Matt Stewart

Matt Stewart (born August 31, 1979) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and long snapper in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL draft. He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Stewart was also a member of the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Early life Stewart was born in 1979 to Van and Mimi Stewart in Columbus, Ohio. He played for St. Francis DeSales High School.

College career He totaled 269 tackles and 15 sacks in the 44 games he played in at Vanderbilt University. He earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Professional career

Atlanta Falcons Stewart was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round (102nd overall) in the 2001 NFL draft. In his rookie season he played in 15 games and finished the season with 16 tackles. In the 2002 season, he played in all 16 games starting 13 of them, he finished the season with 87 tackles.

Cleveland Browns Stewart signed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent in 2005. He appeared in 30 games (16 starts) for the team over the next two seasons, recording 59 tackles (44 solo), one sack, one interception and two passes defensed. He missed the entire 2007 season on injured reserve with a torn shoulder muscle before becoming a free agent in 2008.

Arizona Cardinals On April 16, 2008, Stewart signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. He was later released on August 30, 2008, during final cuts.

Dallas Cowboys On March 3, 2009, Stewart agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Cowboys reuniting him with Head Coach Wade Phillips and linebacker Keith Brooking who were also both members of the Atlanta Falcons. However, he did not make the final roster for the 2009 season.

Pittsburgh Steelers On June 7, 2010, it was reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers had signed Stewart as a long snapper. He was released on July 30, 2010. On August 23, 2010, the Steelers re-signed Stewart to a one-year deal. He was again released on September 4, 2010.

NFL Stats Year Team Games Combined tackles Tackles Assisted tackles Sacks Forced fumbles Fumble recoveries Fumble return yards Interceptions Interception return yards Yards per interception return Longest interception return Interceptions returned for touchdown Passes defended 2001 ATL 15 25 21 4 0.0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2002 ATL 16 59 55 4 3.0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2003 ATL 16 77 60 17 2.5 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2004 ATL 16 71 59 12 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2005 CLE 14 39 27 12 0.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 2006 CLE 16 20 17 3 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total Total 93 291 239 52 8.0 5 5 0 1 0 0 0 0 8