Blue White Illustrated

SEPARATING FROM THE PACK Defensive back Kasey Gaines emerges from talent-laden Grayson to earn PSU offer BY RYAN SNYDER Blue White Illustrated D efensive back Kasey Gaines would be the first to tell you that he has plenty to prove in the next few years. With no major Football Bowl Subdivision offers, the Loganville, Ga., native felt a little bit left out following his junior season at Grayson High. A starter since his freshman season, Gaines was fortunate to play with some of Georgia's top prospects, including the nation's No. 1 recruit in 2013, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche. Grayson was already a high school powerhouse, but because of Nkemdiche, more coaches than ever were stopping by the school between February and May of 2012. But while several of his teammates were picking up FBS offers, Gaines was hearing from such programs as Howard, Presbyterian, Virginia Military and Harvard. Those schools were great academically, but they didn't offer the kind of football experience that he was looking for in college. "There were more than a few times when I would come home from school, after seeing all my teammates get all this attention, and just wonder why they weren't that interested in me," he said. "I know I'm not the tallest or the fastest, I get that, but I also played as a freshman and was a leader on this team. "That was difficult at times. You see everyone getting all this attention, all of your best friends, and you're the guy who's kind of left out. It's frustrating." All told, seven seniors from Grayson's 2013 squad would go on to earn FBS scholarships. In the months leading up to signing day, some of those players committed to Mississippi, others to Clemson, Texas Tech and Arizona. Gaines, a 5-foot-10, 160-pounder who THE GAINES FILE S TAT I S T I C S Totaled 93 tackles, 13 pass breakups, five interceptions, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles during Grayson's run to the Georgia 5A title in 2011 HONORS 2011 All-Metro/Gwinnett Defensive Player of the Year... Was named first-team All-State and All-Winnett County... Two stars from Rivals.com played safety for the Rams, was beginning to think he was destined to sign with a school in the Football Championship Subdivision. He was disappointed, but he understood that those FCS schools were offering him a solid opportunity. But then came Ted Roof, Penn State's defensive coordinator at the time. "I'll never forget my first couple of conversations with Coach Roof," Gaines said. "He was really the first Division I coach to believe in me, to really talk with me and shoot me straight. It was a breath of fresh air. At the time, I didn't think they were about to offer or anything like that, but just to have a serious Division I program showing serious interest, it was nice." Roof invited Gaines to Penn State's summer camp in June 2012 and the two-star prospect jumped on the opportunity. Traveling all the way to State College, Gaines had no idea what to expect that day, but as soon as he stepped on campus he fell in love with University Park. With so much to dream about in the hours before camp, Gaines tried to keep his expectations in check and just went out and worked his hardest that day. "I thought I did well, they seemed interested, but I went home and didn't really hear much about an offer," he said. "I had no regrets or anything. I just didn't know what to expect." Gaines finally received the news he was hoping for on Aug. 19. That's when head coach Bill O'Brien offered him a scholarship. One month later, on Sept. 19, Gaines ended everything and decided to join the Nittany Lions' recruiting class. "I waited to see if Penn State's offer would get any other school to show interest, and it did a little bit. Some schools stepped it up and showed more interest," he said. "But that's when I also realized that Penn State was where I needed to go. These coaches were the first to really believe in me. They gave me the opportunity to show what I could do. What more could I ask for?"

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