Here we added John Matuszak Net worth, Height, Age, Girlfriend, Family, Weight, Qualification, Favorite things, Bio, and more.. John Matuszak Personal Details. This led to endless heartbreak, a crisis of faith, and trouble being around children going forward for Matuszak their presence made him deeply sad. "At the proper time, we will have things to say about substance abuse and the scoundrels in the medical profession who recklessly dispense prescription drugs and the parasites of society who distribute illicit drugs from back alleys to fashionable condominiums," they said in a statement. He was cut before the season began in 1976. After an injury, John Matuszak sat out the 1982 season and then decided to retire from football and pursue an acting career. There is no question John Matuszak was the most famous & most loved celebrity of all the time. Sloth was a 1980s icon, as beloved as E.T. 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. Known by the nickname The Tooz, the 68, 280 pound athlete was initially a hot prospect and was the first overall draft pick of the year in 1973. After being cut by the Redskins, Matuszak's football career was in limbo. No one is really sure. In his autobiography, he stated that he used drugs and abused alcohol while playing professional football. The bullying was part of what inspired Matuszak to become an athlete a tall, bulky, football player is a whole lot less vulnerable to ridicule than a tall, skinny, beanpole. OnJune 17, 1989, he accidentallyoverdosed on Darvocet, a combination of Tylenol and a painkiller called propoxyphene. John Matuszak's personal life was also affected by all the hard-partying. They loved playing with Matuszak so much that they would sometimes mess up his makeup, which took hours to re-apply. His best known role was as the deformed Sloth in the 1985 movie The Goonies. John Matuszak is UPDATE SOON. He had two brothers, but both died of cystic fibrosis at young ages. Usually, starting with a new team brings about a fresh start. He always played well, though, so he managed to get away with all the hijinks. Just as he was a hellion off the field, Matuszak was a devil on the gridiron. She was a member of the Mary Washington chapter No. The night after an exhibition game with the Oilers at the Astrodome, he had a game the next night at the same exact venue, with a different team, in a different league. [10] He was only 38 years old. Survivors include two children by his first marriage, Nancy Stetter Graham and Grant Hamilton Stetter, both of Falls Church; two stepsons, Navy Capt. According to the New York Times, the coroner's report also listed bronchial pneumonia and an enlarged heart as factors that contributed to his death the latter is sometimes associated with steroid abuse, though his friends and family insisted that was one vice he'd never had. John Matuszak - Biography, Height & Life Story | Super Stars Bio Coroner: Drugs Killed Former NFL Star Died | AP News Instead, it's almost poetic to think that his large heart was actually literal. As a kid, John Matuszak was still growing into his body. The Goonies fans can't believe what Sloth actor looks like in real life After several tests, it was revealed that he had a herniated disc in his lower spine, and so Matuszak was placed on the injured reserve list. How tall was John Matuszak? Sloth was played by actor John Matuszak, who was a football player before moving into acting. Kent State's standouts included future Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Lambert and Gary Pinkel, who coached Missouri from 2001-15.Another Golden Flashes senior, future six-time national championship coach Nick Saban, suffered a season-ending injury in October. In Matuszak's last college football game, Tampa defeated Kent State 21-18 in the Tangerine Bowl. He is a member of famous with the age 39 years old group. John Matuszaks income source is mostly from being a successful . 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. 1, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame receives No. John Matuszak - Death, Movies, Wife & Height - Biography John Matuszak was an American football defensive end in the National Football League who later became an actor.. Stephanie Cozart Burton - IMDb is 2.01m . John Matuszak led a life of excesses, regardless of his physical pain. A defensive lineman from the University of Tampa, Matuszak was the Houston Oilers' number one pick in the 1973 draft. The report also said that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart) and bronchopneumonia had been contributing factors in Matuszak's death. 1970s - DL John Matuszak died at 38 in 1989 after life of partying, including drug use and suspected steroid use. John Milo Matuszak was born on 25 October 1950 in Wisconsin, USA, to his father, Marvin Matuszak, and mother, Audrey Matuszak. According to our Database, He has no children. He was in the middle of an overdose of whiskey and pills. [11], "The Life and Times of the Tooz: Menacing Body Held Spirit of Insecure, Guilt-Ridden Child", "Former NFL great John Matuszak dead at 38", "The Top Five: Move over, Moss and T.O. ", 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. Former Girlfriend Says Lifestyle of Matuszak Was 'Excessive' At the time, Manuszak had just appeared on an episode of Miami Vice and was filming an action movie called One Man Force. Still, it was fun especially since Matuszak was a devoted Beatles fan. He regularly took the painkiller Darvocet to keep away severe back pains, which led to his heart failure. And just in case there wasn't already enough tragedy in this story, here's an extra helping of it for you football injuries require pain medication, and Matuszak was one human being who should have stayed as far away from pain medication as possible. I knew him as Sloth, the nice, lovable giant.". According to his former girlfriend, Stephanie Cozart, Matuszak also turned to drugs to deal with family trauma. Help us build our profile of John Matuszak! As an actor, he played in both films and television, appearing first as O.W. John Matuszak and Stephanie Cozart Burton were in a relationship for 9 years before John Matuszak died aged 38. 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. 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. The displeased Oilers traded him to the Kansas City Chiefs for Curley Culp, another player who had threatened to jump to the WFL, and a first-round draft choice in 1975 on October 22, 1974. John Matuszak was in a relationship with Stephanie Cozart Burton (1980 - 1989).. About. So in a way, those mean kids gave the world "The Tooz," the guy who would not only become one of the NFL's most charismatic football players, but also one of the most memorable movie icons of the 1980s. Survivors include two children by his first marriage, Nancy Stetter Graham and Grant Hamilton Stetter, both of Falls Church; two stepsons, Navy Capt. John Matuszak girlfriend, wife list. The reason for his death was an overdose of a prescription painkiller called Darvocet, which led to his heart failure. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Ex-fiance Stephanie Cozart once told Matuszak that his undoing was his failure to accept responsibility for pretty much everything that happened in his life. Matuszak, 38, died in June at St. Josephs Medical Center in Burbank. Later that year, as a free agent, Matuszak signed with the Oakland Raiders. It sounded like Matuszak had finally gotten the stability in his life and the redemption he needed. In addition, Matuszak was a pneumonia patient and had an enlarged heart, which also added to the cause of his death. It might as well have read, "Go ahead and rough up some more people because we think it's funny." Carter Reso and Navy Cmdr. Father: Marvin Matuszak Mother: Audrey Matuszak Marital Status: Divorced Past Relationships: He is from United States. But Stephanie Cozart, who said she had remained a close friend of the former Oakland Raiders defensive end since their breakup a year ago, expressed the opinion that Matuszaks former lifestyle might have taken its toll. Matuszakbecame the NFL's first pickof the Houston Oilers in 1973. How many games did John Matuszak play? As a result, as he put it, "painkillers are a way of life in the NFL." During his days with the Raiders, the team mostly turned a blind eye to John Matuszak's antics. Right away, Donner could tell he was perfect for the role of Sloth, a disfigured and abused son with a heart of gold. Boucher said it may be 10 days before those results are available. A former girlfriend who talked to John Matuszak last Friday said the football player-turned-actor had tried hard in recent years to overcome widely publicized drug and alcohol problems . John Matuszak weighed 272 lbs (123 kg) when playing. His heart momentarily stopped, and he came shockingly close to death. John Daniel Matuszak (October 25, 1950 June 17, 1989) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) who later became an actor. 11; and past patron of the Martha Washington Chapter No. To his own surprise, the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) made Matuszak the number-one pick of the 1973 NFL Draft. 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.". His primary income source was through his acting and football career. A full body orgasm at the L.A. Phil? ", Matuszak often visited sick children in one case, he gave his football jersey and helmet to a cancer patient at Children's Hospital, and visited the sick boy every day for nearly a month. Connect any celebrity with John Matuszak to see how closely they are linked romantically! On June 17, 1989, John Matuszak died at age 38. At 6ft 9 and weighing 20st, John was an imposing presence and a hit with the ladies. John Daniel Matuszak (October 25, 1950 June 17, 1989) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League who later became an actor. What Happened To John Matuszak? (Story) - Pro Football History Fresh out of college, Matuszaks drug use was so outrageous that his teammates called him John Glenn, like the famous astronaut because he was often flying high. So despite his massive frame and incredible talent on the field, his football career was extremely rocky. He was born John Daniel Matuszak in Oak Creek, Wis. Who is John Matuszak dating? John Matuszak girlfriend, wife His part was more complex than he could have imagined. He prayed to stop growing, but he only grew taller. His second season in Houston ended before it ever started. Matuszak also played for various NFL teams; his longest stint of six years having been spent with . On top of everything, the adhesives and prosthetics aggravated his skin. We assure our audience that we will remove any contents that are not accurate or according to formal reports and queries if they are justified. He pleaded guilty, but then told a reporter: "Some guy purposely caused an accident." June 19, 1989 12 AM PT. John Matuszak's grueling transformation. And it never had anything to do with the fact that he was high.". Then he grew into a physical colossus, became a big-time California football . Matuszak was 6'8" and 280 pounds, so they pretended they didn't know about the vodka and Valium and made him a Raider. She had lived in Columbia since 1983. Matuszak enjoyed "enough parties for twenty people's lives", and especially lived it up during the season onWednesdays, AKA "Tooz Day." Boucher said that a natural heart attack is obvious right away at the time of the autopsy. Two of his little brothers died of it: Christopher after two months of life, and David at the age of two years. The Oilers were unsurprisingly unimpressed, and the LA Times said they even went as far as sending a team of lawmen to a football game to chase Matuszak around the sidelines with a subpoena. Former Pro Football Lineman John Matuszak Dead at 38 | AP News Just as in life, Matuszak was defined by potential only barely realized, his struggle with addiction and, something you couldnt see at first glance: a big heart. He was still struggling with the drug habit hed picked up early in life and from time to time was involved in wild, violent incidents reminiscent of his time on the football field. 22; past commander of the Old Dominion Commandry No. And he couldn't make it. In the world of professional sports, you can get away with a lot once you've proven yourself. He was born in October 25, 1950, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, United States. [9] Matuszak's character Sloth wears an Oakland Raiders shirt in some scenes. He died in 1989 of an accidental propoxyphene overdose. One of these walking object lessons was John Belushi. 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. IMDB claimshis height to be 6 feet 7 inches, but according towashingtonpost.com, he was 6 feet 9 inches tall. He had a three-episode stint opposite O.J. He also appeared in a number of cult classics including Caveman, One Crazy Summer, Ice Pirates, and as mentioned, The Goonies. Their disrespect motivated him to develop into a muscular young man, and Matuszak became the Wisconsin Class A state champion in the shot put with a throw of 58ft 11in (17.96m). John Daniel Matuszak (October 25, 1950 June 17, 1989) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League who later became an actor. In addition, Matuszak was a pneumonia patient and had an enlarged heart, which also added to the cause of his death. He came to Washington in 1936 when he joined the FBI as a special agent. Matuszak actually met John Belushi five days before Belushi died, and saw how bent out of shape he was. "It was never his fault. John Matuszak was an American actor and football player. Matuszakdied at the age of 38on 17 June 1989. John Matuszak's net worth In his book, Matuszak recalls meeting people who served as examples of how he didn't want to live. Simpson on HBO's 1st & Ten, until his 'roided-up character died of a heart attack on the practice field. Shaddock in the 1979 filmNorth Dallas Forty. So, he bulked up his grades at Fort Dodge, a junior college. He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. When the Grim Reaper came by to touch the Tooz on the shoulder Saturday night, the big guy . Matuszak, drafted by the Houston Oilers of the NFL, was the first draft pick of 1973. 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Matuszak participated in the 1978 World's Strongest Man competition, where he placed ninth. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 25, 1950, Matuszak grew up playing football as a defensive end. On June 5, 1986, an Alameda County (Calif.) Superior Court jury ruled in his favor when he was sued for $1.5 million by two persons, one a male stripper, who accused the former defensive end of beating him up in a barroom brawl. 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. Matuszak did not know what was happening at the time and wanted to avoid confrontation. The One Tragedy That Forever Changed The Actor Who Played Sloth In The In 1986 a male dancer accused him of assault and sued him for $1.5 million. John Daniel Tooz Matuszak was an American professional football defensive lineman in the National Football League and also an actor. "Car troubles" could have been the name of his biography: He amassed a long rap sheet of arrests, including ones for aggressive driving, careless driving, possession of drugs, and drunken driving. He appeared in the movies Caveman, The Ice Pirates, One Man Force, and One Crazy Summer, but is frequently remembered as deformed captive Sloth in The Goonies, the make-up for which took five hours to apply. During World War II, he served with the Army Air Forces in England. A preliminary police investigation found no signs of foul play, said a police spokesman. December 26, 1976. With 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 head coach Al Onofrio. Shaddock in 1979 in North Dallas Forty followed by Tonda in the 1981 film Caveman and the deformed Sloth in the 1985 movie The Goonies. He said he had no plans to play in that game but requested to play after seeing about 25 men looking for him on the sidelines. He was back to square one of rehabilitation. His battles with the church arent over, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! A social outcast due to his unusual height (by adulthood, he stood 6'8 tall . Like most children and people who don't ever really grow up, John Matuszak never took responsibility for any of the crazy, dangerous, and irresponsible things he did. He then joined the Raiders as a free agent just before the second game of the 1976 season. But he still ended up with a solid career. In June of 1989, it appeared that John Matuszak did "go back.". "I have a little velvet box at home," Cozart told the LA Times. View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. He started to get terrible back spasms and tried to play through them, but not even injectable painkillers dulled their edge. Surprisingly he turned out to be a pretty good actor. He was a graduate of the Powell Business School in his native Scranton, Pa., and Catholic University law school. After losing his brothers during his childhood, being around children was always a painful experience for Matuszak. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? John Matuszak is a most popular American Actor, Football Player. Then, when it was time to actually start playing, the pressure was almost too high for him to succeed. How many men get to work under the genius of both John Madden and Steven Spielberg? Matuszak was then picked up by the Kansas City Chiefs, only to be dropped after head coach Paul Wiggin found him unconscious and not breathing one day. Following his sophomore season at Mizzou, Matuszak transferred to the University of Tampa, where he became the star of their football team. Mr. Stetter, who lived in Calabash, N.C., worked for the FBI here for 16 years before retiring in 1952. His life may have been a rocky road, but the Tooz cruised through it, and there was rarely a dull moment along the way. Mr. Matuszak's off-field antics often gained him as much notoriety as his play. He was stricken at his home and was taken by paramedics to the hospital, where he died at 9:39 p.m., a hospital spokesman said. Who is John Matuszak dating? Mr. Griffith was a native of Washington and a graduate of George Mason High School in Falls Church. ), High school baseball: Southern Section playoff pairings, Dig this: Long Beach States Mason Briggs could be next big thing at libero, Kentucky Derby storylines: Training death puts early pall over Churchill Downs, Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies: How to watch, start times and betting odds, Elliott: Pissed off Kings must improve in key areas to break Oilers playoff stranglehold. But there was more to Matuszak than just a boisterous wild man. The will was signed July 13, 1984, and in it Matuszak left his championship ring from Super Bowl XI to nephew Justin Evancy, and his ring from Super Bowl XV to Justins brother, Luke Evancy. He swiftly became a man in demand, appearing in a hodgepodge of '80s awesomeness likeM*A*S*H, Ice Pirates, The Dukes of Hazzard, Silver Spoons,The A-Team, Miami Vice, and Perfect Strangers. Matuszak tried to take it easy on his back while filming. It was a minor separation of his shoulder, but Matuszak played through it, and paid the price in pain for years to come. Before the 1976 season, the Chiefs traded him to the Washington Redskins, where he was cut two weeks later. Nothing seemed able to stop the other kids from teasing him incessantly. His marriage to Patricia Ann Stetter ended in divorce. "Vodka and Valium," coach George Allen explained, "the breakfast of champions." He attended the University of Tampa and played for their football team. Enter Oakland Raiders maverick owner Al Davis, who decided to take a chance on Matuszak. Matuszak was taken from his Los Angeles home to St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank on Saturday night suffering apparent massive heart failure, said Hospital spokeswoman Terri G . Survivors include his wife, Louise B. Griffith of Alexandria; a son, E . Matuszak and his just-mentioned wife had a not unexpected rocky relationship. His first major role was in the 1979 movie North Dallas Forty as a football player. His big goal was to get a 90-day chip and he never got one. Former Football Player, Cast of the movie 'The Princess and the Dwarf', John Matuszak's last movie 'Down the Drain' (1990) was released after his demise. During his second season with the Oilers, John Matuszak got restless. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 39 years old? We're here to examine it, from his famous role in The Goonies to his time passing the pigskin. 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. Matuszak was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Audrey and Marvin Matuszak. He was also a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. There was also cocaine in his system but the amount was so small it was "not considered to have contributed to his death.". Tooz decided he didn't want to end up like that, and called it quits on May 10, 1983. Matuszak was born in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The winning continued, and they got back to the promised land in 1979 for Super Bowl XV in New Orleans. John Matuszak Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth He appeared on such TV shows as "M*A*S*H," "Trapper John, M.D." Paramedics attempted to perform CPR, but Matuszak's chest was so huge it was "like hitting a rock wall.". The Heartbreaking Tale Of The Actor Who Played Sloth In The Goonies The Raiders had toassign a 22-year-old front office worker to literally move in with him and keep an eye on him fellow player Pat Toomay called the job "Keeper of the Tooz.". According to the LA Times, during his sophomore year in college, Matuszak played reserve tight end on a football scholarship at the University of Missouri, but his career there was short-lived. Help keep John Matuszak profile up to date. He earned his accounting degree from Southeastern University in Washington. Matuszakdebuted in filmsas O.W. The other way around makes no sense. His full name is John Daniel Matuszak and his nickname is Matuszak. 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. Survivors include her husband of 47 years, George O. Clark, of Annapolis; two daughters, Karen Coffman, of Annapolis, and Laurie Richardson, of Richmond; a brother, E. Gordon Hershey, of Ocala, Fla., and three grandsons. You know, the ole "I only meant to give him a black eye, not break his whole nose" excuse. Login Matuszak also played for various NFL teams; his longest stint of six years having been spent with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, and later joining the Houston Oilers.
