« Football 2015

Tyler Matakevich

School
Temple
Position
Linebacker
Major
Liberal Arts

Classroom

Tyler Matakevich is on track to graduate this fall with a bachelor’s of arts degree. In addition to his multitude of playing awards, he received a spot on the 2014 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.

Character

Matakevich is one of the Owls’ leaders on the field with his words and deeds, and along with Kyle Friend is the first three-time team captain in school history. After his freshman year he earned the privilege of wearing a single digit, reserved for the toughest members of the team. In the 2015 off-season, Matakevich made the TUFB Elite List 12 times—a high for the defense—for his outstanding performance in training. During practice, he can be found calling out assignments or mentoring younger teammates between drills. In 2014 and 2015, Matakevich also was asked to represent his team at the American Conference Media Days in Newport, Rhode Island.

Community

Matakevich and his teammates have made a strong impact in the Philadelphia community by engaging in various service projects. He has participated in Walk a Mile in Her Shoes to raise awareness for domestic violence, and he also volunteers on race day from the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure.

Competition

After earning Big East Freshman of the Year and ECAC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, Matakevich has continued to dominate with the Owls, winning three letters. The American Athletic Conference has placed him on their first team both seasons, and he looks to become the first Owl to record 100 tackles in four seasons. He entered 2015 on the watch lists for the Bednarik, Lombardi, Nagurski and Butkus Awards for the second consecutive season, and he started the season as the leading active career tackler for FBS at 355 total tackles. He is one of four active Owls with 35 games played, and in 20 of those he recorded double-digit tackles, including a Temple record 24 at Idaho in 2013.