Tom Matte was a running back with the Baltimore Colts in the 1960s and ‘70s known for his brief stint replacing quarterback Johnny Unitas (1933–2002).
- Died: November 2, 2021 (Who else died on November 2?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Ruxton, Maryland of complications of leukemia at the age of 82.
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Football career
A native of Cleveland, Matte was an All-American at Ohio State University, where he played quarterback. He was the first pick for the Colts in the 1961 draft and switched to halfback for his professional career. The notable exception to that came in 1965, when both Unitas and his backup, Gary Cuozzo, were out with injuries. Matte stepped in as “instant quarterback” for three games, famously wearing a wristband with his plays written on it. He was a Pro Bowl pick in 1968 and 1969, and he helped the Colts to the NFL Championship in 1968, making it to the cover of Sports Illustrated the following week. The Colts won Super Bowl V in Matte’s later career, though he was injured and didn’t play. After his 1972 retirement from playing, Matte was a sports broadcaster, briefly for CBS and then for a decade on Baltimore radio, covering Baltimore Ravens games.
Matte on his stint as emergency quarterback
“It’s probably one of my greatest career highlights. I was fortunate that I led the league in total offense a couple times, and I did a lot of good things, I guess, but I had more fun playing quarterback in those three games than anything else.” —from a 2013 interview for Fox Sports
Tributes to Tom Matte
Full obituary: The Baltimore Sun
