Mr. Stetter, who lived in Calabash, N.C., worked for the FBI here for 16 years before retiring in 1952. The Houston Oilers made him the No. She later promised him that she'd set another wedding date when he finally got a 90-day chip, but the Goonies star always failed. He had numerous guest appearances in TV shows such as Perfect Strangers, M*A*S*H, The Dukes of Hazzard, Hunter, Silver Spoons, The A-Team, 1st & Ten and Miami Vice. John Matuszak - IMDb It might as well have read, "Go ahead and rough up some more people because we think it's funny." Matuszak lived large during this era in his career, but it wasn't all beautiful women and parties at Hugh Hefner's place. 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. She was a past president of the Arlington Northwest Lioness Club. Fresh out of college, Matuszaks drug use was so outrageous that his teammates called him John Glenn, like the famous astronaut because he was often flying high. So despite his massive frame and incredible talent on the field, his football career was extremely rocky. John Matuszak was an American actor and football player. They have one child. After several tests, it was revealed that he had a herniated disc in his lower spine, and so Matuszak was placed on the injured reserve list. But his father, who had no interest in sports, showed him no affection he attended only one of John's games. It was a rough and wild time in his life one that cast long shadows. Kids are mean. Who is John Matuszak dating? His cause of death was listed as "acute propoxyphene intoxication.". Nothing seemed able to stop the other kids from teasing him incessantly. Cookies help us deliver our Services. His castmates on Goonies remembered him as a "sweetheart. A defensive lineman from the University of Tampa, Matuszak was the Houston Oilers' number one pick in the 1973 draft. Unfortunately, The Tooz's big heart just couldn't handle all the excesses it had been forced to endure over the far too-short life of the man it belonged to. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. Mrs. Clark was a native of Washington and a graduate of Washington-Lee High School in Arlington. Matuszakbecame the NFL's first pickof the Houston Oilers in 1973. After Washington showed him the business end of the cleat, John Matuszak was a free agent, and the Oakland Raiders were kind of desperate. But he still managed to surprise Jeff Cohen, who played his onscreen buddy Chunk, by picking him up while strapped in a chair and kissing him. 11; and past patron of the Martha Washington Chapter No. Survivors include his wife, Louise B. Griffith of Alexandria; a son, E. Wayne, of Leesburg; a daughter, Earlene L. Walton of Arlington, Tex. "I was going to have it presented to him at the meeting. 1, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame receives No. John Matuszak's grueling transformation. The Raiders had toassign a 22-year-old front office worker to literally move in with him and keep an eye on him fellow player Pat Toomay called the job "Keeper of the Tooz.". 1 seed for Division 1 baseball playoffs, High school tennis: Southern Section playoff pairings. At Tampa, Matuszak switched from tight end to the defensive line, which brought out his true talents. Ex-fiance Stephanie Cozart once told Matuszak that his undoing was his failure to accept responsibility for pretty much everything that happened in his life. But the story behind the actor who played Sloth is almost as unbelievable as the plot of The Goonies. John Matuszak has not been elected into the Hall of Fame. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-box-4','ezslot_3',131,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-box-4','ezslot_4',131,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-4-0_1');.box-4-multi-131{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. During one of his football training camps, he added Valium to his beer, which nearly killed him. He also appeared in a number of cult classics including Caveman, One Crazy Summer, Ice Pirates, and as mentioned, The Goonies. It was a minor separation of his shoulder, but Matuszak played through it, and paid the price in pain for years to come. His movie credits included "North Dallas Forty," "Caveman" and "Ice Pirates." According to author Kevin Cook, Matuszak fled to a nearby cemetery and hid behind a gravestone. How much did John Matuszak weigh when playing? He was in the middle of an overdose of whiskey and pills. He attended the University of Tampa and played for their football team. He is currently single. Matuszak never had any children. From Times Wire Services. The county coroners office found that his death had resulted from an accidental overdose of a narcotic painkiller, aggravated by an enlarged heart and pneumonia. Our dedicated Editorial team verifies each of the articles published on the Biographyhost. Seriously: The man used to order half a dozen eggs and half a pound of bacon for breakfast, in addition to his steady diet of Cheez Whiz smeared on bagels. So in a way, those mean kids gave the world "The Tooz," the guy who would not only become one of the NFL's most charismatic football players, but also one of the most memorable movie icons of the 1980s. All hell broke loose. The university didn't like that, and revoked his scholarship. Stephanie Cozart Burton was born on 10 November 1953 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA. and more from FamousFix.com, Heart failure (due to an accidental overdose of the prescription drug Darvocet), Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, Cudahy, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, USA. He enjoyed the company of kids, but afterwards, they made him feel depressed. Sloth was played by actor John Matuszak, who was a football player before moving into acting. You know, the ole "I only meant to give him a black eye, not break his whole nose" excuse. Shaddock in the 1979 filmNorth Dallas Forty. 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 him from playing for two teams at the same time. Unfortunately, both his brothers died at an early age due to a disease called cystic fibrosis. 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. You sit out a game and your replacement could steal your job, so you play with the pain which sometimes leads to even more injuries. ", "John was really nice to me and it was fun to work with him," said Jeff Cohen, who played Chunk in the iconic film. John Matuszak : 'The Goonies': See the Cast Then and Now! John Daniel Tooz Matuszak was an American professional football defensive lineman in the National Football League and also an actor. By the time he became a professional athlete, Matuszak stood 6ft 8in (2.03m) and weighed over 280lb (130kg). His zodiac sign is Scorp Boucher said that a natural heart attack is obvious right away at the time of the autopsy. Also, during his stint with the Raiders, Matuszak enjoyed a breakfast of bagels and Cheez Whiz, and also drugs. By Michael Palan / April 8, 2021 4:39 pm EST. Unfortunately, he probably took too much of it precisely because it was "mild." Sadly, Matuszak died of a drug overdose at the age of 38: His life was fully lived, but way too short. He is most remembered for His best known role was as the deformed Sloth in . At the time, Manuszak had just appeared on an episode of Miami Vice and was filming an action movie called One Man Force. Why was his stint in Washington so short-lived? 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. An autopsy was inconclusive and further tests were scheduled. That's right: The Tooz got nude. John Matuszak's personal life was also affected by all the hard-partying. Who is John Matuszak dating? John Matuszak girlfriend, wife John Matuszak was in a relationship with Stephanie Cozart Burton (1980 - 1989). Sloth's Tragic Real-Life Story - Grunge He was born in October 25, 1950, in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, United States. Different sites and sources claim Matuszak's height differently. Of course, he played Sloth in the Goonies, but Matuszak was also involved in a number of other acclaimed films. Matuszak appeared in the movies Caveman, The Ice Pirates, One Man Force, and One Crazy Summer, but is frequently remembered as deformed captive Sloth in The Goonies, the make-up for which took five hours to apply. [10] He was only 38 years old. Matuszak was enormously excited to work with Donner and producer Steven Spielberg, whom he called "the Al Davis of Hollywood.". Matuszak knew he had an obsessive personality, and tried to fight it when he could. And it never had anything to do with the fact that he was high.". After his wife forgave him for whatever transgression had been worthy of turning him into a rubber-stained, 280-pound pancake, they had a round of makeup love in the Chiefs' locker room. Matuszak also left the contents of his house in Franklin, Wis., to his sister, the boys mother, Christine Evancy. "Vodka and Valium," coach George Allen explained, "the breakfast of champions." His part was more complex than he could have imagined. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Former Oakland Raider John Matuszak, the hard-hitting, hard-living football player who played in two Super Bowls before becoming an actor, died at age 38 of unknown causes, officials said Sunday. 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. But when it came to John Matuszak, trouble seemed to follow him wherever he went. Matuszak later moved to the University of Missouri on a football scholarship and represented the Missouri Tigers in his sophomore college year. In addition, Matuszak was a pneumonia patient and had an enlarged heart, which also added to the cause of his death. Survivors include two children by his first marriage, Nancy Stetter Graham and Grant Hamilton Stetter, both of Falls Church; two stepsons, Navy Capt. "I ordered a cake," said Cozart. She once tried to run him over in her car after a fight. As an actor, Matuszak played in both films and television, appearing first as O.W. Matuszak Leaves Estate to Family - Los Angeles Times In June of 1989, it appeared that John Matuszak did "go back.". 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 . Former Pro Football Lineman John Matuszak Dead at 38 | AP News 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. Help keep John Matuszak profile up to date. Later he joined Cocaine Anonymous (CA), and then Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He regularly took the painkiller Darvocet to keep away severe back pains, which led to his heart failure. Simpson on HBO's 1st & Ten, until his 'roided-up character died of a heart attack on the practice field. Before the 1976 season, the Chiefs traded him to the Washington Redskins, where he was cut two weeks later. The attention he so desperately wanted from his peers finally started to come. According to his former girlfriend, Stephanie Cozart, Matuszak also turned to drugs to deal with family trauma. Shaddock received high praise from critics. The will was signed July 13, 1984, and in it Matuszak left his championship ring from Super Bowl XI to nephew Justin Evancy, and his ring from Super Bowl XV to Justins brother, Luke Evancy. When John lived in Houston he was playing for the Kansas City Cheifs and I dated him for a few months.He was kind and I cared for him alot.He did do alot of cocaine and that was why I quit dating him.Still I think of him often.I`m sure he is happy in his eternal life. videos, John Matuszak is UPDATE SOON. "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. December 26, 1976. A former girlfriend who talked to John Matuszak last Friday said the football player-turned-actor had tried hard in recent years to overcome widely publicized drug and alcohol problems . Matuszak enrolled at Mizzou for his sophomore year of college, where he played one season of football for the Tigers as a tight end. In his later NFL career years, Matuszak played for Kansas City Chiefs from 1974 to 1975, Washington Redskins in 1976, and Los Angeles Raiders from 1976 to 1982. Former Girlfriend Says Lifestyle of Matuszak Was 'Excessive' View popular celebrities life details, birth signs and real ages. At 39 years old, John Matuszak height He didn't know what was happening at the time and wanted to avoid confrontation. 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. He was a golfer and a member of the Society of Former Agents of the FBI. Just as in life, Matuszak was defined by potential only barely realized, his struggle with addiction and, something you couldnt see at first glance: a big heart. ", The gamble paid off. Sloth was a 1980s icon, as beloved as E.T. 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 and three sisters in Wisconsin but his Super Bowl rings will go to his nephews. When the Grim Reaper came by to touch the Tooz on the shoulder Saturday night, the big guy . There was also cocaine in his system but the amount was so small it was "not considered to have contributed to his death.". John Matuszak's net worth However, whenever anyone met him, worked with him, or enjoyed life with him, they came away knowing he was a giving person and a gentle giant. With the Raiders, Matuszak played a key role in securing a couple of Super Bowl wins in 1977 and 1981. John Matuszak and Stephanie Cozart Burton were in a relationship for 9 years before John Matuszak died aged 38. Matuszak was suspended for the rest of the season and thrown out of his fraternity. Father: Marvin Matuszak Mother: Audrey Matuszak Marital Status: Divorced Past Relationships: Matuszak was the only surviving son one of his brothers died at birth, while the other only lived two years. New Orleans isn't the easiest place to be free of distractions, and while most players resisted the city's temptations, the Tooz just couldn't help himself and partied himself into unconsciousness. It was a minor separation of his shoulder, but Matuszak played through it, the Oilers were then the worst team in the NFL, it didn't exactly turn out to be a KC masterpiece, seeing Muhammad Ali on TV after Ali's career had taken a physical toll. 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. During his second season with the Oilers, John Matuszak got restless. 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. John Matuszak. He prayed to stop growing, but he only grew taller. Matuszak's off-the-field troubles also started in college. But Stephanie Cozart, who said she had remained a close friend of the former Oakland Raiders defensive end since their breakup a year ago, expressed the opinion that Matuszaks former lifestyle might have taken its toll. He also belonged to the Scottish Rite, Kena Temple Shrine and the Royal Arch. is 2.01m . According tosportscasting.com, Matuszak also had a life-threatening incident before his death. She was also a member of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in Silver Spring. In 1976, the Kansas City Chiefs traded him with the Washington Redskins but he was released by the Redskins soon after. Tragic Details About The Actor Who Played Sloth. AFC championship game. Luckily, his coach rushed him to the hospital and saved his life. The One Tragedy That Forever Changed The Actor Who Played Sloth In The Matuszak's days of losing were over: One season in, and he was already Super Bowl bound. The reason for his death was an overdose of a prescription painkiller called Darvocet, which led to his heart failure. In a lot of ways, Sloth was not just the on-screen alter ego of the former football star, he was the actual manifestation of the person Matuszak was on the inside: a lovable giant who was also a generous friend. Profession: Actor, Football Player Known For: The deformed Sloth in the 1985 movie The Goonies Net Worth: USD $4 million (approx) Family & Relatives. This is when Matuszak believed his "bad guy" reputation began: The Tooz wanted out, but a trade was out of the question, so he knew he had to force the Oilers' hand. 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. Is John Matuszak in the Hall of Fame? OnJune 17, 1989, he accidentallyoverdosed on Darvocet, a combination of Tylenol and a painkiller called propoxyphene. [5][6], Matuszak's football career was often overshadowed by his lifestyle. At a fraternity party, he punched another student in the face for "fondling his date," and then inexplicably tried to make it right again not by apologizing for his conduct but by insisting that he hadn't meant to hit the guy as hard as he did. He lived in Alexandria. John Matuszak got into quite a bit of trouble in his life. Paramedics attempted to perform CPR, but Matuszak's chest was so huge it was "like hitting a rock wall.". A year later, he signed with the Houston Texans of the World Football League, where he played briefly before he was served an injunction obtained by the Oilers. After sitting out the 1982 season in Los Angeles, where the Raiders moved that year, with an injury, he retired to pursue full time an acting career in which he had dabbled while a player. Matuszak fled to a cemetery and effectively used gravestones . He signed up to play with the upstart World Football League's Houston Texans (no relation to the current team of the same name). Matuszak was born in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. 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. Matuszak did not see much playing time at Mizzou because the starting tight end was an excellent blocker. 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. to add information, pictures and relationships, join in discussions and get credit for your contributions. One year, while with the Raiders, he played Santa Claus at a children's hospital, and the emotions that came with it changed his mind and outlook.
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