'Thomas Roland Matte' (born
June 14 1939, in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was an
American football player who played
quarterback in college and (mostly)
running back in the
NFL in the 1960s and 1970s and earned a
Super Bowl Ring. He attended Shaw High School in East Cleveland and is an
Eagle Scout. Matte was an All-American back at
Ohio State University.
Matte's 12-year pro career was spent with the
Baltimore Colts where he posted career stats of 4,646 rushing yards, 249 receptions for 2,869 yards, 1,367 yards returning kickoffs, and 57 touchdowns (45 rushing, 12 receiving). Late in the 1965 season, Matte also memorably filled in as an emergency quarterback when Colts QBs
Johnny Unitas and
Gary Cuozzo went down with season-ending injuries in consecutive home losses to the
Chicago Bears and
Green Bay Packers, respectively. For the Colts' regular-season finale (a 20-17 win) against the
Los Angeles Rams and the following weekend's one-game playoff at Green Bay (a 13-10 overtime loss resulting from a missed Packer field goal that was erroneously ruled good), Colts head coach
Don Shula put a list of plays on a wristband that Matte wore. That wristband is now on display at the
Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Later in his career, Matte was immortalized on the cover of Sports Illustrated, scoring his third touchdown of the afternoon in the NFL Championship Game against the Cleveland Browns, January 5, 1969. (http://www.sipictures.com/source/CFW/details_Pop.aspx?iid=92073002&cdi=0)
Matte was selected for two
Pro Bowls and played in two Super Bowls, earning a ring at
Super Bowl V where the Colts beat the
Dallas Cowboys. In
Super Bowl III, he rushed for 116 yards and caught 2 passes for 30 yards.
Matte briefly was a color analyst on
CBS coverage of football games. Since
1996, Matte has teamed with
Baltimore sportscaster
Scott Garceau in broadcasting
Baltimore Ravens games on local radio. He also pursues local business interests and is in demand as a celebrity endorser.
He still holds the record for highest per-carry rushing average in a
Super Bowl game: 10.5 (116 yards in only 11 carries in 1969 versus the
New York Jets).
References
★
A drink with... Tom Matte