Matt Spaeth life and biography

Matt Spaeth is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Minnesota.

PRO :
Signed his one-year contract tender on April 16, 2010…was the Steelers third-round pick (77th overall) in the 2007 NFL Draft…played in all 16 game the past two seasons…played in 14 games as a rookie, starting five…provides a large target for QB Ben Roethlisberger at 6-foot-7.

2009 (16-7):
Played in all 16 games at TE…had five receptions for 25 yards and caught one touchdown…9/10 vs. Tennessee: Made his ninth consecutive start at TE as the team opened in a two-tight end formation…also contributed on special teams…9/20 at Chicago: Played in his 30th consecutive game…caught two passes for 10 yards (5.0 avg.) with one touchdown and a long of nine…9/27 at Cincinnati: Played in his 31st consecutive game…caught one pass for seven yards…10/4 vs. San Diego: Made his 20th career start as the team opened in a two-tight end formation…10/11 at Detroit: Made his 21st career start as the team opened in a two-tight end formation…10/18 vs. Cleveland: Played in his 34th consecutive game as a contributor on offense and special teams…10/25 vs. Minnesota: Played in his 35th consecutive game as a contributor on offense and special teams…11/9 at Denver: Made his 22nd career start as the team opened up in a two-tight end formation…11/15 vs. Cincinnati: Made his 23rd career start as the team opened up in a two-tight end formation…caught one pass for one yard…11/22 at Kansas City: Made his 24th career start as the team opened up in a two-tight end formation…caught one pass for seven yards…11/29 at Baltimore: Played in his 39th consecutive game as a contributor on offense…12/6 vs. Oakland: Played in his 40th consecutive game as a contributor on offense…12/10 at Cleveland: Made his 25th start as the team opened up in a two-tight end formation…12/20 vs. Green Bay: Played in his 42nd consecutive game as a contributor on offense…12/27 vs. Baltimore: Played in his 43rd consecutive game as a contributor on offense…1/3 at Miami: Played in his 44th consecutive game as a contributor on offense.

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.

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