Blue White Illustrated

Since he made his Erst start in the fourth game of his freshman year, Tem- ple senior linebacker Tyler Matakevich has been a tackling machine. The 6-foot-1, 232-pounder from St. Joseph's High in Trumbull, Conn., enters this season with 355 career tackles, the most of any active NCAA player and 61 more than the No. 2 man on the list, Illi- nois linebacker Mason Monheim. Yet Matakevich said that when Temple hosts Penn State in the opener for both teams on Sept. 5 at Philadelphia's Lin- coln Financial Field, he'd be quite con- tent to make a lower proportion of the Owls' tackles. "That has never been my goal here. I never wanted to have the most tackles," Matakevich said. "I just want to win. If I am making less tackles, that means the whole defense is doing a good job." Matakevich, who turns 23 in December, spent a season at the Milford Academy prep school before enrolling at Temple in January 2012. He earned his Erst career start the fol- lowing fall against the University of South Florida and has been a defensive Exture ever since. In last year's 30-13 loss to Penn State, Matakevich had one of his typically dom- inant games. He recorded 13 tackles, two tackles for loss, a half a sack and had an interception that he returned 47 yards. The defense played better than the Enal score indicated, especially since the Tem- ple oAense committed Eve turnovers, in- cluding an interception that Grant Haley returned 30 yards for a touchdown. Still, Matakevich wasn't ready to ac- cept any accolades. Penn State rushed for 254 yards and two touchdowns. "I was very frustrated last year," he said. "We gave up over 250 yards rushing, and to win a football game you deEnitely can't do that." So during the oA-season he has watched that tape more than a few times in an attempt to remedy the situation. "We have been breaking down the Elm and studying it and trying to Ex all those mistakes that we made in the game last year," he said. Matakevich is a more eAective outside linebacker but should also see time in the middle this year. Temple likes the play of junior Jarred Alwan, and if he starts, it will be in the Mike position, with Matakevich at the Will linebacker spot. "He makes so many plays at the Will linebacker, and what I have learned over the years is when a guy makes that many plays at one posi- tion, don't move him," Temple de- fensive coordinator Phil Snow said. "But Tyler can play the Mike, and in the NFL that is where he is going to play." Snow says that Matakevich is eAective at either linebacker spot. "We have put him in there and he has the same instincts at Mike [as at Will]," Snow said. "He has the ability to play both, and we will probably use him at both this season." One of Matakevich's biggest challenges is blotting out all the preseason individual hype. Last season he was a Erst-team all- league selection in the American Athletic Conference and also an Academic All- Conference choice. He has appeared on several prominent watch lists. The NFL is a very realistic goal, al- though he will likely have to improve his pass-coverage skills. Program insiders speculate that a strong season could push him into the second or third round of next year's draF. Matakevich admits that it would be un- realistic never to think about the NFL, but he refuses to dwell on it. "It always creeps in your head," he said. "You watch preseason NFL games and you are watching guys you played with and against." Yet thoughts of the NFL don't last very long. "You have to be mentally tough and know you have to focus on what is right now," he said. "And right now we are preparing for Penn State and trying to get this defense and the team on the right path." Coming out of high school, Matakevich had more oAers for baseball. He was a four-year varsity player, excelling as an inEelder-outEelder. Yet Matakevich has always loved foot- ball. He enjoys all aspects of the game and is known as one of the Owls' most dedicated people in the Elm room. "I can sit in that Elm room for hours," he said. "Some people may hate it, but I truly love it." The only thing he enjoys more is being on the Eeld, where Temple has grown ac- customed to seeing him produce one big play aFer another. And now he is counting the days to this year's opener with Penn State. "I think it will be awesome, not only for Temple football but for Temple Univer- sity," he said. "We're excited and can't wait." M A R K N A R D U C C I | B L U E W H I T E C O N T R I B U T O R S E P T E M B E R 2 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 11 Goal-oriented Leading tackler Matakevich provides veteran presence for Temple D Mark Narducci LEAD MAN Matakevich's 355 career tackles are more than any active player in the NCAA.

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