Keasey ’05 starts for 49ers

Correction appended.

With the 2008-09 football season set to get underway, Princeton University has received an unexpected surprise. Former Tiger linebacker Zak Keasey ’05 was recently named the starting fullback for the San Francisco 49ers and made his first start for the history-rich franchise yesterday in a 23-13 loss against the Arizona Cardinals.

On the 49ers’ second drive of the game, Keasey caught a pass for seven yards from quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan, but fumbled on San Francisco’s own 11-yard-line. The potentially costly turnover did not, however, yield any points for Arizona, who missed a field goal.

The versatile player later caught another pass for six more yards in the first quarter and recorded a tackle of Steve Breaston on the second half opening kickoff return.

Keasey was a standout linebacker during his four years at Princeton Stadium, spearheading the Tiger defense when current head coach Roger Hughes first came to the helm of the Princeton football program.

Keasey played with power and passion, delivering crushing tackles as a linebacker. As a senior, Keasey amassed 127 tackles, eight sacks, 16 tackles for a loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions and one fumble recovery, earning the 2004 Poe-Kazmaier Trophy, the highest award given to a Princeton football player. He also earned First Team All-Ivy honors his junior and senior years.

Life after college hadn’t brought close to the same success that he enjoyed while clad in Orange and Black — until now. After several on-and-off stints with the Washington Redskins and the 49ers practice squad, including signing with and being released from the teams a total of 13 times, Keasey seems to have found a place in the league on the opposite side of the ball. As the starting fullback for the 49ers, Keasey will block for former University of Miami running back Frank Gore and backup running back DeShaun Foster.

With Keasey as his blocker, Gore tallied 96 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown run, while the former UCLA back Foster finished with 11 yards.

In 2007, Keasey saw action in 13 games and made two carries against the Pittsburgh Steelers for a total of four yards. He also finished fourth on the team by recording 12 special teams tackles.

San Francisco finished a disappointing 5-11 in 2007, losing eight-straight games after starting 2-0.

In an interview with The Daily Princetonian last year, Keasey expressed his surprise at coming into the league and discovering a side to football that up to that point he had never experienced.

“Off the field, it definitely feels like a job,” Keasey said. “On top of working out and actually practicing football, there’s a ton of team meetings you have to go to, and a lot more film sessions.

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“But when you’re on the gridiron, it’s still a lot of fun because it’s still football. But it is surprising just how much of a business it can be.”

That business, however, finally seems to be paying off. Keasey’s next outing will be in the 49ers’ game against Seattle.

Correction: The original version of this article stated that Keasey played as both a linebacker and a fullback while at Princeton. In fact, he only became a fullback after becoming a professional. The Daily Princetonian regrets the error.