Purdue Football: Sean Matti's Story

Less than two weeks ago Purdue running back Sean Matti tragically passed away in a swimming accident in lake Freeman over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. This week Frank Matti, his father, contacted SBNation’s Purdue community Hammer & Rails to talk about Sean’s life and his time at Purdue.

Frank and Karen instilled in their children (Sean has two sisters and a brother) to respect everyone instantly upon their first meeting, and that respect is something you earn by giving it. One of the things that Frank confided in me was that I was just the second media member the family has spoken to since the tragedy. He talked of how the media was camped out a block away and hounding them even as they were looking for Sean. He wanted to speak to me because he trusted me and respected me, so he sought me out of his own accord. It is because of that that I am humbled and deeply honored to help tell Sean’s story.

Throughout our entire conversation, the topic of respect was important. Sean respected all those around him, but if you intentionally did not respect him, he was raised to “flip the switch” and “Strap the F* U on”. What this means is to not let others intimidate or control you or your actions. Frank taught all of his children to not let others control them, and Sean never did.

Another thing Frank wanted you readers to know about was Sean’s toughness. Sean battled a number of injuries that few people knew of throughout his career, and those injuries prevented him from seeing the field every time he came close. After the 2009 season, Sean had to have surgery for torn tendons in the arch of his foot that required 3 screws to fix. He also battled shoulder stingers that lasted weeks and resulted in permanent nerve damage, stress fractures in his spine, and a pulled hamstring that once had the entire back of his leg deeply bruised and took most of his Sophomore year to work back from. There were other injuries as well, but Sean at 6 ft and 233 lbs was felling good and getting stronger than ever before his death.

Through it all, he played exactly like a kid who was nicknamed “The Hammer” in his youth league would be expected to play. That team was named the Mustangs and over 6 years they went a perfect 62-0 with Sean leading the way by playing Fullback and Linebacker. He kept this attitude through his entire time at Purdue. Even in the spring game this year, with his body banged up from various injuries, the coaches told him he was one hit away from ending his career and he nearly received a medical discharge. Sean’s response? “Everyone is one hit away.”

Gold and Black Illustrated was at the 90-minute memorial service Wednesday night for walk-on running back Sean Matti, who accidentally drowned in Lake Freeman over the weekend. Several players spoke about Matti’s character and service:

Matti arrived at Purdue from Shoreview, Minn., four years ago, and quickly integrated into the Boilermaker program. Lichtenberg, a fellow walk-on, says the two, and others, became like roommates in Wiley Hall, playing videos games, eating pizzas, and just hanging out.

“All our doors (in Wiley) were open,” Lichtenburg said, "and I remember walking in and seeing Sean and introducing myself to him. He was a big dude, and I was brand new to the team, a walk-on just like him, and I shook his hand, a big strong handshake, and I heard that Minnesota accent and right away we became friends.

“For the record, he looked a lot like Al Borland, when he had his beard on, from Home Improvement.”

Just one inside joke, but Lichtenberg says he could dish out many, many more given time; he could talk for hours on Matti, an extremely quiet kid who would open up in the right situation, with the right people. And his closest friends certainly qualified.

“He’s an unbelievable kid,” said Holland, a linebacker. "Coach Hope put it best: He’s a coach’s dream and is a linebackers’ nightmare. When he got the ball, he was going to run hard. He wasn’t going to make moves, but he loved the physicality of football and had a passion for the game that was unparalleled.

“As quiet as a person he was, when you got to know him and he showed his cards a little bit more, he was a very, very good friend. He’ll be missed greatly.”

A day after Purdue running back Sean Matti’s body was found in Lake Freeman several players shared their thoughts on him with the Purdue Exponent. A campus-wide memorial service will be held tonight at St. Thomas Aquinas church, but many of Matti’s teammates have already spoken about him:

Matti walked on to the football team in 2007, the same time former defensive end Ryan Kerrigan arrived as a freshman. Kerrigan knew Matti well and said he had a good relationship with everyone on the team.

“He was a guy that got along with everyone,” he said. “He never caused any problems and everyone seemed to like him.”

Kerrigan said that despite suffering from injuries and facing the difficulties of being a walk-on, Matti’s love of football and the camaraderie of his teammates kept him going.

“He always practiced really hard,” Kerrigan said. “As a walk-on he may not have gotten as many reps but he didn’t complain. He was a great teammate. I admire that in him.”

Kerrigan said Matti always brought laughter and humor to the team and chuckled when he recalled one of his favorite memories with Matti, which occurred last Halloween.

“He was Alan from ‘The Hangover,’” Kerrigan said. “He wore a t-shirt that had Carlos the baby on the front of it. He looked just like him.”

Kerrigan said he has spoken with a few members of the team and the general feeling is still that of shock.

“You hear that this could happen really to anyone, but you don’t expect it,” Kerrigan said. “Especially to a guy like Sean.”

Purdue blog Boiled Sports has also recently commented on the death of running back Sean Matti:

Matti was a walk-on running back who probably wasn’t going to see the field (at least at RB) this fall. But, if you went to the spring game, you got to see Matti show what he could do coming out of the backfield. Being a tightly-packed diminutive caucasian and sporting a number in the 20s, it was pretty easy to compare Matti to Dan Dierking, who just left the program. Like Dierking, Matti ran the ball hard…and wasn’t the fastest guy, but hit the hole pretty quickly. Purdue’s running back situation is thin coming into this fall with the departure of ATM, and a ton of new guys on the two & three deeps.

I’m not going to claim to have been a big Matti fan…in fact, I didn’t know the guy was on the roster prior to the spring. But at least for one afternoon, I got to appreciate what he could do with the ball in his hands…and more importantly, got to know another Purdue student who decided to play football- not for scholarship money, but because he just loved playing.

The details behind Matti’s death two days ago haven’t been publicly released…and they really don’t matter at this point. But, I’m saddened for his family, his friends and his teammates. I’m positive that the loss of a guy who’s been in the locker room for three seasons will be felt, regardless if he’s a starter or a guy who just gave his sweat and blood on the practice field.

Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke has made an official statement on the death of Sean Matti:

“On behalf of the entire Purdue Boilermaker family, our hearts go out to Sean’s family … and all those who knew and loved him,” Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke said in a statement.

Head Coach Danny Hope also spoke on the player’s passing:

"Purdue football is a family, and I am terribly saddened by the loss of one of our young men. Sally’s and my prayers continue to go out to Sean’s family and all his friends and loved ones. He was a special young man whose positive spirit will be a part of our program forever."