Matt Birk life and biography

Matt Birk is an American football center for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League.

Highlights:

o Six-time Pro Bowl performer (2000-01, 2003-04 and 2006-07)
o Named to USA Today Sports Weekly’s All-Decade (2000s) Team
o The Sporting News All-Pro (2003)
o Associated Press second-team All-Pro (2003)
o Pro Football Weekly’s All-NFC (2000 and 2003)
o NFL.com All-Interview team (2005 and 2006)
o Helped the Ravens post 5,619 total yards (second-highest total in franchise history) in 2009
o Helped the Ravens tie a franchise record for points (391 in 2003) and also set a record for most TDs scored (47) in 2009...Ravens also added a team-record 22 rushing TDs
o Helped pave the way for the Vikings’ offense to rank No. 1 in the NFL for the first time in franchise history (2003 – 393.4 ypg)
o Paved the way for Minnesota Vikings’ RB Adrian Peterson to become the first Vikings’ RB to lead the NFL in rushing (1,760 yards in 2008)

Pro career:

2009: (with Baltimore - 16/16, 2/2) Helped the Ravens post 5,619 total yards (second-highest total in franchise history), including three of the top single-game yardage totals in team history (548 in game 13 vs. Det. - 12/13, 501 in game 1 vs. KC - 9/13 and 479 yards in game 3 vs. Cle. - 9/27)...Protected QB Joe Flacco, allowing him to set career highs in attempts (499), completions (315), completion percentage (63.1), yards (3,613), TDs (21) and QB rating (88.9)...Also helped pave the way for the Ravens to rush for 2,200 yards, including 1,339 yards (third-highest total in franchise history) by RB Ray Rice, who finished second in the NFL in total yards from scrimmage (2,041)...Rice became just the second player (Jamal Lewis - 2,271 in 2003) in franchise history to gain 2,000 yards from scrimmage...Started at center and helped pave the way for a Ravens’ franchise-record 548 total yards, including 230 passing and 308 rushing yards (second-most in franchise history) and a franchise-record 5 rushing TDs in the 48-3 victory in game 13 vs. Det. (12/13)...Started at center and helped protect QB Joe Flacco, allowing him to complete 72.4% of his passes for 234 yards and a career-high 4 TDs in the 31-7 victory in game 14 vs. Chi. (12/20)…Started his first game as a Raven at center and helped set a then-Ravens’ franchise record with 501 total yards in game 1 vs. KC (9/13)...Helped pave the way for 198 yards rushing and protected Flacco, allowing him to throw for 307 yards and 3 TDs in the 38-24 win...Helped the Ravens rush for 321 yards (4.5 avg.) and 4 TDs in the playoffs...Also helped protect Flacco, with the Ravens only allowing 1 sack on 45 dropbacks... Started at center and helped pave the way for the Ravens to rush for a postseason franchise-record 234 yards and 4 TDs, including a postseason franchise- record 83-yard TD run (second-longest rush in NFL postseason history) by Rice on the first play from scrimmage in the 33-14 victory in the Wild Card Game at NE (1/10/10)...Ravens also did not allow a sack against the Patriots.

2008: (with Minnesota - 16/16, 1/1) Paced the Vikings to their first Division title since 2000... Helped pave the way for RB Adrian Peterson to become the first Viking to lead the NFL in rushing with 1,760 yards, which set the Vikings’ single-season rushing record and set a Vikings record with 10 games over the 100-yard mark... Protected QB Gus Frerotte when he connected with WR Bernard Berrian for the longest play from scrimmage in Vikings history and tied the longest in NFL history with a 99-yard pass in game 12 vs. Chi. (11/30).

2007: (with Minnesota - 16/16) Earned his sixth Pro Bowl berth, after paving the way for the Vikings’ running game to rank No. 1 in the NFL and the offense to rank 13th overall, a 10-spot jump from 2006...Key cog of the Vikings’ running game that set a team record with 2,634 rushing yards and boasted eight games featuring a 100- yard rusher...Paved the way for Peterson to set a then-NFL record for a single game with 296 rushing yards in game 8 vs. SD (11/4).

2006: (with Minnesota - 16/16) Named to his fifth Pro Bowl, after helping RB Chester Taylor rush for 1,216 yards, the fifth-best single-season performance in franchise history...Paved the way for Taylor to rush for 100-plus yards four times during the season...Part of a line that paved the way for RB Artose Pinner to post his first career 100-yard rushing day with 125 yards in game 13 at Det. (12/10) in his first start as a Viking...Paved the way for Taylor to run for a team-record 95-yard TD in game 6 at Sea. (10/22).

2005: (with Minnesota - IR ) Placed on Injured Reserve (8/30) due to hip and sports hernia injuries following training camp, forcing him to miss the entire season.

2004: (with Minnesota - 12/11, 2/2) Earned his fourth berth in the Pro Bowl and was named the Vikings Man of the Year for his work in the Twin Cities community...Paved the way for the Vikings to rank fourth in the NFL in total offense, the team’s fourth finish in the NFL’s top 5 in his five seasons as a starter...Key element to the Vikings’ offense, setting a team record for total net yards (6,339) and average yards per game (396.2)... Provided time for QB Daunte Culpepper to post the best season by a Vikings’ QB in team history, setting records for passing TDs (39), passing yards (4,717), completion percentage (69.2) and passer rating (110.9)...Had consecutive games started streak snapped at 67 when he did not start game 4 at Hou. (10/10), but came off the bench to replace starter Cory Withrow at tackle and helped the Vikings to a dramatic win...Missed time during training camp and the opening three preseason games recovering from hernia surgery.

2003: (with Minnesota - 16/16) Named as a starter in the Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press...Helped pave the way for the Vikings’ offense to rank No. 1 in the NFL for the first time in franchise history (393.4 ypg)...Helped the Vikings boast four players who rushed for 400-plus yards on the season.

2002: (with Minnesota - 16/16) Was a key element of the Vikings, who led the NFL in rushing for the first time in franchise history with a then-team record 2,507 rushing yards...Set a team record with 26 rushing TDs and set a Vikings’ record by averaging 5.3 yards per carry...Paved the way for Michael Bennett run for 1,296 yards...Helped Daunte Culpepper and Moe Williams run for 10 and 11 TDs, respectively, only the third tandem in NFL history to rush for 10-plus TDs each in a season.

2001: (with Minnesota - 16/16) Earned a berth in his second-straight Pro Bowl and helped pave the way for rookie RB Michael Bennett to rush for 682 yards and average 4.0 yards per carry.

2000: (with Minnesota - 16/16, 2/2) Named to his first-career Pro Bowl and to the 2000 All-Madden Team...Helped the Vikings’ offense average 372.6 yards per game...Also opened holes, allowing RB Robert Smith to go over the 100-yard mark eight times...Helped Smith set a then-Vikings single season rushing record (1,521 yards) and set the team’s new career rushing record (6,818)... Started his first-career NFL game in the season opener vs. Chicago (9/3), paving the way for Smith to run for 109 yards.

1999: (with Minnesota - 15/0, 2/0) Played in 15 regular season games and one playoff game both from scrimmage and on special teams, including several with a fractured thumb (broke it in game 7 vs. SF - 10/24). 1998: (with Minnesota - 7/0, 1/0) Replaced injured Everett Lindsay at RT in the season finale at Ten. (12/26) and played rest of game...Saw his first career NFL action at RG in game 8 at TB (11/1) when David Dixon left the game with a shoulder injury.

College:

o All-Ivy League, All-New England and Division I-AA All-ECAC choice
o Led the way as the Harvard offense ranked 5th in the nation in rushing (207.7 ypg) and in passing efficiency (86.3 rating) as a senior in 1997
o Went 9-1 overall during his senior season and helped Harvard win the Ivy League
o Earned his degree in economics from Harvard in 1998.

Personal:

#Prepped at Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, MN) HS
#Birk has pledged to donate his brain and spinal cord tissues after death to a Boston University medical school program that studies sports brain injuries
#Matt and his wife, Adrianna, have three daughters (Madison, Sydney, and Ava) and two sons (Grant and Cole.)

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