Matt Leo Explained

Matt Leo
Current Team:Philadelphia Eagles
Position:Player development assistant
Birth Date:8 May 1992
Birth Place:Adelaide, South Australia
Height Ft:6
Height In:7
Weight Lb:280
High School:St Michael’s College
College:Iowa State
Undraftedyear:2020
Cfldraftyear:2021G
Cfldraftround:4
Cfldraftpick:35
Pastteams:
Pastcoaching:
  • Philadelphia Eagles
    Defensive / football operations assistant
  • Philadelphia Eagles (–present)
    Player development assistant
Pfr:LeoxMa00

Matthew Leo[1] (born 8 May 1992) is an Australian former American football defensive end and coach who is a player development assistant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Iowa State and spent three seasons with the Eagles as a player, joining them through the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP).

Early life and education

Matthew Leo was born on 8 May 1992 in Adelaide, South Australia,[2] [3] and raised in the suburb of Semaphore. He played Australian rules football for St Michael's College, Adelaide, in year 10.[4] However his passion was rugby league and he played for a club in Adelaide.[5]

He worked as a plumber before playing American football professionally.[6] [7] [8] He went to college at Arizona Western College[9] before going to Iowa State, making his debut at the age of 26.[10] [8] He was a medical redshirt in 2017.[11] [12] [13] He had 33 tackles and 3 sacks in his college football career.[14] [8] He was named first-team Academic All-Big 12 in 2019.[15]

Professional career

On 27 April 2020, Leo was allocated to the Philadelphia Eagles as part of the International Player Pathway Program.[16] [17] [18] [19] [20] He was waived during final roster cuts on 4 September 2020,[21] and signed to the practice squad under an international player exemption two days later.[22] [23] He signed a reserve/future contract with the team after the season on 4 January 2021.[24]

Leo was selected by the Edmonton Elks in the fourth round (35th overall) of the 2021 CFL Global Draft in April 2021.[25] On 4 May 2021, he was given an NFL roster exemption as an international player for a second season.[26]

On 31 August 2021, Leo was waived by the Eagles and re-signed to the practice squad the next day.[27] [28] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Eagles on 18 January 2022.[29]

On 30 August 2022, Leo was waived by the Eagles and signed to the practice squad the next day.[30] [31] On 15 February 2023, Leo signed a reserve/future contract with the Eagles.[32]

Post-playing career

On 25 July 2023, Leo announced his retirement from the NFL.[33] Soon after, he was hired as a defensive and football operations assistant on the coaching staff.[34] On 9 June 2024, Leo was promoted to the role of player development assistant.[35]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Matthew Leo. ESPN.com. 14 February 2022.
  2. Web site: How 'Friday Night Lights' helped pave the way for Matt Leo to join the Philadelphia Eagles. 30 April 2020. pennlive.
  3. Web site: Matt Leo Stats. Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  4. https://media.eagles.1rmg.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/18092000/Leo-Matt-2021.pdf Matt Leo Eagles Profile
  5. https://wwos.nine.com.au/news/nfl-matt-leo-international-player-pathway-program-follows-valentine-holmes/42762b87-a7e3-49ec-8999-1da78df59b29 Adelaide rugby league tragic becomes next Aussie in NFL Pathway Program following Jordan Mailata, Valentine Holmes
  6. Web site: Matt Leo joins surprisingly long line of Philadelphia Eagles from Australia. 16 May 2020.
  7. Web site: He's gone from Australian plumber's apprentice to Eagles signee, but Matt Leo is just getting started. Les. Bowen. www.inquirer.com. 6 May 2020 .
  8. Web site: From plumbing to clogging gaps, the incredible story of new Eagles DE Matt Leo. www.philadelphiaeagles.com.
  9. Web site: From smoko to the big smoke: Matt Leo lands in Philly. 8 May 2020. ESPN.com.
  10. Web site: How Matt Leo went from a plumber's apprentice to an NFL contract. www.sportingnews.com. 14 August 2021 .
  11. News: Matt Leo Friday Night Lights Dream Reaches Eagles. John. McMullen. Sports Illustrated Philadelphia Eagles News, Analysis and More.
  12. Web site: From plumber to promising playmaker: The story of Iowa State's Matt Leo. Tommy. Birch. Des Moines Register.
  13. Web site: Eagles Rookie Profile: 5 things to know about Matt Leo. Brandon Lee. Gowton. 29 June 2020. Bleeding Green Nation.
  14. Web site: Matt Leo shows just how much he's learned in senior season at Iowa State. www.thegazette.com.
  15. Web site: Matt Leo's improbable journey from Aussie plumber to the NFL. 7 June 2020. ESPN.com.
  16. Web site: Leo chasing his dream role with the Eagles. Bob. Grotz. The Delaware County Daily Times. 30 April 2020 .
  17. Web site: Eagles' Australian connection gets stronger with Matt Leo. Nick Fierro The Morning. Call. Press of Atlantic City. 7 May 2020 .
  18. Web site: Philadelphia Eagles sign rookie defensive end Matt Leo, a former plumber from Australia. Jamie. Apody. 1 May 2020. 6abc Philadelphia.
  19. Web site: Australian DE Matt Leo can thank Friday Night Lights for starting his football journey. RSN. 2 May 2020 .
  20. Web site: From plumbing to the Philadelphia Eagles: The remarkable journey of Australian DE Matt Leo. 29 April 2020. American Football International.
  21. News: McPherson, Chris . Eagles make five more roster moves . PhiladelphiaEagles.com . 4 September 2020 . 5 May 2021.
  22. News: McPherson, Chris . Eagles announce practice squad that includes QB Josh McCown . PhiladelphiaEagles.com . 6 September 2020 . 5 May 2021.
  23. Web site: Aussie NFL rookie's unusual team bonding. wwos.nine.com.au.
  24. News: Erby, Glenn . Philadelphia Eagles sign 9 players to reserve/future contracts . USAToday.com . 4 January 2021 . 5 May 2021.
  25. Web site: 2021 Global Draft Tracker. 30 April 2021. CFL.ca. en.
  26. News: Four Players Added to 2021 Rosters Through International Player Pathway Program . NFL.com . 4 May 2021 . 5 May 2021.
  27. Web site: Eagles announce initial 53-man roster. McPherson, Chris. PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 31, 2021.
  28. Web site: Eagles agree to terms with 15 players to join the practice squad. PhiladelphiaEagles.com. September 1, 2021.
  29. Web site: Eagles sign 11 players to Reserve/Futures contracts. McPherson, Chris. PhiladelphiaEagles.com. January 18, 2022.
  30. Web site: Eagles announce initial 53-man roster. McPherson, Chris. PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 30, 2022.
  31. Web site: Eagles sign 15 players to the practice squad. McPherson, Chris. PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 31, 2022.
  32. Web site: Eagles sign 9 players to Reserve/Futures deals. January 4, 2024. theeagleswire.usatoday.com. 15 February 2023 . en.
  33. Web site: Eagles' 31-year-old defensive end project decides to retire. NBC Sports. July 25, 2023.
  34. Eagles Hire Newly-Retired DE To Coaching Staff. Sports Illustrated. Hare, Jacob. August 7, 2023.
  35. Web site: Eagles Announce Numerous Updates To Front Office. June 11, 2024. profootballrumors.com. en.

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