89 MATT SPAETH
PRO (30-18/4-4):
Was the Steelers third round pick (77th overall) in the 2007 NFL
Draft...played in all 16 games in his second season and made 13 starts (11
starts as team opened in two tight-end sets)...played in 14 games as a rookie,
starting five...provides a large target for QB Ben Roethlisberger at
6-foot-7.
2008
(16-13/3-3): Played in 16 regular-season games, making 13
starts...established career highs with 17 receptions for 136 yards (8.0
avg.)...caught a career-high six passes for 53 yards (8.8 avg.) against the
Colts on November 9, then matched that total by catching six more passes for 55
yards (9.2 avg.) the following week against the Chargers...started all three
postseason games...caught one pass for six yards...9/7 vs. Houston:
Played in his 13th straight game as a reserve at TE...caught one pass
for six yards...9/14 at Cleveland: Made his sixth career start
at TE as the team opened in a two-tight end formation... 9/21 at
Philadelphia: Made his second consecutive start at TE as the team
opened in a three tight end formation but did not record a
catch...9/29 vs. Baltimore: Made his third
consecutive start at TE as the team opened in a two-tight end formation...
recorded one solo tackle on special teams...10/5 at
Jacksonville: Made his fourth consecutive start at TE as the team
opened in a two-tight end formation... 10/19 at Cincinnati:
Played in his 18th straight game at TE...caught one pass for six
yards...10/26 vs. New York Giants: Made his
10th career start at TE as the team opened in a two-tight end formation but did
not record a catch...11/3 at Washington: Played in his 19th
straight game at TE...caught one pass for six yards...11/9 vs.
Indianapolis: Made his sixth start of the season at TE...established a
career high with six receptions for 53 yards (8.8 avg.) with a season-long of 13
yards...returned one kickoff for three yards...11/16 vs. San Diego:
Made his second consecutive start at TE...tied his career high with six
receptions for a career-high 55 yards (9.2 avg.) with a long of 11
yards...11/20 vs. Cincinnati: Made his third consecutive start
at TE as the Steelers started in a two-tight end formation...paved the way for
the Steelers to rush for 121 yards on 37 attempts (3.3 avg.) with a long of 15
yards and one touchdown...11/30 at New England:
Made his fourth consecutive start at TE as the Steelers started in a
two-tight end formation... caught one pass for four yards...12/7 vs.
Dallas: Made his fifth consecutive start at TE as the Steelers started
in a two-tight end formation...caught one pass for six yards...12/14 at
Baltimore: Made his sixth consecutive start at TE as the Steelers
started in a two tight end formation...12/21 at Tennessee: Made
his seventh consecutive start at TE as the Steelers started in a two-tight end
formation...12/28 vs. Cleveland: Made his eighth consecutive
start at TE as the Steelers started in a two-tight end formation...AFC
Divisional Game 1/11 vs. San Diego: Made his second
consecutive postseason start at TE as the Steelers started in a two-tight end
formation...AFC Championship Game 1/18 vs. Baltimore:
Made his third consecutive postseason start at TE as the Steelers
started in a two-tight end formation...Super Bowl XLIII 2/1 vs.
Arizona: Made his fourth consecutive postseason start at TE as
the Steelers started in a two-tight end formation...caught one pass for six
yards.
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... 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...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...Full name: Matt Spaeth.
