Matt Spaeth

Minnesota's all-time career leader in receiving yards (1,291) and receptions (109) by a tight end, Spaeth was a vital part of the team's offensive success during his career. Playing for a team that emphasized the running game, Spaeth's sure hands and imposing size made him an inviting target for Gophers quarterbacks over the middle of the field. Having seized a starting job as a freshman due to an injury to senior tight end Ben Utecht, Spaeth ended his career on a sad note after undergoing shoulder surgery and missing the 2006 Insight Bowl. Spaeth suffered the injury in the North Dakota State game and the team doctors expected him to miss the rest of the season. After sitting out the Ohio State game, he returned for the final three contests. With the team's postseason hopes seemingly dashed by a 3-6 record, Spaeth helped to rally the team to three consecutive victories, helping the Gophers earn their bowl bid. The St. Michael-Albertville High School product was a first-team All-Metro selection by the Minnesota High School Coaches Association, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and KARE 11-TV as a senior. He twice earned All-County and All-Conference accolades. Spaeth was named the Defensive MVP of the 1999 3A state championship game and was also the Defensive MVP of his conference. Spaeth made 22 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns his senior year as a tight end. He registered 203 tackles with eight interceptions and forced five fumbles as a rush end that season. He earned three letters as a center on the basketball team, averaging 30 points and 13 rebounds per game. He was named All-Conference three times for his play on the hardwood. Spaeth enrolled at Minnesota, spending the 2002 season as a defensive end on the scout team. He shifted to tight end in 2003, starting 10 of 13 games for Utecht (now with the Indianapolis Colts). He grabbed 12 passes for 96 yards (8.2 avg) and returned three kickoffs for 49 yards (16.3 avg). Spaeth participated in 943 plays, earning All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention while starting every game in 2004. He finished third on the team with 24 catches for 298 yards (12.4 avg) and four touchdowns. He also recorded a pair of solo tackles. Spaeth was a first-team All-Big Ten Conference pick in 2005. He was the team's third-leading receiver with 26 catches for 333 yards (12.8 avg) and four touchdowns while appearing in a career-high 1,025 plays. In 2006, Spaeth was again chosen to the All-Big Ten Conference first-team and was also honored by the league with its prestigious Sportsmanship Award. The team MVP helped rally the Gophers from a 3-6 record to a bowl berth, when he returned to the field for the final three games with a shoulder injury that doctors said was season-ending. He ranked second on the team with a career-high 47 receptions for 564 yards (12.0 avg) and four touchdowns. He also recorded one solo tackle. In 48 games at Minnesota, Spaeth started 45 times. He caught 109 passes for 1,291 yards (11.8 avg) and 12 touchdowns. He gained 49 yards on three kickoff returns (16.3 avg) and posted three solo tackles.

positives

Has a tall, long frame with very good arm length, large hands and shows better muscle development since adding 10 pounds to his frame prior to the 2006 season... Shows good chest thickness, functional upper body strength, some thickness in his thighs and calves...Has good ball adjustment skills, using his long arms to catch away from his frame and secure the pass at its high point...With his frame, he is very effective at posting up the middle and uses that frame to shield defenders from the ball...When he lowers his pads, he is good at moving the chains...If used on stop, out, shallow crossers and comeback routes, you can get decent production from him...Shows good urgency working for the ball in a crowd and maintains concentration to look the ball in...Is not going to be intimidated by the more physical defenders and will not hesitate to attack the ball over the middle...Despite adequate change of direction agility, Spaeth is effective going high or low to haul in the pass...Shows good timing in his elevation and has those long arms to reach over and around the defender to make the difficult catch...It is rare to see him body catch or let the ball absorb into his frame... In 2006, he seemed to have developed better strength, as he was able to drive through the second level defenders on contact...His size makes it hard for the smaller defenders to bring him down once he builds to top speed.

compares to

COURTNEY ANDERSON-Oakland...Despite his imposing size, Spaeth is limited as a blocker. He is a fine short-area receiver with large, natural hands that he uses to secure the ball before running. He lacks the speed to be a valid deep threat, but by working over the middle and settling underneath, he could be an efficient chain mover, but will never threaten the deep secondary.

negatives

More of a short-area target due to his imposing size, but also because of his marginal speed that makes him a liability in deep routes...Little too stiff in his hips to generate fluid lateral movement and is best when running straight-line routes than when having to cut and redirect...Would like to see him get more aggressive when having to take on defenders as a blocker and his overall strength needs to be improved...Has to rely more on his hand punch and size to defeat the press...Struggles vs. the larger defenders when he fails to get his hands up quickly to push off his opponent...Lacks suddenness coming off the snap and does not have good moves to get into his routes cleanly...Has some short-area acceleration to settle in the soft areas, but needs to be quicker getting position as a blocker...Lacks precision in and out of his breaks and is best served settling in underneath than trying to take the ball up the seam...Needs to do a better job of selling or conning on his route progression, as he lacks a top burst coming out of his breaks... Does not show the savvy moves needed to set up the defender and must be more physical to escape, as his lack of change of direction agility will not let him surprise a defender...Will lunge and overextend at times and takes only passive swipes when having to block in-line...Too big to be cutting as much as he does when working up field and takes a long loop rather than short angles in attempts to locate the linebackers...Underwent reconstructive right shoulder surgery on Nov. 21, 2006, and further medical evaluation is deemed necessary.

2006: Suffered a Grade-2 right shoulder separation in fall camp, but played most of the season with the injury...Re-injured the shoulder in the second quarter on a 1-yard catch vs. North Dakota State and had to be helped off the field. Was expected to miss the rest of the season, but only sat out the Ohio State game before returning for the final three regular-season games...Missed the Insight Bowl to undergo surgery on the shoulder (Grade-5) on Nov. 21. 2007: Did not participate in the workouts at the Scouting Combine due to recovery from his shoulder surgery.

Campus: 4.86 in the 40-yard dash

335-pound bench press

415-pound squat

32-inch vertical jump

4.65 20-yard shuttle

33 7/8-inch arm length

10 3/8-inch hands

Right-handed

Wears contacts

29/46 Wonderlic score. Combine: Attended, but did not work out while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Attended St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.) High School, playing football for head coach Earl Bauman

First-team All-Metro pick by the Minnesota High School Coaches Association, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and KARE 11-TV as a senior

Twice earned All-County and All-Conference accolades

Named the Defensive MVP of the 1999 3A state championship game and was also the Defensive MVP of his conference

Made 22 receptions for 294 yards and three touchdowns his senior year as a tight end

Registered 203 tackles with eight interceptions and forced five fumbles as a rush end that season

Earned three letters as a center on the basketball team, averaging 30 points and 13 rebounds per game

Named All-Conference three times for his play on the hardwood.

Marketing major, earning Academic All-Big Ten Conference and school Scholar-Athlete Award honors ever since his freshman year

Son of Terri and Ken Spaeth

Father was a tight end at Nebraska (1975-77) and chosen in the fifth round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills

Born 11/24/83

Resides in St. Michael, Minnesota.