Birthdate: October 25, 1950. At a crowded party, Matuszak caught sight of a student assaulting his girlfriend, and so he decided to pummel him. It sounded like Matuszak had finally gotten the stability in his life and the redemption he needed. 18: Matuszak's life came to an untimely end on June 17, 1989, when he died from an accidental overdose of a prescription drug at the age of 38, The New York Times reported. One local remembered him pushing aside the town's mayor so he could sign an autograph for a child. Matuszak reflected, in this moment, upon how deeply affected he had been by seeing Muhammad Ali on TV after Ali's career had taken a physical toll and made the legendary boxer into a shell of his former self. Official Sites, His iconic performance as Lotney "Sloth" Fratelli in. The show aired for 147 episodes spanning seven seasons. He generally played the tough guy in guest spots in film and television. He wasn't afraid of me. And he couldn't make it. He was also a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.[2]. His late-night trip down New Orleans' Bourbon Street in the middle of a Super Bowl week before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles turned into a focal point and gave the Raiders some comic relief. The two teams sued each other, but in the end, Matuszak got his wish. His part was more complex than he could have imagined. TIL John Matuszak, best known for playing Sloth in The Goonies, was a state champion in the shot put, was the #1 overall draft pick in the NFL, was served a restraining order during a game, had a head coach perform life-saving CPR, won 2 Super Bowls, and acted with Ringo Starr before ODing at 38 In 1981, Matuszak made headlines for partying the night before the Raiders' second Super Bowl victory. In 1968, when 18 there is a newspaper (Iowa Press) which mentioned "Another big line prospect is John Matuszak, 6-7 and 240" . To report about any issues in our articles, please feel free toContact Us. Different sites and sources claim Matuszak's height differently. An article written for Sports Illustrated's website in January 2005 named him one of the top five all-time "bad boys" of the NFL.[8]. Actor: The Goonies. He represented them for the 1973 season and moved to Houston, Texas, in 1974. [7] In his autobiography, he stated that he used drugs and abused alcohol while playing professional football. [3], Matuszak was the first pick of the 1973 NFL Draft, selected by the Houston Oilers. Matuszak also did a three day stint in jail for carrying a concealed weapon. With Dan Devine leaving Missouri for the Green Bay Packers that same year, Matuszak no longer had a spot on the team, and his scholarship was revoked by new coach Al Onofrio. It was consistently among the top-rated television series in the late 1970s (at one point, ranking second only to Dallas, which immediately followed the show on CBS's Friday night schedule). He was also a member of the All American team in 1972. "I was going to have it presented to him at the meeting. But his father, who had no interest in sports, showed him no affection he attended only one of John's games. After Washington showed him the business end of the cleat, John Matuszak was a free agent, and the Oakland Raiders were kind of desperate. Instead of cracking down on the instigators, the Raiders decided to memorialize the incident by hanging the broken crutch on the wall with the label "'Biskie's Tooz Pick." Nationality: United States of America. John Matuszak wasbest known for appearingon numerous 1980s TV series likeTrapper John M.D. Don't miss out on getting unique John Matuszak Throwback Jersey for your home and office. She had lived in Columbia since 1983. On a single day in the summer of 1976, he engaged in a wine-soaked tryst with a fan, came to practice tipsy, was sent home, went out drinking with teammates, attended an evening team meeting, was sent home again, went to a bar, took two sleeping pills, and blacked out. On top of everything, the adhesives and prosthetics aggravated his skin. Still, he was happy to be free of the painkillers, and being black and blue on Mondays. He was a graduate of the Powell Business School in his native Scranton, Pa., and Catholic University law school. In a lot of ways, Sloth was not just the on-screen alter ego of the former football star, he was the actual manifestation of the person Matuszak was on the inside: a lovable giant who was also a generous friend. "I have a little velvet box at home," Cozart told the LA Times. According to the LA Times, after the Matuszak family moved from downtown Milwaukee to the village of Oak Creek, Matuszak would often come home from school crying because the other kids were picking on him for being a "gawky beanpole.". Matuszak did not see much playing time at Mizzou because the starting tight end was an excellent blocker. He played for the University of Missouri during college, and was drafted into professional football for two teams at once, the Houston Oilers in the NFL and the Houston Texans . To his own surprise, the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) made Matuszak the number-one pick of the 1973 NFL Draft. Brian Matuszak column: Dick Wallack was Duluth's Lou Grant So I'm not breaking any news here, but the older I get, the more names I recognize on the obituary page of people who have crossed my . Matuszak was born in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Matuszak's off-the-field troubles also started in college. Senior year accolades starting piling up, and NFL scouts started to take notice of this rising star. The staff did not quibble with the Tooz's tales of his long trip from the South Pole. +C $10.34 shipping. He played 123 games in the NFL and was a starter on 78 of those occasions. NAKED superstars including Jim Brown, Bob Chandler, Steve Stone, Tommy Chong, John Matuszak, Steve Yeager. Position: DE. At a fraternity party, he punched another student in the face for "fondling his date," and then inexplicably tried to make it right again not by apologizing for his conduct but by insisting that he hadn't meant to hit the guy as hard as he did. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Browse 11 dt john matuszak stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Unfortunately, The Tooz's big heart just couldn't handle all the excesses it had been forced to endure over the far too-short life of the man it belonged to. I don't want to collect any paychecks as a cheerleader on the sideline. John Matuszak Clips from MASH TV show (2006) Hallmark Channelhttps://www.patreon.com/VHSVCRPlease support me on Patreonhttps://teespring.com/stores/vhs-vcrCh. His . College: Tampa. Matuszak said he had no plans to play in that game but requested to play after seeing 25 or so men looking for him on the sidelines. He prayed to stop growing, but he only grew taller. If you were an '80s kid and you didn't know about John "The Tooz" Matuszak who was just as famous for his hard-partying, loud, larger-than-life persona as he was for his football game you definitely knew about his alter-ego, the enormous, gentle, unconventionally-featured Sloth, who was the face of the 1985 classic Goonies. John Matuszak dating history Relationships. Ironically, it was Paul Wiggin, the Chief's coach, who saved his life and then traded him to the Washington Redskins just seven days after he was released from the hospital. If you go through those things in your mind, you can do them. Playgirl Magazine, issue dated January 1984. In fact, the director of The Goonies Richard Donner said one of the hardest parts of making the movie was getting the child actors to not play around too much with their gentle giant co-star. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, Christopher Matuszak John Matuszak in the 1940 Census. John graduated from Kingston High School in 1945 an went on to earn a masters degree in Political Science from the University of Miami in 1971. The Unknown, Other Works Publicity Listings He signed up to play with the upstart World Football League's Houston Texans (no relation to the current team of the same name). Without any training in acting, youd probably expect him to be a bit of a novelty in one or two bad productions before people realized he had no talent. Unfortunately, the story didnt end there, In June of 1989, it appeared that John Matuszak did go back. He died as a result of acute propoxyphene intoxication, a painkiller known by the trade name of Darvon, at the untimely age of 38. But John Matuszak was only 38 when he died, so maybe he needed a few more years. Matuszak had lost two brothers to cystic fibrosis, one at 2 years, the other 2 months. After an injury, John Matuszak sat out the 1982 season and then decided to retire from football and pursue an acting career. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1985. Al Davis was the first to know about my decision to retire, and Mom was second. Sloth was a 1980s icon, as beloved as E.T. After that he ended up at theUniversity of Tampa, where he became an All-American and was eventually the No. In 1972, Matuszak made a place in the All American Team. donated time to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Matuszak was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, whenever anyone met him, worked with him, or enjoyed life with him, they came away knowing he was a giving person and a gentle giant. Later during World War II, she served with the Coast Guard in Charleston, S.C. She moved to Silver Spring in 1956 and continued with the Scouts here as a troop leader trainer, a troop leader and as a member of the board of directors of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital in the early 1980s. One of these offenses killed a pending endorsement deal that would have seen him appear in beer commercials. He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. Keep visiting for the latest in John Matuszak mens,womens and youth (kids) jerseys. AFC championship game. Darvocet was eventually banned by the FDAin 2010 for having dangerous side effects. Paperback. So it was off to the University of Tampa for Matuszak, an "outlaw school" where undesirables went to be desired. He was born in October 25, 1950, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, United States. Or find other results in the 1940 census for John Matuszak. OnJune 17, 1989, he accidentallyoverdosed on Darvocet, a combination of Tylenol and a painkiller called propoxyphene. "Vodka and Valium," coach George Allen explained, "the breakfast of champions." Profession: Actor, Football Player Known For: The deformed Sloth in the 1985 movie The Goonies Net Worth: USD $4 million (approx) Family & Relatives. His castmates on Goonies remembered him as a "sweetheart. He had one sister and two brothers. She later promised him that she'd set another wedding date when he finally got a 90-day chip, but the Goonies star always failed. Women get possessive and cranky if they try to cruise with the Tooz. But . From Times Wire Services. 12: Not the John Matuszak you were looking for? An enlarged heart and pneumonia were also contributing factors in his demise. Tragic Details About The Actor Who Played Sloth. That's right: As Cohen describes it, the "shock and horror" on Chunk's face in that moment is real. He attended the University of Tampa and played for their football team. The assignment was to explain a death that came much too soon. Mr. Matuszak's lawyer argued that he was being made a scapegoat because of his fame and financial success. ", Cozart had a wedding dress and the stamps were on the invitations, but she called off their wedding when Matuszak failed, once again, to meet his 90-days-sober goal. His one-time roommate/babysitter, quarterback Ken Stabler,quoted John's recipe for funin his own juicy biography,Snake:"Crown [Royal] and [Quaaludes], the late supper of champions.". The organization loved to perpetuate its motorcycle-gang image, and the truth was that there appeared to be few eagle-scout badges in the dressing room. Matuszak was the only one of the first six selections of the 1973 draft to never earn first-team All-Pro honors. Then he grew into a physical colossus, became a big-time California football star, and eventually, an out-and-out movie star. As an actor, Matuszak played in both films and television, appearing first as O.W. Daughter: Will update: Education and School, College: Educational Qualification: Will update: School: Will update: College/ University: Tampa Spartans football: He then joined Fort Dodge Junior College and played football in his first year. Helen P. Spencer Scouting Official Helen Page Spencer, 74, a former longtime official and volunteer with the Girl Scouts of America, died of pneumonia June 16 at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia. How are they ever gonna get someone like me in that little box? Find John Matuszak's phone number, address, and email on Spokeo, the leading people search directory for contact information and public records. And so Matuszak kind of just went on like that for most of the rest of his career brawling, getting in trouble, being forgiven things only celebrities can get away with. Competed in the 1978 World's Strongest Man Competition weighing 308 lbs. Jan 1, 1984. In his delightful and salacious biography, Sir Tooz summarizes his day job simply: "Football is a violent game and best played with a violent frame of mind." You could argue that portraying an emotionally complex killer biker gang member on Miami Vice and a cop who goes on a vengeful murderous spree in One Man Force somehow resulted in Matuszak backsliding into some of his old, reckless ways, even when he was finally being recognized as a talented, sensitive man, Nevertheless, it seemed as if Matuszak was finally getting his life under control. Kansas City was the next stop on the trouble tour, and it didn't exactly turn out to be a KC masterpiece. Raiders 24 -Steelers 7. Why, I wasn't even the most valuable senior athlete in my high school in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Everything in his life was large: The wins on the field at any cost, the painkillers needed to offset those costs, the meals needed to sustain his lifestyle. He was back to square one of rehabilitation. He regularly took the painkiller Darvocet to keep away severe back pains, which led to his heart failure. Tooz was a top pick, and the team was hoping he'd turn the moribund franchise around. The report also said that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart) and bronchopneumonia had been contributing factors in his death. He then transferred to the University of Missouri for Coach Dan Devine, with whom he had a tough relationship. The rest of his estate, $230,000 in personal property, $217,000 in real property and $10,000 in income from that property, was left to his mother and his sisters, Karen and Dawn Matuszak. The trouble tour, and eventually, an out-and-out movie star for their football team top of,. High school in his native Scranton, Pa., and the team hoping... Abused alcohol while playing professional football the no American team in 1972 black and blue on.. 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