Quick hits
BORN Hinsdale
RESIDENCE Naperville
HIGH SCHOOL Hinsdale South
COLLEGE Iowa — Is the school’s all-time leading receiver
NFL CAREER Was drafted by the Denver Broncos and in five seasons with the Broncos, Cardinals, Patriots, Seahawks and Lions has 24 receptions and three touchdowns and in 77 kick returns for a total of 1,869 yards
Over the past couple of years, life has been good for Boston sports fans. Since 2001, the city has won championships in baseball (2004 and 2007), basketball (2008) and football (2001, 2003 and 2004).
Luckily for Kevin Kasper, a graduate of Hinsdale South and the University of Iowa and a Naperville resident, he was able to partake in one of those titles. The current wide receiver/kick returner for the Cleveland Browns was a member of the 2004 Patriots.
Kasper was on hand for the Illinois Old School Fundraiser recently to support his friend Derek Molis, a former basketball player at St. Joseph who co-owns the Athlete Within Basketball School and Illinois Old School, an AAU basketball team.
Q: You recently just moved back to the Chicago area. What prompted that decision?
A: I’ve always loved Chicago and have two young kids with another on the way and felt this was a great place to raise them. My wife is from Iowa, so it’s fairly close to Iowa and I’ve begun training athletes in the Naperville area. That’s been a blessing because it’s something I can do when I’m done with football. I’m looking forward to that — whenever I am done playing football — to be settled down in the Chicago area and to be training athletes.
Q: How long have been training athletes and why did you start?
A: I’ve been training athletes for about two-and-a-half years now. Tom Zbikowski from Notre Dame, he was the first guy I really worked with and I helped get him ready for the NFL combine. I started doing it because it was a way for me to get and stay in shape, too. I’ve been training myself since I was in seventh grade and wanted to share my techniques with others and help them reach the same heights I have. I take pride in taking care of my body and I guess I got started when a lot of others started asking me how I did it. I like sharing my work ethic with others.
Q: Recently in professional sports there has been controversy surrounding athletes in regard to steroids and other performance-enhancing substances. What are your thoughts on that and was the temptation ever there for you?
A: I never was really introduced to that. I think it’s kind of a hidden thing. I’ve always felt that hard work will get you farther and it’s more fulfilling knowing that you put in the work and reach your dreams, you can hold your head high over what you’ve accomplished.
Q: How long do you see yourself professional football?
A: I’m going to keep going as long as I can. I’ve been fortunate enough to play the game I love for a long time now and I hope I can continue to for a long time. I want to have fun while I’m still playing and when I’m done with that, I’ll have fun training others.
Q: Looking back at your days at Hinsdale South and at Iowa, did you ever see yourself at this point?
A: Yeah, I did. About my sophomore year of high school, I decided that I wanted to play in the NFL. I set my mind to doing the right things to get in a position to be where I am today and I worked harder than anyone else — I knew I would have to do that to get there and developed my work ethic from there.
Q: You began your career in Denver and jumped around a couple of  teams. Did it ever get discouraging having to pack up so many times?
A: A lot of people have asked me that. As long as I’m still wearing a helmet and am putting shoulder pads on and am having fun, I don’t mind it. My wife (Lisa) loves  it because she gets to go to different cities and meet new people and now that we have kids it gets a little tougher, but she’s very supportive of me. The only bad thing is that my son has no clue which team to cheer for. He loves it.