the next four autumns he terrorized anybody in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin who dared to enter his domain. With his speed he could roam from sideline to sideline and was a vicious tackler.
Kasap was the heart and soul of a defense that put up spectacular numbers during his career. He led the Vikings in tackles for three straight seasons (1981-82-83), a significant fact considering that he was playing alongside Jon Kuperus, who was the CCIW’s Most Valuable Defensive Player in 1981 and an NCAA Division III All-America selection in 1982. In 1981 the Vikings allowed a total of just 80 points in 10 games and an average of 69.4 yards rushing per game. In 1982 those numbers were 97 points (8.1 average) and 80.1 yards rushing. During his senior season it was 161 points (13.4 average) and 83.8 yards rushing. During his four years Augustana was 35-5 overall and 29-4 in the CCIW, winning three straight conference titles (1981-82-83) and participated in three straight NCAA Division III national playoffs.
He captained the 1983 team to the NCAA Division III national title with a 21-17 win over Union in the Stagg Bowl in King’s Island, Ohio. He was named the Chevrolet Scholarship MVP on December 4, 1982 in a 14-0 Stagg Bowl loss to West Georgia for the national title.
Following the 1983 season Kasap was selected as the CCIW’s “Most Valuable Defensive Player” and was named to the NCAA Division III All-America team. He was the Vikings’ defensive MVP in 1983 and was a two time first team all-conference selection.
While the numbers gave him the accolades, it was his attitude that made him the kind of player who was feared around the league. Losing was not an option for him. During his junior year he broke his wrist but never missed a defensive snap, playing with a cast for most of the year. He was the kind of player who elevated the level of his teammates.
A 1984 graduate of Augustana with a degree in business administration, he currently works for Deere & Company as a national account manager for strategic sourcing. Prior to that he held positions at Harris Lanier, OshKosh B’Gosh and Kolpin Manufacturing.
He says of his college days, “Great fun and great friends.”
Pete and his wife Debi are the parents of seven children: Alexandrea (13), George (12), Emma (10), Maximilian (9), Elijah (7), Samuel (4) and Clare (3).
