John Matuszak

John Daniel Matuszak (October 25, 1950 – June 17, 1989), nicknamed "Tooz", was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) who later became an actor.

Matuszak was the first overall pick in the

After a freshman year playing football at Fort Dodge Junior College in Iowa, Matuszak was recruited to the University of Missouri by Dan Devine. Matuszak enrolled at Mizzou for his sophomore year of college, where he played one season of football for the Tigers as a tight end. Matuszak did not see much playing time at Mizzou because the starting tight end was an excellent blocker. With Dan Devine leaving Missouri for the Green Bay Packers that same year, Matuszak no longer had a spot on the team, and his scholarship was revoked by new coach Al Onofrio. Following his sophomore season at Mizzou, Matuszak transferred to the University of Tampa, where he became the star of their football team. Matuszak was selected to the All American Team 1972. He was also a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.^[2]

In Matuszak's last college football game, Tampa defeated Kent State 21-18 in the Tangerine Bowl. Kent State's standouts included future Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert and Gary Pinkel, who coached Missouri from 2001 to 2015. Another Golden Flashes senior, future seven-time national championship coach Nick Saban, suffered a season-ending injury in October. Kent State's coach was Don James, who went on to win the 1991 national championship at Washington.

By the time he became a professional athlete, Matuszak stood 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and weighed over 280 lb (130 kg).^[3]

Professional athlete

Matuszak was the first pick of the

Matuszak's football career was often overshadowed by his lifestyle.[7] In his autobiography, he stated that he used drugs and abused alcohol while playing professional football. An article written for Sports Illustrated's website in January 2005 named him one of the top five all-time "bad boys" of the NFL.^[8]

Matuszak was the only one of the first six selections of the 1973 draft to never earn first-team All-Pro honors. Offensive guard John Hannah, selected fourth by the New England Patriots, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, his first year of eligibility, following a 13-year career, while quarterback Bert Jones (Baltimore Colts), offensive tackle Jerry Sisemore, tight end Charle Young (Philadelphia Eagles), and defensive tackle Dave Butz (St. Louis Cardinals) were all prominent throughout the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s.

Actor

Matuszak acted professionally in the 1980s, making appearances in feature films and on television, often portraying football players or gentle giants. His first major role was in the 1979 film

• John Matuszak and Steve Delsohn. Cruisin' with the Tooz. 1987.
  ISBN 0-531-15055-0
  .