Matt LoVecchio
{{Short description|American football player (born 1982)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Matt LoVecchio
| image =
| caption =
| position = Quarterback
| number = 10
| birth_place = Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.[http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/lovecchio_matt00.html Matt LoVecchio], Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football. Accessed February 16, 2011. "born 2–2–82 in Englewood, N.J."
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|2|2}}
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 3
| weight_lbs = 216
| high_school = Bergen Catholic
(Oradell, New Jersey)
| college = Notre Dame (2000–2001)
Indiana (2002–2004)
| teams =
- New York Giants ({{NFL Year|2005}})*
| undraftedyear = 2005
| highlights =
}}
Matthew Lawrence LoVecchio (born February 2, 1982) is a former starting quarterback for the University of Notre Dame football team in 2000–01, and for Indiana University in 2003–04.
Early years
LoVecchio grew up in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/boroughs/cool-head-pays-lovecchio-bergen-catholic-article-1.840103|title=COOL HEAD PAYS OFF FOR LOVECCHIO, BERGEN CATHOLIC|publisher=}} He attended Bergen Catholic High School in Oradell, New Jersey, where he earned four letters as a football quarterback, throwing for 3,400 passing yards and 48 touchdowns, and was named an Honorable Mention pick on USA Today
College
As a freshman at the University of Notre Dame in 2000, LoVecchio assumed the starting quarterback role following an injury to Arnaz Battle and two starts by interim QB Gary Godsey, a converted tight-end. He won his first seven games as a starter, during which the team averaged over 400 yards of total offense and 36 points per game.{{cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2000/12/24/the-golden-child-notre-dame-qb-matt-lovecchio-has-never-played-a-game-he-couldnt-win/|title=THE GOLDEN CHILD: NOTRE DAME QB MATT LOVECCHIO HAS NEVER PLAYED A GAME HE COULDN’T WIN|date=24 December 2000|publisher=}} His stats for the season included 1,118 passing yards, eleven touchdowns and only one interception out of 158 attempts. The team was rewarded with a berth in the Fiesta Bowl against Oregon State.
However, the Beavers dominated the Irish in a 41–9 victory. The following year, LoVecchio struggled, losing his first two games and eventually yielding the starting job to Carlyle Holiday. Head coach Bob Davie was fired at the end of the 2001 season, and when new head coach Tyrone Willingham did not name LoVecchio as the starter in the spring of 2002, the quarterback decided to transfer to Indiana University.{{cite web|url=http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/090403abw.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724153920/http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/stories/090403abw.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 24, 2018|title=Former Irish QB Getting Settled at IU :: Matt LoVecchio hopes to rekindle career at Indiana after being benched at Notre Dame.|website=www.cstv.com}} LoVecchio stated of his leaving Notre Dame, "It's just a personal decision, that's all I'm going to say right now."{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/23/sports/plus-college-football-lovecchio-leaves-notre-dame.html|title=PLUS: COLLEGE FOOTBALL; LoVecchio Leaves Notre Dame|agency=Associated Press|publisher=}}
After sitting out the 2002 season per NCAA regulations, LoVecchio started eleven games for the Hoosiers in 2003, completing 155 of 291 passes for 1,778 yards and three touchdowns, including an eight-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of a 17–14 win at Illinois. In 2004, he completed 153 of 271 passes for 1,951 yards and thirteen touchdowns.
= College career statistics =
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" | ||||||||||
| ! colspan="12" style="background:gray; border:2px solid silver; color:white;"|{{center|NCAA collegiate career statistics}} | ||||||||||
| ! colspan="12" style="background: #002b5b; border: 2px solid #dcb439; color:#dcb439;" |{{center|Notre Dame Fighting Irish}} | ||||||||||
| rowspan=2|Season
! colspan=7|Passing ! colspan=4|Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comp | Att | Yards | Pct. | TD | Int | QB Rating | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
| 2000
| 73 | 125 | 980 | 58.4 | 11 | 1 | 151.7 | 72 | 300 | 4.2 | 2 |
| 2001
| 34 | 69 | 287 | 49.3 | 1 | 4 | 77.4 | 18 | −17 | −0.9 | 0 |
| ! colspan="12" style="background: #990000; border: 2px solid #FFFFFF; color:#FFFFFF;" |{{center|Indiana Hoosiers}} | ||||||||||
| 2002
| colspan=11 style="text-align:center;" | Redshirt | ||||||||||
| 2003
| 155 | 291 | 1,778 | 53.3 | 3 | 9 | 101.8 | 97 | −7 | −0.1 | 2 |
| 2004
| 153 | 271 | 1,951 | 56.5 | 13 | 7 | 127.6 | 93 | 112 | 1.2 | 2 |
| NCAA Career Totals
! 415 | 756 | 4,996 | 54.9 | 28 | 21 | 117.1 | 280 | 388 | 1.4 | 6 |
Professional career
LoVecchio was not drafted by any NFL franchise. He signed on with the New York Giants during training camp in 2005, but failed to make the final roster.{{cite web|url=https://ndsmcobserver.com/2012/10/lovecchio-remembers-first-start-transfer/|title=LoVecchio remembers first start, transfer // The Observer|date=11 October 2012|publisher=}} He was offered a chance to play in NFL Europe, but declined and retired from football.
Personal life
After retiring, LoVecchio worked for Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, now working as an institutional bonds trader for Wells Fargo in New York City.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{sports links}}
{{Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback navbox}}
{{Indiana Hoosiers quarterback navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lovecchio, Matt}}
Category:American football quarterbacks
Category:Bergen Catholic High School alumni
Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players
Category:Players of American football from Englewood, New Jersey