Matt Spaeth

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Matt Spaeth
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Spaeth in the 2011 NFL season.
No. 89 Pittsburgh Steelers
Position: Tight end
Personal information
Date of birth: (1983-11-24) November 24, 1983 (age 40)
Place of birth: St. Michael, Minnesota
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Career information
High school: St. Michael–Albertville (MN)
College: Minnesota
NFL draft: 2007 / Round: 3 / Pick: 77
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2015
Receptions: 55
Receiving yards: 420
Receiving touchdowns: 10
Player stats at NFL.com

Matt Spaeth (born November 24, 1983) is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Chicago Bears. He played college football at Minnesota.

Spaeth won 2006's John Mackey Award as college football's best tight end.

Early years

Spaeth graduated from St. Michael-Albertville, in St. Michael, Minnesota in 2002, where he played both football and basketball. St Michael was in the Wright County Conference at the time. Spaeth holds multiple records at St. Michael–Albertville in both sports. As a three-year starter in basketball he set records for most rebounds in a game (23), most steals in a game (8), most points in a career (1359), and most career rebounds (804).

College career

Spaeth played college football at Minnesota. In 2003 Matt started the season as a reserve, but was inserted into the starting lineup when starter Ben Utecht got injured. Spaeth went on to start 10 games where he had 12 catches for 98 yards and was named to the Sportingnews.com and Rivals.com Freshman All-American team.

In 2004 Matt increased his production to 24 catches for 298 yards and 4 TD's. He started every game was an honorable mention pick to the All-Big Ten Team.

In 2005 Spaeth again started every game, hauling in 26 catches for 333 yards and 4 TD's. He was named to the All-Big Ten First team.

2006 was the most productive season of Spaeth's career. Despite playing the last month of the season with a separated shoulder, Matt went on to get career highs in receptions (47) & receiving yards (564), and tied his career high in touchdowns (4). For the second consecutive year, he was named to the All-Big Ten First team, and in December was named a First Team All American. He was also awarded the team's Bronko Nagurski Most Valuable Player Award. Spaeth did not play in the Insight Bowl on December 29 because of an injured shoulder.[1]

Professional career

NFL Draft

Spaeth was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.[2] He ran a 4.83 40-yard dash time.[3]

Pittsburgh Steelers

Matt Spaeth at the Steelers 2008 training camp.

Spaeth was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. Spaeth started the season primarily on the goal line package and special teams. Spaeth's first catch in the NFL was a touchdown – catching a 5-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger in the Steelers' 34-7 win over the Cleveland Browns on September 9, 2007. When second-string tight end Jerame Tuman was placed on injured reserve, Spaeth was promoted to second-string.

Spaeth caught 5 passes for 34 yards and 3 touchdowns in the 2007 NFL season.

In the 2008 season, Spaeth added 17 more catches to his career and 136 yards during the regular season. Along with both an increase in catches and yards, Spaeth also played in Super Bowl XLIII[4] where he had one catch for six yards.[5] The Steelers went on to win 27-23 over the Arizona Cardinals.[6] In 2009, Spaeth had 5 catches for 25 yards and 1 touchdown.[7]

Chicago Bears

As an unrestricted free agent following the 2010 season, Spaeth signed with the Chicago Bears, who then traded away tight end Greg Olsen.[8][9] Spaeth scored his first touchdown catch with the Bears in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons on a one-yard pass from Jay Cutler.[10]

On March 13, 2013, Spaeth was released by the Bears,[11] being the last Bear to wear number 89, which was retired on December 8, 2013, in honor of tight end and Super Bowl XX winning head coach Mike Ditka.

Second stint with Steelers

On March 15, 2013, Spaeth re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.[12]

On November 2, 2014, he caught Ben Roethlisberger's record-breaking 12th touchdown in two games.[13]

On March 9, 2015 it was announced that the Steelers had signed Spaeth to a two-year contract extension.[14]

Statistics

YEAR TEAM REC YDS AVG LNG TD's
2002 MIN
DNP - Redshirt
2003 MIN 12 98 8.2 12 0
2004 MIN 24 298 12.4 47 4
2005 MIN 26 333 12.8 36 4
2006 MIN 47 564 12.0 48 4
2007 PIT 5 34 6.8 13T 3
2008 PIT 17 136 8.0 13 0
2009 PIT 5 25 5.0 9 1
2010 PIT 9 80 8.9 13 1
2011 CHI 7 50 7.1 13 2
2012 CHI 6 28 4.7 13T 1
2013 PIT 1 11 11.0 11T 1
2014 PIT 1 33 33.0 33T 1
NCAA Career 109 1293 11.9 48 12
NFL Career 51 397 7.8 33T 10

References

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External links

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