Tom Matte
| Date of birth | June 14, 1939 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| College | Ohio State |
| NFL draft | 1961 / Round: 1 / Pick 7 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1961–1972 | Baltimore Colts |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Pro Bowls | 1968, 1969 |
| Career stats | |
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Thomas Roland Matte (born June 14, 1939), nicknamed the "Garbage Can", is a former American football player who played quarterback in college and primarily running back in the National Football League (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 played quarterback but was more known for his rushing skills than passing prowess.
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), Colts head coach Don Shula put a list of plays on a wristband that Matte wore. The 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.
Matte played in Super Bowl III in 1969 when the Colts were famously upset by Joe Namath and the New York Jets. Matte played well, rushing for 116 yards and catching two passes for thirty yards, while setting the record for highest per-carry rushing average in a Super Bowl game: 10.5 (116 yards in only 11 carries) which still stands today. He also broke a long run of 58 yards (a record at the time). The play ended when he was caught by Jets defensive player Johnny Sample which led to an altercation between the two. However, Matte did commit a fumble on the first series of the second half which continued the Colts frustration in the game.
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