ONE PLAY
Jon Matsey ’97 taught his coaches on the Little Giant football team a lesson in dedication and resolve.
It was my third season as a Little Giant assistant football coach on a typically hot and humid August morning in 1993, and I was running the first drill with my defensive backs.
One at a time, my players were running toward me at a 45-degree angle, and I was throwing each the ball. We went through 20 or so quickly before I threw to one of our freshmen, Jon Matsey ’97. The ball hit him squarely in the chest.
Okay, I thought, the kid must be nervous. The next time he came through was a replay of the first. Apparently Jon had not spent much time throwing and catching a football.
The first day that players were in full gear, Jon came out to practice late, got into a tackling drill, and got tackled hard. He pulled himself up off of the ground and got back into the drill. And on and on it went.
I talked with Jon after that practice and learned that he had never played football before in his life: no flag football, no school football… nothing. The reason Jon was late to practice when we went to full gear was because he didn’t know how to put on the pads. He stayed in the locker room until everyone left and our equipment manager, Chick Clements, helped him get ready.
I told Jon that we could not put him in any junior varsity games that year because of the likelihood of his getting injured. Yet he practiced every single day. If you have played football, you know that you tolerate the practices because of the games. Practices can be rough.
Jon came out his sophomore year and still didn’t play in a single JV game. I urged him to consider being a manager, but he would have nothing to do with that. He wanted to be a player.
Jon finally played in JV games as a junior, and he was back at it again his senior year.
Monon Bell, 1996, Little Giant Stadium, Jon’s senior year: It was late in the game and, unfortunately, we were behind several scores. A timeout was called, and I was on top of the press box communicating via headset with Defensive Coordinator Pete Germano on the sidelines.
I said, “Pete, put Matsey in. He has practiced for four years and has never been on the field during a game. We’ve gotta get him in.”
It took some persuading, but finally, there was Jon in his Wabash #32 jersey, running into the game. He stayed for one play, and then we took him out.
One play. No big deal. Right? Later, I saw Jon on the field after the game with his mom and, as I gave Jon a hug, he and his mom had tears in their eyes because Jon got into the game. I found out later that Jon had tears
in his eyes while running out to the huddle for his play, too, and that the other players seemed to understand this was a big moment for their teammate.
Jon is now with the New York Police Department and returned to campus in June for Big Bash. He shared with me the impact that his Wabash football experience has had on his life and how I was a big part of that. This time, it was my eyes with the tears. A player often learns from his coach about determination, dedication, and resolve. I can assure you that in the case of Jon Matsey and me, it was the other way around.
Steve Hoffman ’85
Director, Alumni and Parent Programs
hoffmans@wabash.edu