 He spent time at the Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in Fontainebleau outside of Paris in 1945, and also served in Africa and the Middle East.Kissell returned to Boston after the war and played as a defensive lineman in the 1946 and 1947 seasons.Kissell was selected by the National Football League's Los Angeles Rams in the 12th round of the 1947 draft, but instead joined the Buffalo Bills of the rival All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1948.