Matt LoVecchio
Encyclopedia
Matthew Lawrence LoVecchio (born February 2, 1982) was a starting quarterback
for the University of Notre Dame
football team in 2000-01, and for Indiana University
in 2003-04.
. He attended Bergen Catholic High School
in Oradell, New Jersey
, where he earned four letters as a football quarterback, throwing for 3,400 passing yards and 48 touchdowns, and was named an Honorable Mention pick on USA Today
's All-American Prep Team.
in 2000, LoVecchio assumed the starting quarterback role following an injury to Arnaz Battle
and two starts by interim QB Gary Godsey, a converted tight-end. He won his first seven games as a starter, during which the team averaged over 400 yards of total offense and 36 points per game. His stats for the season included 1,118 passing yards, eleven touchdowns and only one interception out of 158 attempts. The team was rewarded with a berth in the Fiesta Bowl
against Oregon State
.
However, the Beavers dominated the Irish in a 41-9 victory. The following year, LoVecchio struggled, losing his first two games and eventually yielding the starting job to Carlyle Holiday
. Head coach Bob Davie was fired at the end of the 2001 season, and when new head coach Tyrone Willingham
did not name LoVecchio as the starter in the spring of 2002, the quarterback decided to transfer to Indiana University
.
After sitting out the 2002 season per NCAA regulations, LoVecchio started eleven games for the Hoosiers in 2003, completing 155 of 291 passes for 1,778 yards and three touchdowns, including an eight-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of a 17-14 win at Illinois
. In 2004, he completed 153 of 271 passes for 1,951 yards and thirteen touchdowns.
LoVecchio was not drafted by any NFL franchise. He signed on with the New York Giants
during training camp in 2005, but failed to make the final roster.
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
football team in 2000-01, and for Indiana University
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
in 2003-04.
Early years
LoVecchio grew up in Franklin Lakes, New JerseyFranklin Lakes, New Jersey
Franklin Lakes is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 10,590. As of the 2000 Census, Franklin Lakes had the 18th-highest per-capita income of all 566 municipalities in the state. Nationwide, Franklin Lakes ranked 17th among the...
. He attended Bergen Catholic High School
Bergen Catholic High School
Bergen Catholic High School is an all-male Roman Catholic high school in Oradell, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grade...
in Oradell, New Jersey
Oradell, New Jersey
Oradell is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. At the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 7,978. The borough's territory includes a dam on the Hackensack River that forms the Oradell Reservoir...
, where he earned four letters as a football quarterback, throwing for 3,400 passing yards and 48 touchdowns, and was named an Honorable Mention pick on USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
's All-American Prep Team.
College
As a freshman at the University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in 2000, LoVecchio assumed the starting quarterback role following an injury to Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Battle
Arnaz Jerome Battle is an American football wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
and two starts by interim QB Gary Godsey, a converted tight-end. He won his first seven games as a starter, during which the team averaged over 400 yards of total offense and 36 points per game. His stats for the season included 1,118 passing yards, eleven touchdowns and only one interception out of 158 attempts. The team was rewarded with a berth in the Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
against Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
.
However, the Beavers dominated the Irish in a 41-9 victory. The following year, LoVecchio struggled, losing his first two games and eventually yielding the starting job to Carlyle Holiday
Carlyle Holiday
Carlyle Javar Holiday is an American football wide receiver who currently is a free agent.Holiday attended Roosevelt High School in San Antonio, TX. In football, he was named as the top high school scrambling quarterback in the nation. After a heavy bid from Nebraska, he eventually committed to...
. Head coach Bob Davie was fired at the end of the 2001 season, and when new head coach Tyrone Willingham
Tyrone Willingham
Lionel Tyrone "Ty" Willingham is a former American football player and coach. He was the head coach at Stanford University , the University of Notre Dame , and the University of Washington , compiling a career college football record of 76–88–1.-Early career:Willingham attended...
did not name LoVecchio as the starter in the spring of 2002, the quarterback decided to transfer to Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
.
After sitting out the 2002 season per NCAA regulations, LoVecchio started eleven games for the Hoosiers in 2003, completing 155 of 291 passes for 1,778 yards and three touchdowns, including an eight-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of a 17-14 win at Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
. In 2004, he completed 153 of 271 passes for 1,951 yards and thirteen touchdowns.
LoVecchio was not drafted by any NFL franchise. He signed on with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
during training camp in 2005, but failed to make the final roster.