Matt Koart
{{Short description|American football player (born 1963)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Matt Koart
| number = 92
| position = Defensive end
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|9|28}}
| birth_place = Goleta, California, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lb = 257
| high_school = Dos Pueblos (California)
| college = USC (1981–1985)
| draftyear = 1986
| draftround = 5
| draftpick = 125
| pastteams =
- Green Bay Packers ({{NFL Year|1986}})
| highlights =
- Second-team All-Pac-10 (1985)
| statlabel1 = Fumble recoveries
| statvalue1 = 1
| pfr = KoarMa20
}}
Matthew W. Koart (born November 28, 1963) is an American former professional football defensive end. He played college football for the USC Trojans where he was a second-team All-Pac-10 Conference selection as a senior in 1985. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1986 NFL draft and played one season for them before retiring. After his football career, he became an executive in the real estate business.
Early life
Koart was born on November 28, 1963, in Goleta, California.{{Cite web|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/players/k/koar00200.html|website=Pro Football Archives|access-date=June 20, 2025|title=Matt Koart Stats}} Koart's father Bill, who played minor league baseball, died when he was 12.{{Cite news|url=https://archive.ph/VqbgK|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|via=archive.today|title=A Sizable Problem : USC’s Matt Koart Says He Grew Up Fast; Gaining Weight Was Another Story|date=September 19, 1985|author=Florence, Mal}} He attended Dos Pueblos High School where he played football as a two-way tackle.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/goleta-sun/174918362/|newspaper=Goleta Sun|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 7, 1981|page=7|title=Kinney, Koart and Garrett named to CIF grid squad}} {{Open access}} As a senior in 1980, he was selected first-team All-Channel League and second-team All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF).{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-barbara-news-press/174918732/|newspaper=Santa Barbara News-Press|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 31, 1980|page=10|title=8 county gridders gain All-CIF}} {{Open access}} Koart also served as team captain at Dos Pueblos.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-barbara-news-press/174919141/|newspaper=Santa Barbara News-Press|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 18, 1981|page=11|title=Hometown Potpourri}} {{Open access}} He was invited to the Santa Barbara County All-Star Game and signed to play college football for the USC Trojans in 1981.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-barbara-news-press/174918904/|newspaper=Santa Barbara News-Press|via=Newspapers.com|date=July 25, 1981|page=7, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-barbara-news-press/174919045/ 9]|title=USC roommates get acquainted tonight|author=O'Hara, Pat}} {{Open access}}
College career
Koart redshirted in 1981, then lettered for the football team from 1982 to 1985. He entered school at a weight of {{convert|217|lb|kg}} to play defensive tackle, being very small for the position. He recalled that "I was trying to fend off linemen like Roy Foster and Bruce Matthews and I was getting killed". Koart thus decided to increase his weight, telling the Los Angeles Times that "I used to stuff myself so bad. I'd take a weight-gaining powder, put two bananas in it, grind it up and then shove it down my throat – 2,000 calories. And that was after I ate". He eventually rose to a weight of {{convert|260|lb|kg}} and became one of USC's top linemen.
As a sophomore in 1983, Koart missed four games due to a sprained ankle. He posted 23 tackles in the 1984 season before tearing knee ligaments, requiring surgery and ending his season.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-star/174921767/|newspaper=Arizona Daily Star|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 9, 1984|page=30|title=USC loses defensive tackle}} {{Open access}} He then started every game and served as team captain for a USC team in 1985 that compiled a record of 6–6.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/174924295/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 30, 1986|page=29|title=Round 5}} {{Open access}}{{Cite book|url=https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/usctrojans.com/documents/2023/7/20/2023-usc-trojans-football-media-guide-compressed.pdf|title=Media Guide|date=July 20, 2023|publisher=USC Trojans|access-date=June 20, 2025|pages=114, 135, 211–213, 221, 278, 282, 309}} Koart totaled 86 tackles and three sacks during the season.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/174924714/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=May 31, 1986|page=17, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/174924798/ 18]|title=Koart still impressive|author=McGinn, Bob}} {{Open access}} He was selected second-team All-Pac-10 Conference and was named an Academic All-American.{{Cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H4hUAAAAIBAJ&dq=All-Pacific-10+Conference+football+team&pg=PA6&article_id=3912,8976249#v=onepage&q=All-Pacific-10%20Conference%20football%20team&f=false|newspaper=Ellensburg Daily Record|page=11|title=Football|agency=United Press International|date=November 29, 1985|via=Google Books}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-barbara-news-press/174924566/|newspaper=Santa Barbara News-Press|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 12, 1985|page=29|title=DP graduate Matt Koart of USC named Academic All-American|agency=Associated Press}} {{Open access}} Koart concluded his collegiate career with a 177 tackles and nine sacks and was invited to the East–West Shrine Game. Koart was the recipient of USC's Howard Jones/Football Alumni Club Award for highest grade-point average (GPA) among senior football players and graduated in 1986 with a degree in finance.
Professional career and later life
Koart was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round (125th overall) of the 1986 NFL draft. His teammate, defensive end Brent Moore, was also selected by the Packers.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/green-bay-press-gazette/174942675/|newspaper=Green Bay Press-Gazette|via=Newspapers.com|date=April 30, 1986|page=29|title=Round 9}} {{Open access}} Although his mother and agent preferred him to attend law school, he said that he "want[ed] to play football" and signed with the Packers in July 1986.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent/174926104/|newspaper=The Post-Crescent|via=Newspapers.com|date=July 22, 1986|page=25|title=Koart signs, Bosco on hold|author=Egle, Jim}} {{Open access}} With Green Bay, Koart became a defensive end. He impressed the Packers in training camp and made the final roster. He made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Houston Oilers and appeared in the Packers' first six games.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/K/KoarMa20/gamelog/|website=Pro Football Reference|access-date=June 20, 2025|title=Matt Koart Career Game Log}} After six games, all of which were losses, the Packers released him, a decision that Koart said "shocked" him.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-post-crescent/174926403/|newspaper=The Post-Crescent|via=Newspapers.com|date=October 15, 1986|page=29|title=Koart shocked by his release|author=McGinn, Bob}} {{Open access}} Although he had offers to tryout for other teams, Koart decided to retire to enter law school and began working as a clerk for a law firm.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-barbara-news-press/174926596/|newspaper=Santa Barbara News-Press|via=Newspapers.com|date=January 24, 1987|page=25, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/santa-barbara-news-press/174926713/ 27]|title=The not so super side of the NFL|author=Zant, John}} {{Open access}}
Koart graduated magna cum laude from the Marshall School of Business at USC and later graduated fourth in his class from USC's Gould School of Law.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mychf.org/koart-matt|publisher=California Homebuilding Foundation|access-date=June 20, 2025|title=Koart, Matt}} He worked as a real estate attorney and then became an executive with homebuilding companies.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theacorn.com/articles/matthew-koart/|newspaper=The Acorn|title=Matthew Koart|date=October 2, 2008|access-date=June 20, 2025}} He founded Koart Residential, Inc., a group of privately held real estate companies, and served as the chief executive officer for real estate development firm Shapell Industries, Inc. Koart worked various roles for PulteGroup from 1996 to 2008 and returned in 2023 as the company's executive vice president and chief operating officer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pultegroupinc.com/investor-relations/news/news-details/2023/PulteGroup-Names-Industry-Veteran-Matthew-Koart-as-Chief-Operating-Officer/default.aspx|publisher=PulteGroup|access-date=June 20, 2025|title=PulteGroup Names Industry Veteran Matthew Koart as Chief Operating Officer|date=May 16, 2023}} In 2024, he was inducted into the California Homebuilding Foundation Hall of Fame. He is married and has three children.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Green Bay Packers 1986 NFL draft picks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koart, Matt}}
Category:American football defensive ends
Category:Green Bay Packers players
Category:USC Trojans football players
Category:Sportspeople from Goleta, California
Category:Players of American football from Santa Barbara County, California