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Later, Matuszak celebrated with Chivas Regal and prescriptions, and then passed out. He was trying really hard to keep things under control, Cozart said. He was 38 years old. The reason for his death was an overdose of a prescription painkiller called Darvocet, which led to his heart failure. Survivors include two children by his first marriage, Nancy Stetter Graham and Grant Hamilton Stetter, both of Falls Church; two stepsons, Navy Capt. College football was the next logical step for Matuszak, but his 1.7 GPA wasn't good enough for his dream school, Iowa. Barbara Bach & John Matuszak - Caveman (1981). Shaddock in 1979 in North Dallas Forty followed by Tonda in the 1981 film Caveman and the deformed Sloth in the 1985 movie The Goonies. His death made a huge impact upon Matuszak so huge, it couldn't be overshadowed by the fact that Matuszak met Richard Donner the very same night he met Belushi. He also couldn't have asked for a better coach either, as he finally found one he could respect and play even harder for: The one and only John Madden. Kent State's coach was Don James, who went on to win the 1991 national championship at Washington. Later that year, as a free agent, Matuszak signed with the Oakland Raiders. His second wife, Patricia Beaumont Stetter, died in 1987. His one-time roommate/babysitter, quarterback Ken Stabler,quoted John's recipe for funin his own juicy biography,Snake:"Crown [Royal] and [Quaaludes], the late supper of champions.". Mike Ornstein, the Raiders office worker who'd been assigned "Keeper of the Tooz," remembered his softer side: "He was a very, very good person and he had a great heart for kids. But John Matuszak was only 38 when he died, so maybe he needed a few more years. How many get to win two Super Bowls and become famous as an iconic film character like Sloth? They give those out at the [AA and CA] meetings. According to author Kevin Cook, Matuszak fled to a nearby cemetery and hid behind a gravestone. ", Cozart had a wedding dress and the stamps were on the invitations, but she called off their wedding when Matuszak failed, once again, to meet his 90-days-sober goal. His primary income source was through his acting and football career. John Daniel Tooz Matuszak was an American professional football defensive lineman in the National Football League and also an actor. Survivors include his wife, Louise B. Griffith of Alexandria; a son, E. Wayne, of Leesburg; a daughter, Earlene L. Walton of Arlington, Tex. John lost two brothers to cystic fibrosis, from which his sister also suffered. donated time to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Matuszak was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. He represented them for the 1973 season and moved to Houston, Texas, in 1974. For one thing, the Oilers were then the worst team in the NFL. John Matuszak played 123 games over his career . She had lived in Columbia since 1983. His first major role was in the 1979 movie North Dallas Forty as a football player. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4-0'); For formal education, his parents enrolled him at Oak Creek High School. Mrs. Spencer was a native of Putney, Vt., and a graduate of the American International College in Springfield, Mass. also an actor. As a result, as he put it, "painkillers are a way of life in the NFL." According to the New York Times, the coroner's report also listed bronchial pneumonia and an enlarged heart as factors that contributed to his death the latter is sometimes associated with steroid abuse, though his friends and family insisted that was one vice he'd never had. We will not be able to determine an exact cause of death until we get the results of toxicological, neurological and microscopic lab tests, said coroners investigator Claude Boucher. Matuszak, who played on two Super Bowl champions before turning to an acting career, was taken from his home in Los Angeles to St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank on Saturday night, where he died after suffering massive heart failure. and as recognizable as Indiana Jones. That was not the case with Matuszak, Boucher said, but he declined to speculate on what else may have caused the death, pending test results. So, no lessons learned. John Matuszak, the former Los Angeles Raider who died of an accidental overdose of painkiller last summer, left most of his estate to his mother . Luckily, his coach rushed him to the hospital and saved his life. 1 NFL draft pick in 1973, thus proving that it's okay to mess up someone's face as long as you didn't actually mean to mess up his face, and as long as you're really, really good at football. Alabama guard John Hannah, selected fourth by the New England Patriots, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, his first year of eligibility, following a 13-year career, while quarterback Bert Jones (Baltimore Colts), offensive tackle Jerry Sisemore, tight end Charle Young (Philadelphia Eagles), and defensive tackle Dave Butz (St. Louis Cardinals) were all prominent throughout the rest of the 1970s and into the 1980s. There was also cocaine in his system but the amount was so small it was "not considered to have contributed to his death.". "But it's funny, when I was a teenager and I would start to watch the old NFL films and they would have films of John playing for the Raiders he would just terrify people on the field, which was totally shocking to me. He was a brawler, a partier, and a guy who didn't want to take responsibility for his actions, but he loved children and he was known for his generosity. He helped them win two Super Bowls (XI and XV), before retiring after spending the entire 1982 season on injured reserve. Sign in Thursday, June 2, 2022; WIKISPRO . John Matuszak Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family So, how much is John Matuszak worth at the age of 39 years old? Unfortunately, both his brothers died at an early age due to a disease called cystic fibrosis. One local remembered him pushing aside the town's mayor so he could sign an autograph for a child. He had to spend five hours a day in the make-up chair getting into character. He came to Washington in 1936 when he joined the FBI as a special agent. The Heartbreaking Tale Of The Actor Who Played Sloth In The Goonies John Matuszak - Pro-Football-Reference.com Shaddock in 1979 in North Dallas Forty followed by Tonda in the 1981 film Caveman. Who is John Matuszak dating? The report also said that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart) and bronchopneumonia had been contributing factors in Matuszak's death. Makeup Department: White Men Can't Jump. John Matuszak is a member of the following lists: American film actors, American television actors and 1950 births. But even with the success Matuszak found in this new chapter of his life, some aspects of his troubled past remained. The rest of his estate, $230,000 in personal property, $217,000 in real property and $10,000 in income from that property, was left to his mother and his sisters, Karen and Dawn Matuszak. John Matuszak (Actor) Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Net Worth, Family John Matuszak has not been elected into the Hall of Fame. John Matuszak was in an on-screen matchup with Barbara Bach in Caveman (1981). The two teams sued each other, but in the end, Matuszak got his wish. Although there was a trace of cocaine in his system, thecause of death was an accidental overdose of the prescription drug, Darvocet a drug he was actually prescribed and took that very morning. Kansas City was the next stop on the trouble tour, and it didn't exactly turn out to be a KC masterpiece. Or something. Stephanie Cozart Burton. His full name is John Daniel Matuszak and his nickname is Matuszak. His lifestyle often overshadowed his productivity as a championship-caliber . He starred in a short-lived 1985 prime-time television series, "Hollywood Beat," playing George Grinsky, a huge gay informant whose business was used by undercover cops working in Hollywood. According to the LA Times, after the Matuszak family moved from downtown Milwaukee to the village of Oak Creek, Matuszak would often come home from school crying because the other kids were picking on him for being a "gawky beanpole.". John Matuszak girlfriend, wife list. Boucher said it may be 10 days before those results are available. John Matuszaks income source is mostly from being a successful . One thing most of the actors who worked with Matuszak had to say about him was that he was a genuine pleasure to work with. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? A social outcast due to his unusual height (by adulthood, he stood 6'8 tall . Paramedics attempted to perform CPR, but Matuszak's chest was so huge it was "like hitting a rock wall.". By Michael Palan / April 8, 2021 4:39 pm EST. Mr. Matuszak also wrote his autobiography, "Cruisin' With The Tooz." He was born John Daniel Matuszak in Oak Creek, Wis. . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Kentucky Derby draw finds favorite Forte in a nice spot in the middle, Lakers-Warriors series: Plenty of story lines, but LeBron vs. Steph is No. But because of the many injuries hed sustained during his career, his heavy use of painkillers continued. Then, when it was time to actually start playing, the pressure was almost too high for him to succeed. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 25, 1950, Matuszak grew up playing football as a defensive end. The bullying was part of what inspired Matuszak to become an athlete a tall, bulky, football player is a whole lot less vulnerable to ridicule than a tall, skinny, beanpole. The minor ones, which he called "hangnails," included "bruises, cuts, groin pulls, twisted ankles, dislocated fingers, pulled hamstrings and slightly fractured bones." If you go through those things in your mind, you can do them. Matuszak reflected, in this moment, upon how deeply affected he had been by seeing Muhammad Ali on TV after Ali's career had taken a physical toll and made the legendary boxer into a shell of his former self. The university didn't like that, and revoked his scholarship. His net worth is USD $4 million (approx) in 2021. Matuszak, 38, died in June at St. Josephs Medical Center in Burbank. Matuszak was the only surviving son one of his brothers died at birth, while the other only lived two years. Former Pro Football Lineman John Matuszak Dead at 38 | AP News The Tooz Couldn't Scare Away Death - Los Angeles Times As he details in his 1987 autobiography, Cruisin' with the Tooz, Matuszak, who was born in Milwaukee, loved his hometown. John Matuszak Clips from MASH TV show (2006) Hallmark Channelhttps://www.patreon.com/VHSVCRPlease support me on Patreonhttps://teespring.com/stores/vhs-vcrCh. 1 seed for Division 1 baseball playoffs, High school tennis: Southern Section playoff pairings. Without any training in acting, youd probably expect him to be a bit of a novelty in one or two bad productions before people realized he had no talent. Another Golden Flashes senior, future six-time national championship coach Nick Saban, suffered a season-ending injury in October. At a crowded party, Matuszak caught sight of a student assaulting his girlfriend, and so he decided to pummel him. Everything in his life was large: The wins on the field at any cost, the painkillers needed to offset those costs, the meals needed to sustain his lifestyle. Sadly, Matuszak died of a drug overdose at the age of 38: His life was fully lived, but way too short. The Houston Oilers made him the No. Matuszak did not know what was happening at the time and wanted to avoid confrontation. But afterward, he gradually began to fall back into his hard-partying ways. Cause of Death. After an injury, John Matuszak sat out the 1982 season and then decided to retire from football and pursue an acting career. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. Unfortunately, he probably took too much of it precisely because it was "mild." It was with the Missouri Tigers that he had his first real injury. He was stricken at his home and was taken by paramedics to the hospital, where he died at 9:39 p.m., a hospital spokesman said. American Football (American) Player John Matuszak was born John Daniel Matuszak on 25th October, 1950 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and passed away on 17th Jun 1989 Burbank, California aged 38. But its no secret that at one time he had an excessive lifestyle, and it might have taken its toll physically.. The report also said that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (an enlarged heart) and bronchopneumonia had been contributing factors in his death. "I ordered a cake," said Cozart. In his book, Matuszak recalls meeting people who served as examples of how he didn't want to live. In addition to his contract with the Oilers, he joined the Houston Texans of the World Football League (WFL), playing a total of seven plays before a restraining order was served to him during a game, barring Matuszak from playing for two teams at the same time. John Matuszak Education. There was a players' strike, which he vocally supported, and the Oilers started to sour on him. He starred in North Dallas Forty, which is regarded by many as one of the best football movies ever made. In 1987,Matuszak got in yet another car accident, but instead of exchanging insurance information which would have been perfectly cordial given that Matuszak was huge and anyone who was on the receiving end of a fender-bender with the guy would have almost certainly been really understanding Matuszak decided to punch the driver and leave the scene. Though Matuszak survived, his career in Kansas City did not, and he was shipped off to the Washington Redskins. This led to endless heartbreak, a crisis of faith, and trouble being around children going forward for Matuszak their presence made him deeply sad. They loved playing with Matuszak so much that they would sometimes mess up his makeup, which took hours to re-apply. John "The Tooz" Matuszak, 38, the former hard-hitting, hard-living defensive lineman with the Oakland Raiders who played on two Super Bowl teams before turning to an acting career, died June 17 at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Calif. Defensive End John Matuszak Nearly Died When He Mixed - Sportscasting Mr. Stetter, who lived in Calabash, N.C., worked for the FBI here for 16 years before retiring in 1952. He always played well, though, so he managed to get away with all the hijinks. He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for Curley Culp and a No. Then he grew into a physical colossus, became a big-time California football star, and eventually, an out-and-out movie star. Matuszak died on June 17, 1989, as a result of acute propoxyphene intoxication, an accidental overdose of the prescription drug Darvocet, according to the findings of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. In the LA Times' 1989 tribute to the deceased football star, she remembered the number of times he committed himself to rehab and then walked out before completing the program. He started playing football in the eighth grade, and became a star in high school. Two of his little brothers died of it: Christopher after two months of life, and David at the age of two years. It didn't make a difference, as the Raiders became the very first wild card team to ever win the Super Bowl by beating the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10. His battles with the church arent over, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! An autopsy Sunday failed to determine the exact cause of death of Matuszak, a 6-foot-9, 280-pounder who played with the Raiders from 1976 to 1981. John Matuszak was just 38 when he died of heart failure a decade ago, and his flamboyance made an explanation mandatory. He generally played the tough guy in guest spots in film and television. Their disrespect motivated him to develop into a muscular young man, and Matuszak became the Wisconsin Class A state champion in the shot put with a throw of 58ft 11in (17.96m). The Short, Troubled Life of Goonies' John Matuszak Matuszak was selected to the All American Team 1972. In his delightful and salacious biography, Sir Tooz summarizes his day job simply: "Football is a violent game and best played with a violent frame of mind." To make matters worse, he was a shy boy struggling with self-esteem issues and an awkward body: Matuszak was 6'1" by the age of 12. A preliminary police investigation found no signs of foul play, said a police spokesman. "At the proper time, we will have things to say about substance abuse and the scoundrels in the medical profession who recklessly dispense prescription drugs and the parasites of society who distribute illicit drugs from back alleys to fashionable condominiums," they said in a statement. There were also traces of cocaine found in his bloodstream. Turns out, the pummelee was an Air Force cadet who ended up with 18 fractures in his face he needed a whopping 10 hours of surgery to be made whole again. There were also traces of cocaine found in his blood stream. The team was seen as a bunch of rebels, and Matuszak's similar attitude and outlook were a perfect match. It was a minor separation of his shoulder, but Matuszak played through it, and paid the price in pain for years to come. John Matuszak (October 25, 1950 - June 17, 1989) was a football player and actor who portrayed Sloth in The Goonies. Our dedicated Editorial team verifies each of the articles published on the Biographyhost. Following his sophomore season at Mizzou, Matuszak transferred to the University of Tampa, where he became the star of their football team. Matuszak did not see much playing time at Mizzou because the starting tight end was an excellent blocker. He regularly took the painkiller Darvocet to keep away severe back pains, which led to his heart failure. And just in case there wasn't already enough tragedy in this story, here's an extra helping of it for you football injuries require pain medication, and Matuszak was one human being who should have stayed as far away from pain medication as possible.