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University of Minnesota Athletics
Super Bowl Series: Matt Spaeth
1/26/2018 12:00:00 AM | Football
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Minneapolis will host the Super Bowl on Feb. 4 when the New England Patriots host the Philadelphia Eagles for the right to be called world champion. The Patriots will be seeking their sixth world championship, while the Eagles are looking for their first. In preparation of the big game, we will take a look back in the coming days at some former Gophers who went on to Super Bowl fame.
Matt Spaeth was drafted by the Pittsburg Steelers in 2007 after a stellar career with the Gophers. He won the John Mackey Award in 2006 and left as the school's all-time leader in career receptions (109) and receiving yards (1,293) by a tight end. He went to two Super Bowls in four years with the Steelers and caught a six yard pass in their victory over the Cardinals in 2008. While other Gophers have played in a Super Bowl since, Spaeth is the last one to win one. He recently retired and still resides in the Pittsburg area. We caught up with him below:
Gopher Sports: What was it like playing in a Super Bowl? Can you walk us through that whole experience and what you took away from it?
Matt Spaeth: Now that I'm done and not playing I have realized the magnitude of how special that was. At time maybe I was just young or naïve. I was lucky I won a Super Bowl in my second year playing and I went to a Super Bowl in my fourth year so in my first four years I played in two Super Bowls. In hindsight you realize just how special that is but at the time I don't want to say it was like, 'wow this is easy,' but I have a newfound respect for what it means. Especially after playing for a long time after that without getting back or even really that close. You realize just how hard it is. So now I think I have a better understanding and perspective on how awesome it is, but at the time I don't know if I really did.
GS: Is there anything that does stick out that was really special in those two weeks of anticipation leading up to the Super Bowl?
MS: I still remember winning the AFC Championship and being down on Hines Field celebrating and knowing that we were going to the Super Bowl. Things that really stick out in my mind are the locker room celebration, Super Bowl party that night and from there the parade a few days later and the ring ceremony. Those are the big highlights I remember.
GS: Was there a lot of community back in your hometown of St. Michael, Minn. or the University of Minnesota that reached out to you?
MS: I think I have always been fortunate to have a great supporting system around me. From family, friends and just people in the town I grew up in. Being a kid from a small town in Minnesota and to go to a Super Bowl is a very big deal. What's cool to me is a lot of people lived that through me and I'm happy I was able to share that. I hear stories. My mom and dad are from a small town in Minnesota and there are people up there that claim me and are proud of me because I am from there. I don't know them and they don't know me but they still claim me as one of their own and I love that.
GS: What's it mean to you being the last Gopher to win a Super Bowl?
MS: Honestly I wish that wasn't the case. I really do. I hope that moving forward we start to put more guys into the NFL. There are a lot of guys that are playing and are have had great careers and are continuing to have great careers. It would be nice if we had more. I would love not to be the last one.
GS: Lastly, what are you up to nowadays?
MS: I am about to welcome my second child here in April. I am about to have my second daughter. I am also in the process of being a real estate agent.
