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hawaiiansteeler
05-09-2016, 01:34 PM
Paul Zeise: Rookie linebacker Matakevich was born to be a Steeler

May 9, 2016
By Paul Zeise / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

There are some guys in sports who are really hard to root for. Unfortunately, we spend an awful lot of time and energy focusing on them.

Then there are guys like Steelers rookie linebacker Tyler Matakevich, who was born to be a Steeler.

Matakevich is the classic undersized overachiever who never wins the beauty prize at combines or in a 7-on-7 setting.

Far too many coaches are fired because they’re enamored with guys who are 7-on-7 champions but can't play the game in pads.

All Matakevich does is make plays when the pads and lights are on and the games actually count.

Obviously, you need to have enough players with the right size and speed in order to win, but you also need guys who are just straight-up productive football players of any shape, size or speed.

And frankly, Matakevich has made a living out of beating up on a lot of guys who look far better than him in combines and 7-on-7s. He has proven people wrong his entire career.

He is humble but confident. He’s hard-nosed. He loves football and wants to prove people wrong about not being fast enough for the NFL.

Of course, that’s what they said when he was coming out of St. Joseph High School in Connecticut, and that is why his only scholarship offer was from Temple.

All he did after that was become one of the best defensive players in the country and help lead Temple to a place of respectability.

You think a few schools would love to go back and recruit Matakevich a little harder now?

Last season, he won the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik awards as the top defensive player and led Temple to its first win against Penn State since 1941.

He had 138 tackles, 15½ tackles for loss and 4½ sacks, and if you watched Temple this season you saw him around the ball on just about every play.

It’s pretty simple to understand why he slipped to the seventh round. But it’s also easy to see why the Steelers drafted him: he was way too productive to overlook.

Mike Tomlin’s exact phrase was “football justice” when he described drafting Matakevich. What he meant was that a player like him — a productive, great college player, who by all accounts is a great guy and a hard worker — deserved to be drafted, even if late.

That doesn’t mean he is a lock to make the team. He has long odds to overcome, but he now has a foot in the door, an opportunity of a lifetime with a team that seems to be rooting for him to make it.

He will always have to overcome his perceived lack of speed, even if he does make the team, as the Steelers will continue to draft guys who are a step faster and maybe a little bigger.

My guess is that he will be in a Steelers uniform this fall and will make himself a hard guy for the team to let go.

Matakevich is simply too good of a football player — a raw, pure football player — to not find his way onto the roster, if even as just a special teams ace.

He’s only about 6 feet, 233 pounds, but he is a linebacker’s linebacker, which Steelers fans love.

And that’s why I will make two more predictions about him:

to read rest of article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/zeise-is-right/2016/05/09/Paul-Zeise-Temple-Rookie-linebacker-Tyler-Matakevich-was-born-to-be-a-Steeler/stories/201605090107

Steeldude
05-09-2016, 02:00 PM
and if you watched Temple this season you saw him around the ball on just about every play.


But is that when it's 4+ yards beyond the scrimmage? That's what it is important. I hope he can make the transition. My only concern is speed, not his heart, size or intelligence.

hawaiiansteeler
05-09-2016, 04:29 PM
Why the Slide?: Tyler Matakevich

By Charlie Campbell

Two years ago, we started a series of articles on why certain prospects went undrafted. In that series, I reach out to sources with NFL teams to find out why their organizations passed on drafting a given player, and/or, what were the reasons for other teams to pass on that prospect. We got a lot of positive reader feedback about the series, so we decided to expand in the genre to investigate why some prospects slid in the draft. Last year, we started the Why Slide? series, and this year, it is back. Feel free to email me requests for "Why the Slide?" and "Why Undrafted?" at draftcampbell@gmail.com. I can't promise to get to all of them, but I will do my best and definitely respond.

During the lead up to the 2016 NFL Draft, many projections had Temple linebacker Tyler Matakevich as a potential second-day pick. The senior was massively productive in college. He totaled 138 tackles with 4.5 sacks, 15 for a loss, five passes batted and five interceptions in 2015 after racking up 117 tackles with 10.5 for a loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception and three passes broken up the year before. In 2013, Matakevich had 136 tackles as a sophomore after putting up 101 stops the year before. However, totaling almost 500 tackles in college wasn't enough as he slid all the way to the seventh round before he was drafted by the Steelers.

Sources say the reason that Matakevich slipped in the 2016 NFL Draft was because he wasn't graded as high as the public perception. Some teams said they had sixth-round grades on him. Teams felt that Matakevich (6-0, 230) lacked the speed and athleticism to translate to the NFL. On top it, he doesn't have the size and strength to make up for those flaws. Teams felt that he lacked the speed to play Will linebacker and the size to be a Sam linebacker. He also is small for a middle linebacker. Thus, the skill set is why teams graded Matakevich as a late-rounder.

After almost going undrafted, Matakevich landed with the Steelers, and that is a mixed landing spot. Pittsburgh needs to develop a backup behind aging veteran Lawrence Timmons. However, the organization has a lot of depth with veterans like Steven Johnson, Vince Williams, and L.J. Fort competing to be backups to Timmons and Ryan Shazier. The roster also has other rookie players like Travis Feeney and Tyriq McCord competing with Matakevich as well. Matakevich may end up spending time on the practice squad, but he is an overachiever, so it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up sticking around somewhere in the NFL.

http://walterfootball.com/ws2016tmatakevich.php#TAEGEYobry58Pp5Q.99

Shoes
05-09-2016, 07:10 PM
He's already a fan favorite with me!

GBMelBlount
05-09-2016, 07:38 PM
Jack Lambert ran a 4.8 40.

hawaiiansteeler
05-09-2016, 07:55 PM
Jack Lambert ran a 4.8 40.

Jarvis Jones ran a 4.9...:stirthepot:

GBMelBlount
05-09-2016, 08:01 PM
Manti Te'o ran a 4.8 40


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5ffHd7O3yQ

Steeldude
05-09-2016, 10:18 PM
Jack Lambert ran a 4.8 40.

Yes, but that was also the 70's and Lambert had long limbs. I am hoping the guy can make it.

Born2Steel
05-10-2016, 08:55 AM
But is that when it's 4+ yards beyond the scrimmage? That's what it is important. I hope he can make the transition. My only concern is speed, not his heart, size or intelligence.

Yes and no. Point here is that he was in on almost every tackle. That's a football player. Even if he only makes ST he can be a huge asset. 40 times are not that critical in terms of sniffing out the play and being there for the hit. He probably won't be a great cover LB that plays every down, but more of a thumper/straight to the ball kind of LB. Special teams and goal line is where he will get the most work, IMO.

I did watch some Temple games and his name was called on almost every play. Seriously.

Steelerette
05-10-2016, 10:06 AM
I'm rooting for him but this sounds like a writeup one would have read about Zumwalt two years ago.

SteelerFanInStl
05-10-2016, 01:47 PM
I'm rooting for him but this sounds like a writeup one would have read about Zumwalt two years ago.
Not really. Zumwalt didn't have anywhere close to the same productivity in college.

hawaiiansteeler
05-10-2016, 03:17 PM
Not really. Zumwalt didn't have anywhere close to the same productivity in college.

you're absolutely correct, here are both player's total college career tackles:

216 - Zumwalt

493 - Matakevich

86WARD
05-10-2016, 06:54 PM
Is this guy going to be the "Chick" of 2016?

hawaiiansteeler
05-14-2016, 01:12 AM
College coach on seventh-rounder Tyler Matakevich: 'Born to Be A Steeler'

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

One of the most intriguing Steelers draft picks is linebacker Tyler Matakevich, a former Bronko Nagurski Award winner out of Temple. Seventh-round picks are hardly locks to make an NFL roster, but apparently he already embodies the Steelers' culture of toughness.

Temple head coach Matt Rhule said he believes Matakevich never missed a practice or a game snap in four years. I verified this with Matakevich during rookie minicamp and he said it is indeed true.

"I just love to be on the field," Matakevich said.

Rhule said he's especially proud of Matakevich's rise because he recruited him out of Milford (CT) Academy when the player had virtually no scholarship offers.

Matakevich turned one offer into 493 collegiate tackles.

"Great kid -- Born to Be A Steeler," Rhule said in a text message. "Tough."

The Steelers have the perfect scouting report on Matakevich -- not particularly big or fast but "he's a football player," general manager Kevin Colbert said. Coach Mike Tomlin calls it "football justice" that a guy such as Matakevich gets drafted.

It's early in the offseason process -- the Steelers haven't even put on pads yet -- but the 6-foot-1, 235-pound Matakevich showed noticeable football instincts during rookie minicamp.

http://espn.go.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/18804/tyler-matakevich-born-to-be-a-steeler-college-coach-says

hawaiiansteeler
08-20-2016, 04:35 PM
Pro Football Focus ✔@PFF

Last night, #Steelers rookie Tyler Matakevich posted the single best ILB performance of the preseason so far.

19 Aug 2016

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/08/steelers-rookie-lb-tyler-matakevich-impresses-pff-preseason-play-eagles/

Shoes
08-20-2016, 04:54 PM
I love this kid.

tube517
08-20-2016, 05:31 PM
Malkovich=Chickfila=Zuma???


Cut Timmons now!!!



Seriously, who takes Spence's place as the other backup ILB?

We shall see.

SteelerFanInStl
08-20-2016, 06:36 PM
I love this kid.

I do too. He has a serious nose for the ball.

Psycho Ward 86
08-20-2016, 08:27 PM
Ill take Timmons/Shazier/Williams/Matakevich/LJ Fort as our ILB's. Matakevich's upside is just too much, and really what do we gain by having Steven Johnson on the roster. Williams is basically coming into his own as our Larry Foote and LJ Fort is a special teams ace. Groom Matakevich and see what happens, especially for when Timmons isnt re-signed next year (Dont even think about it steelers)

Steeldude
08-20-2016, 08:59 PM
My only concern is coverage duties.

Devilsdancefloor
08-20-2016, 09:57 PM
My only concern is coverage duties.

this in a big way love the way he is a TE? if no i dont want to see him with a RB.

GBMelBlount
08-21-2016, 07:34 AM
Several shoe string tackles and great 20-30 yard pursuit on the first one.

hawaiiansteeler
08-21-2016, 10:14 PM
I love this kid.

Gerry Dulac ‏@gerrydulac Aug 18

I know this: If the Steelers cut rookie inside LB Tyler Matakevich it will be a mistake. Kid does everything right.

https://twitter.com/gerrydulac

Steeldude
08-22-2016, 01:56 AM
My favorite picks this draft were Davis(at safety), Hargraves, Hawkins and Matakevich(not necessarily in that order).

tube517
08-22-2016, 05:57 AM
Wasn't Carnell Lake raving about Malkovich? Not his position coach but Lake really liked what he saw.


http://www.steelersdepot.com/2016/06/watch-lake-speaks-highly-tyler-matakevich/

Hawkman
08-22-2016, 07:31 AM
Well, and he probably won't last on the practice squad.