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Tom Matte joined the Baltimore Colts as professional football began its most important decade: the 1960s.

Last Man Standing: How Tom Matte’s Memorable 1965 Season Highlighted a Remarkable NFL Career (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024) is really for old school football fans, or followers of the Baltimore Colts or Ohio State Buckeyes. The casual football fan would certainly enjoy and benefit from this story, especially appreciating pro football before it became a corporate entity.

Joel Poiley captures the glory and significance of the man, the team and the sport. Matte was a hard-nosed and spirited running quarterback from The Ohio State University who was drafted to be a versatile running back for the Colts. Television had recently broadcast what became known as “the greatest game ever played,” when the Colts beat the New York Giants in overtime to claim the 1958 NFL Championship. In 1960, the American Football League appeared and pro football became a hot item. For 12 seasons, Tom Matte would play for the Colts during their greatest time in Baltimore. Matte’s story with the Baltimore Colts also tells the story of Johnny Unitas, arguably the greatest quarterback of his era, and the love the city of Baltimore had with their team.

Matte had an outstanding career in Baltimore and is known for playing quarterback when Unitas and Gary Cuozzo suffered significant injuries. For the final regular season game against the Rams, Matte, recently signed QB Ed Brown and the Colts defense, engineered a win. Imagine, a player who had a week to get ready to play a new position, the coaches devising a game plan for this situation, and the offense to adapt around him. Then imagine the “Fearsome Foursome” of the Rams licking their chops to get after this new guy standing under center. Occasionally, Matte would lineup under the wrong lineman.

Getting past the Rams, the Colts faced the Packers in the playoffs; Matte played the entire game because Brown was ineligible for the postseason. The Colts defense kept the team in the game while Matte ran the offense. The game came down to a field goal that advanced the Packers to the League Championship Game. The Colts had one more game to play, against the Cowboys in what used to be called the Playoff Bowl for what amounted for third place.

So, a running back filled-in as an emergency quarterback for a few games, big deal. Many running backs are converted quarterbacks. Matte became a quarterback for Woody Hayes at Ohio State during his sophomore year and was drafted by the Colts, to be a running back and possibly a defensive back, because of his versatility. Matte joined a crowded backfield in Baltimore with future Hall of Famers Lenny Moore and Joe Perry, and even as the team’s first round draft pick, Matte had to earn playing time.

When the quarterbacking duties fell to Matte during 1965, the Colts players and staff rallied around him, just like they did when new players joined the team. Poiley interviewed numerous players who spoke of the family atmosphere on the team, and of how the city embraced and loved their Colts. Baltimore was a blue collar community, and the players lived and raised families in the community. Players started businesses and remained in Baltimore after their playing days. Poiley writes that one player described Baltimore as a small town and the Colts as their high school football team. America loves its high school football.

Poiley doesn’t just talk football, he presents Matte as an even better human being than a player. After football, Matte stayed in the community, and when the Colts franchise left town during the middle of the night, Matte helped to land a WFL team, a CFL team, and was even involved in helping the Ravens settle into Baltimore as a new NFL franchise. He did the color broadcasts for the Ravens for ten seasons. Everyone knew and liked Tom Matte. You needed something, call Tom Matte.

Pro football is a very different animal these days. Poiley paints a warm Norman Rockwell portrait of a simpler, less corporate time in America. Tom Matte exemplified teamwork and self-sacrifice, and is a revered man in Baltimore, and he was a good football player.

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