89 MATT SPAETH
PRO CAREER
(14-5/1-1): Was the Steelers
third round pick (77th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft…played in 14
games as a rookie, starting five…provides a large target for QB Ben
Roethlisberger as he is the tallest receiving threat on the team at
6-foot-7.
2007 (14-5/1-1):
Appeared in 14 games,
starting five…also started the AFC Wild Card Game…was inactive Weeks 3 and 4 due
to a deep thigh bruise…made NFL debut in Week 1 win over Cleveland, where his
first career reception (five yards) also went for his first career touchdown…for
the season he made five receptions for 34 yards (6.8 avg.) and three scores…made
one catch for seven yards in the playoff loss to Jacksonville...9/9 at Cleveland: Saw action in his
first NFL game…his first career catch was a five-yard TD and his only catch on
the day...9/16 vs. Buffalo: Had his
first career start and registered his second career TD catch from one-yard
out…also helped pave the way for Willie Parker to have his 15th
career 100-yard rushing game...9/23 vs.
San Francisco: Was inactive due to injury...9/30 at Arizona: Was inactive for the
second consecutive week, due to a deep thigh bruise...10/7 vs. Seattle: Returned to action
after sitting out the previous two games, due to injury, but did not register a
catch...10/21 at Denver: Saw
extensive action at TE and caught his third TD of the season...10/28 at Cincinnati: Saw extensive
action as a blocking tight end and did not register a catch...11/5 vs. Baltimore: Saw extensive
action at TE but did not register a catch...11/11 vs. Cleveland: Saw extensive
action and started in his second career game at TE…did not register a catch...11/18 at N.Y. Jets: Made his second
consecutive start of the season at TE…finished the game with one catch for six
yards...11/26 vs. Miami: Played in
his ninth game of the season but did not register a catch...12/2 vs. Cincinnati: Made his fourth
career start as a second TE…did not register a catch...12/9 at New England: Made his fifth
career start at TE but did not register a catch...12/16 vs. Jacksonville: Played in his
10th consecutive game but did not register a catch...12/20 at St. Louis: Saw action in his
11th consecutive game but did not register a catch...12/30 at Baltimore: Played in his
14th career game but did not register a catch...AFC WILD CARD 1/5/08 vs. Jacksonville:
Made his first career postseason start and finished with one catch for seven
yards.
COLLEGE:
Won the 2006 John Mackey Award, given annually to the nation's top tight
end…Holds
the school career records for tight ends with 109 receptions for 1,291 yards,
topping the previous marks of 83 catches for 1,211 yards by Ben Utecht
(2000-03)…His 12 touchdown catches are two shy of Utecht's Gophers tight end
career-record of 14…His 109 receptions rank ninth overall in school history…His
1,291 yards rank 12th overall in school annals…His 47 catches in 2006
rank 14th on the school's season-record list…Caught at least one pass
in 40 games. 2006: All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection and
honored by the league as the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award…Won the team's
Bronko Nagurski Most Valuable Player Award…Started 11 games, missing the Ohio
State clash after separating his right shoulder vs. North Dakota State…Finished
second on the team with 47 receptions for 564 yards (12.0 avg.) and four
touchdowns…Also recorded one solo tackle…Was not called for a penalty in any
game…Produced 22 first downs among his 47 grabs, converting 3-of-10 third-down
plays and three more on fourth-down action…Eight of his receptions were for 20
yards or longer…Had big plays that set up 11 touchdown drives and one more that
resulted in a field goal…Caught 3-of-7 passes thrown to him inside the red zone.
2005: All-Big Ten Conference first-team and Academic All-Big Ten
choice…Winner of the school's Scholar-Athlete Award…Started every game,
finishing third on the team with 26 receptions for 333 yards (12.8 avg.) and
four touchdowns while participating in a career-high 1,025 plays…His clutch
receiving helped the team rank seventh in the nation with an average of 494.8
yards per game in total offense… Eighteen of his 26 catches resulted in first
downs, as he converted 10-of-14 third-down plays…Four of his receptions came
inside the red zone and two of his grabs were for longer than 20 yards…He made
big plays that set up six touchdown drives and one more that ended with a field
goal. 2004: Academic All-Big Ten
Conference, adding honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades…Named Minnesota's
Scholar-Athlete…Started every game, finishing third on the team with 24
receptions for 298 yards (12.4 avg.) and four touchdowns. 2003: Academic All-Big Ten
Conference selection and Minnesota Scholar-Athlete…Earned All-Big Ten Conference
Freshman Team honors from The Sporting
News…Saw action in all 13 games, starting 10 contests…Ranked sixth on the
squad with 12 catches for 96 yards (8.2 avg.)…Gained 49 yards on three kickoff
returns (16.3 avg.) and participated in 908 plays. 2002: Redshirted as a
freshman, spending the season performing on the scout team as a defensive end.
PERSONAL: Attended St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.) High School,
playing football for head coach Earl Bauman…First-team All-Metro pick by the
Minnesota High School Coaches Association, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and KARE 11-TV
as a senior…Twice earned All-County and All-Conference accolades…Named the
Defensive MVP of the 1999 3A state championship game and was also the Defensive
MVP of his conference…Made 22 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns his
senior year as a tight end…Registered 203 tackles with eight interceptions and
forced five fumbles as a rush end that season…Earned three letters as a center
on the basketball team, averaging 30 points and 13 rebounds per game…Named
All-Conference three times for his play on the hardwood…Earned Academic All-Big
Ten Conference and school Scholar-Athlete Award honors ever since his freshman
year…Son of Terri and Ken Spaeth…Father was a tight end at Nebraska (1975-77)
and chosen in the fifth round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills…Born
11/24/83…Resides in St. Michael, Minn.
