California Polytechnic State University’s defensive end, Matthew Singletary was one of one hundred top NFL prospects who came to Los Angeles to participate in the first annual NFLPA AstroTurf Collegiate Bowl. The American Team player, who is the son of Hall of Famer and former 49er’s coach, Mike Singletary, spoke with ProPlayerInsiders about the weeklong event.
The 6’4” – 260-pound athlete was elated to receive his invitation and viewed participating in the bowl game as a prime opportunity to showcase his skills. “I was excited! I was ready for a really good time, ready to meet some great [competition], and ready to [gain] exposure and experience,” he says.
With Tom Flores and Dick Vermeil as head coaches, experience and exposure were definitely two things that the defensive end and his peers received while in Los Angeles. Singletary, who sacked Miami’s Jacory Harris for a loss of 2 yards in the 1st quarter of the game, believes that participating was an excellent tool to evaluate his preparedness for football at the professional level.
“[I gained a lot of] experience, but mainly confidence. I got to play with some of the best guys in the country. You get to see, like, ‘okay, I’m not that far off’ or ‘I have a lot of work to do. [I] got to see what [I] needed to work on,” says the former Cal Poly Mustang.
Singletary says that the NFLPA sponsored bowl game also provided him a satisfactory introduction to NFL regulations and life as a professional athlete.
“The biggest thing [that’s different from college] is some of the rules. The “two feet” [rule], that’s huge! …The rules are definitely different… The coaching is a different style because you don’t have class; you are not a student athlete, you are a professional athlete. Your balance is different,” says Singletary.
During the last two seasons of his collegiate football career, Singletary recorded 11 tackles, a pass breakup, and one quarterback hurry. The NFL prospect’s hard work and dedication continues to pay off, as he was just recently invited to the Probound Sportswear Florida Bowl, (which will kick off March 24). Singletary is confident that his highly disciplined work ethic and drive to be the best, will ensure success in his future:
“I think I have a decent head on my shoulders. I just want to be the best at what I do. I surround my self around the right type of people, the right supporting cast, and will see what happens from there…I want to be able to provide for my family; I really just want to do what I love, and that’s playing football.”
