Tyler Matakevich (pronounced “mat-a-KAY-vitch”), the all-time leading tackler in Temple Owl history may not have propelled his team to national dominance, but he did help resuscitate a football program to relevancy. Matakevich recorded 493 career tackles for the Owls, won the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for being the country’s top defensive player, yet multiple time NFL teams passed on him in the draft.
The long awaited phone call came the last day of the last round. Teams were calling to set up potential free agent meetings with him, when a certain call came through Matakevich wasn’t expecting.
“It caught me off guard,” said Matakevich. “And then I saw on the TV that Pittsburgh was picking next.”
245 players heard their name called before him; the Steelers called his with the 246th pick.
Being doubted never bothered Matakevich though, as he garnered only one Division one offer coming out of high school. He took control of his own situation, recording at least 100 tackles every season from his linebacker position while at Temple.
He’s the type of player a coach knows will always be ready. A hard-nosed leader, Matakevich hopes to be the get-in-your-face linebacker Steeler fans have grown to adore. Relatively small, standing only 6’0”, 233 lbs., he understands that studying film can really help his game grow.
“Tyler is a special player,” his former head coach Matt Ruhle said on OwlSports.com. “He will play in the NFL for many years and will make the Steelers very happy. He gets credit for being a play-maker and being very instinctual, but what people don’t see is that he spends a lot of time studying film. He’s a football junkie and he will fit right in in Pittsburgh.”
Matakevich isn’t guaranteed a spot on the opening day roster, but with preparation, coupled with his knack for finding the ball and overall production, he could be a key component to a struggling special teams unit for the Steelers as they chase their 7th Lombardi Trophy.
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