By: Matt Florjancic '07
BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University football program, and the school as a whole, has quite the rooting interest in Sunday's Super Bowl LIX matchup at Caesar's Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
While no Yellow Jacket alum will play in the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, the football program will be represented on the game's biggest stage. Former Baldwin Wallace standout defensive back Joe Kasper '15 serves the safeties coach for the Eagles.
"It's a real honor," Kasper said of representing Baldwin Wallace in an exclusive interview with BWYellowJackets.com. "I'm honored. I think Baldwin Wallace is a great place. The people at BW try and do the right thing all the time.
"I just think that the people there always did their best. The great professors had your best interest in mind all the time, and the people that were there, the other students -- my fiancée's a graduate of Baldwin Wallace -- have an alignment."
Similar Situation
Much like his time at Baldwin Wallace, Kasper found a similar experience with the Eagles.
Now in his second stint in Philadelphia, Kasper recognized that under the direction of head coach Nick Sirianni and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, the atmospheres at Baldwin Wallace and Philadelphia are not much different.
"One of the things that's best about the Philadelphia Eagles is our alignment," Kasper said. "We're aligned from the top to the bottom of the organization. We're interested in winning, and that's it, and we'll do anything to do it. I think at Baldwin Wallace, they're interested in producing great people.
"I think they do that. They do that at a level that's not equal to other places. They do it at a much higher level, so I'm super, super honored. I'm super thrilled. I'm super proud to represent BW. I think it's a great place, and I'm happy I went there."
D-III Mindset
There is a good reason for the similarities between the Baldwin Wallace football program and Kasper's experience with the Eagles.
Like Kasper, Coach Sirianni is a former NCAA Division III standout from the University of Mount Union. And while the two are from rival schools in the Ohio Athletic Conference, Kasper and Sirianni have many discussions about their time as Division III players.
"It does come up quite a bit, but it's fun," Kasper said. "We have a similar background, obviously, he was a really great player at Mount Union.
"There's a lot of great coaches that come out of that conference because it is a really successful conference. It's very competitive, and guys take it really seriously. The players are really committed to being their best. I think just being a part of that really helped shape me, too. In the case of Nick, I love Nick. Nick is a great leader."
Back in Philly
Following the 2021 and 2022 seasons with the Eagles, Kasper followed Fangio to the Miami Dolphins, where he served as the safeties coach. However, when Fangio elected to return to the Eagles, Kasper embraced the opportunity to reunite with him in Philadelphia.
The Mentor, Ohio native grew up in a community where there is a high interest in and passion for football, as the Cardinals have made several deep runs in the state playoffs over the last 25 years. Kasper found that same kind of passion for football in Philadelphia.
"I love Philadelphia," Kasper said. "I loved my time in Miami, too. I think each organization is really unique and kind of has its own way about itself, and both especially recently have been highly successful.
"They're both led by great coaches, great front office staff, great ownership. I'm really fortunate that I've been with two really great franchises. Philadelphia is kind of my second home. Cleveland is my home, but Philadelphia is my second home, and I love it here. I love the fans. I love the culture. I love the city, I love the people. It's just a great place. It feels a lot like what I'm used to. It's a really passionate fan base with a lot of care for their teams and very genuine passion, and it's a lot of fun to perform in front of them."
Coaching Ranks
Kasper may be preparing to coach in the Super Bowl, but it was an opportunity that nearly never happened.
After graduating from BW with a degree in political science, Kasper envisioned himself going to law school, but that is where the plan changed for the former Academic All-American. Kasper spent two years as a player personnel and development assistant with the Cleveland Browns.
That opened the door for Kasper to become an assistant coach for two seasons at his alma mater, Mentor High School, and then, four years coaching at the college level, including three at Duke University. Then, Kasper seized an opportunity to join the Eagles.
"I really didn't have any interest in coaching when I was at Baldwin Wallace," Kasper said. "I was fortunate through Baldwin Wallace to get an internship with the Browns, and that internship kind of altered my career path because it enabled me to start generating connections.
"I didn't really want to be in football, so for me, it was just like any other job that I was just trying to do my best in. Obviously, my passion for the coaching side, and even the front office side, and just all the elements was born out of that experience, which was enabled by Baldwin Wallace, and I'm really appreciative of that opportunity.
"There's probably not another school in the country really that can provide that kind of an opportunity to get an internship like that and get access to an NFL facility and just be a part of that. I don't hear of that happening a whole bunch, so I do consider myself really fortunate."
Second Chance
When Kasper was with the Eagles during the 2022 season, he helped them tie for the third-most sacks in NFL history (70), rank first in passing defense (179.8 yards per game) and tied for the fourth-most takeaways (27).
That kind of productivity on the defense combined with a standout offense to lead the Eagles to a 14-3 regular-season record and an appearance in Super Bowl LVII. It was in that game where the Eagles were denied their championship moment by the very team they will face Sunday: the Chiefs.
"We have a great group of guys, great coaching staff and a great organization," Kasper said.
"No organization's held to a higher standard than the Philadelphia Eagles, and (owner) Mr. (Jeffrey) Lurie has done such a good job to put us in position to get back here and enable us to succeed here. We've just got to go out and execute, and hopefully, we can do that."
Knowing What to Expect
Experience can be a great teacher, especially when the desired results are not achieved on the first try, as was the case for Kasper in his first Super Bowl trip.
Kasper is hoping to impart that knowledge to his players, as only three of the Eagles' nine defensive backs on the active roster -- strong safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, free safety Reed Blankenship and cornerback Darius Slay Jr. -- were part of that Super Bowl LVII team. Rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and first-year nickel back Cooper DeJean have seen significant time with the Eagles' top defensive unit this postseason, and both will make their Super Bowl debuts Sunday.
"I definitely think it helps all the players that maybe haven't been there," Kasper said of having coached already in the Super Bowl. "My experience, in that regard, will be a big factor for them. There's a lot of things that go into this game that are different from a normal game, meaning the pregame elements, the timing of when we get there, when we warm up, the commercial breaks in-between series.
"There's a lot of things that are really different and unique, and having some understanding of when that's coming and how that's going to look is really helpful."
Staying in the Moment
Part of what makes players and coaches successful at the Super Bowl is the ability to handle the spotlight that comes with the biggest day on football's in-season calendar.
Kasper took note during his first appearance in the NFL's championship game on the importance of handling what was in his control. Rather than soaking in the atmosphere and "being happy to be here," he focused on doing his best work on the game's grandest stage.
"From your substitutions to your adjustments, to your decision making on the field, where guys are at, what the offense is running on the field, all these things, you don't really have a ton of time to really even get a moment to sit back and enjoy it or relax," Kasper said.
"I can remember with the last one, obviously we weren't successful, but it wasn't for a lack of focus. It wasn't for a lack of trying or being distracted. It wasn't any of those things. We were locked in, we were ready to go, and they ended up coming out on top. I can remember going back and watching it on TV after the fact, just seeing the broadcast copy and just seeing the TV broadcast of it. That's really some of the first times that I saw some of the things that you might consider cool, the people that were there, or things like that."
Preparing for the Challenge
Since earning the return trip to the Super Bowl with a dominant 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game on January 26, Kasper and the Eagles defense have been focused on preparing for Kansas City's offense.
Having been in 12 one-score games this season, the Chiefs have not been as dominant offensively as in past years.
However, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes accounting for three touchdowns -- one passing and two rushing -- and running back Kareem Hunt rushing for 64 yards and one touchdown, Kansas City scored more than 30 points for the first time this season in a 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.
"We just take it day by day," Kasper said. "Day by day, we try and work on one or two things, and we try and get better at one or two things. We'll live with the result and trust our process.
"Our goal here with this group has just been consistent improvement, and every day, we're very, very talented and very smart, and we work. These guys work extremely hard, so as long as we just continue to get better every second right up until kickoff, we'll be able to put a product on the field that we're proud of."
Credit Where It's Due
While Kasper put in the work at his job with the Browns, and then, worked his way up the coaching ranks to become the Eagles' safeties coach, he has never forgotten his time at Baldwin Wallace University.
When he takes the field with the Eagles Sunday, he will do so grateful for John Snell, the former BW football coach and current associate director of athletics and recreation, current Ohio Wesleyan coach Tom Watts, who was his position coach in college, and the many professors who made his experience one to remember.
"Football was always important to me. It's important in Northeast Ohio, as it is in all of Ohio," Kasper said. "It didn't define me in the sense that I didn't want to coach after I was done really. But I did want to play, and I wanted to play for a good program. I wanted to play well and get developed and get better. I felt like Coach Watts was a guy that could set me up to get better.
"It felt like the kind of school that was what I wanted. It just seemed like a place that could provide me with a well-rounded opportunity, and I really wanted that. I had looked at other schools, but I didn't feel like those places would provide me with a kind of well-rounded experience I was looking for. I think Baldwin Wallace did that for me. I certainly wouldn't be coaching in the NFL if it wasn't for Baldwin Wallace. I can assure you of that. No doubt."