Matt Mauck
Encyclopedia
Matthew Mauck is a former American football
quarterback
, formerly with the NFL's Denver Broncos
and Tennessee Titans
, who is best known for leading the LSU
Tigers to the 2003 BCS National Championship.
and football
player at Jasper High School in Jasper, Indiana
, and helped lead the high school baseball team to their very first and following State Championship banners in 1996 and 1997. He originally committed to play quarterback for head coach Nick Saban
at Michigan State out of high school in 1997. Ultimately, however, he chose to accept a Major League Baseball
contract offer from the Chicago Cubs
instead of playing college football. He would play on the minor league
level in the Cubs organization for three years, before returning to college to play football.
in 2000. LSU
was coached at the time by Nick Saban
, the same coach who recruited him to play football at Michigan State three years earlier. Saban had just accepted an offer to come to LSU
, and was looking for depth at the quarterback
position. Mauck was redshirted during the 2000 season, and saw limited action during 2001 regular season. His first significant action came during the 2001 SEC Championship Game
, when he came off the bench to replace injured starting quarterback Rohan Davey
. Mauck would run for two touchdowns, leading the underdog Tigers to a come-from-behind 31-20 victory over the heavily-favored #2 Tennessee Volunteers
.
, beating out Marcus Randall
and Rick Clausen
. He led the Tigers to a 5-1 start, but was lost for the season with a broken foot during the sixth game. The Tigers slumped after the injury, finishing the season with an 8-5 record.
to its best season in 45 years. He set an LSU
record, throwing 28 touchdowns during the season. LSU
finished the regular season with an 11-1 record, and then beat Georgia
34-13 in the 2003 SEC Championship Game
. The victory helped the Tigers earn a berth in the 2003 BCS Championship Game, the 2004 Sugar Bowl
vs. Oklahoma
. Mauck did not have a great game in the Sugar Bowl
, throwing two interceptions and no touchdowns. However, the Tigers won the game 21-14, earning LSU
the BCS National Championship.
by the Denver Broncos
with the 225th pick in the 7th round. He made the roster, but did not appear in any games in 2004. In 2005, he signed with the Tennessee Titans
. He appeared in two games during the season, including one start in the final regular season game of the year, a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars
.
Mauck entered the 2006 NFL offseason on the Tennessee Titans
roster, but was cut at the end of the preseason. He became expendable after the Titans drafted Vince Young
and signed free agent quarterback
Kerry Collins
. However, he was signed back to the Titans' practice squad after week 2, after third-string quarterback Billy Volek
was traded to the San Diego Chargers
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, formerly with the NFL's Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, who is best known for leading the LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
Tigers to the 2003 BCS National Championship.
Minor League Baseball
Mauck was a star baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player at Jasper High School in Jasper, Indiana
Jasper, Indiana
- Strassenfest :The Jasper Strassenfest is a four-day event held annually during the first weekend in August. The "Fest" is a celebration between Jasper and its German sister-city Pfaffenweiler, a small village in southwest Germany. Many citizens of Pfaffenweiler travel to Jasper around this time...
, and helped lead the high school baseball team to their very first and following State Championship banners in 1996 and 1997. He originally committed to play quarterback for head coach Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
at Michigan State out of high school in 1997. Ultimately, however, he chose to accept a Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
contract offer from the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
instead of playing college football. He would play on the minor league
Minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities. This term is used in North America with regard to several organizations competing in...
level in the Cubs organization for three years, before returning to college to play football.
LSU
Mauck accepted an offer to play football at LSULSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
in 2000. LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
was coached at the time by Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
, the same coach who recruited him to play football at Michigan State three years earlier. Saban had just accepted an offer to come to LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
, and was looking for depth at the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
position. Mauck was redshirted during the 2000 season, and saw limited action during 2001 regular season. His first significant action came during the 2001 SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
, when he came off the bench to replace injured starting quarterback Rohan Davey
Rohan Davey
Rohan St. Patrick Davey is a Jamaican-born American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.-High school years:...
. Mauck would run for two touchdowns, leading the underdog Tigers to a come-from-behind 31-20 victory over the heavily-favored #2 Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the National Collegiate Athletic Association college sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Hamilton is the most recent Men's Athletic Director, but resigned on June 7, 2011, and Joan Cronan is the current Women's...
.
2002 season
In 2002, Mauck entered the regular season as the starting quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, beating out Marcus Randall
Marcus Randall
Marcus Randall is an American football player who plays for Team Arkansas of the All American Football League. Randall played quarterback for LSU, Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers of the National Football League.-College career:...
and Rick Clausen
Rick Clausen
Richard James Clausen is a former American football player who played college football for Louisiana State University and University of Tennessee. During his two years at LSU he played in three games, starting the 2002 game against Ole Miss...
. He led the Tigers to a 5-1 start, but was lost for the season with a broken foot during the sixth game. The Tigers slumped after the injury, finishing the season with an 8-5 record.
2003 season
He returned as the starting quarterback for his junior season in 2003, and led LSULSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
to its best season in 45 years. He set an LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
record, throwing 28 touchdowns during the season. LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
finished the regular season with an 11-1 record, and then beat Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
34-13 in the 2003 SEC Championship Game
SEC Championship Game
The SEC Championship Game refers to the game determining the Southeastern Conference's football season champion. The championship game pits the SEC Western Division representative against the Eastern Division representative in a game held after the regular season has been completed. Thus far, nine...
. The victory helped the Tigers earn a berth in the 2003 BCS Championship Game, the 2004 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
vs. Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. Mauck did not have a great game in the Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
, throwing two interceptions and no touchdowns. However, the Tigers won the game 21-14, earning LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
the BCS National Championship.
NFL
Mauck decided to go pro after the 2003 season, and he was selected in the 2004 NFL Draft2004 NFL Draft
The 2004 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 2004 at the theater at Madison Square Garden...
by the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with the 225th pick in the 7th round. He made the roster, but did not appear in any games in 2004. In 2005, he signed with the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. He appeared in two games during the season, including one start in the final regular season game of the year, a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Mauck entered the 2006 NFL offseason on the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
roster, but was cut at the end of the preseason. He became expendable after the Titans drafted Vince Young
Vince Young
Vincent Paul Young, Jr. , nicknamed "VY", is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans. Young was the third overall draft pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college...
and signed free agent quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
. However, he was signed back to the Titans' practice squad after week 2, after third-string quarterback Billy Volek
Billy Volek
John William Volek is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2000. He played college football at Fresno State.-Early years:Volek attended Clovis West High School in...
was traded to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.