Where Are They Now? Matt Slauson
Matt Slauson: The Man Behind the Eye Black
Imagine growing up in a small town where big dreams don’t come true—at least, that’s what everyone tells you. Now picture yourself, a small child, not only being told your dreams won’t come true but also having to overcome bullying due to a severe speech impediment, ultimately causing gigantic amounts of self-doubt and leaving you with zero confidence. You start to believe what everyone tells you: your dream is just a fantasy. Slowly, you begin to realize something over the years of your youth. They were wrong.
Matt Slauson was born in the small logging town of Sweet Home, Oregon, on February 18, 1986. At a young age, Matt was diagnosed with pronounced disfluency, also known as stuttering. This made him the target of bullying and harassment throughout his childhood. Growing up in such a small town, the idea of going to play football at a high level was often just called a fantasy. After all, there had never been an athlete from Sweet Home High School to go to any D1 schools. This fact wouldn’t stop Matt from being dominant in multiple sports like track and field, swimming, and football; his performance caught the attention of various schools nationwide. Even then, Matt would doubt his ability to play at the higher levels of football because everyone said it was just a fantasy. Before his senior year of high school, the Slausons would move to Colorado Springs, CO, to follow his older brother, who had just joined the Air Force and was attending the Academy. He would enroll at Air Academy High School, and here, he would start to prove to himself and everyone back in Oregon that he could play football at a high level. After high school, Matt committed to the Air Force Academy and chose to enroll in the preparatory school. However, Matt’s stay at the Academy would be short-lived as he would decide to transfer to Nebraska.
Upon arriving in Lincoln as a late addition to Nebraska’s 2005 signing class, Matt would find himself on the bottom of the depth chart as a 7th-string offensive tackle. Over the next couple of weeks, Matt impressed his teammates and the coaching staff and ultimately found himself listed as the 2nd-string tackle when it came time to kick off in week 1 against Maine. Matt would see the field on PATs and jumbo packages for most of the year. However, that would soon change when Nebraska went to Lawrence to play the Kansas Jayhawks. During the game, starting tackle Seppo Evwaraye would break his foot, leaving the starting job up for grabs. Later that night, Coach Bill Callahan would call Slauson into his office, “I thought he was calling me in to cut me so they could go find a real tackle that could play,” Slauson said. When asked why he thought he was being cut, Slauson stated, “That mantra of where I came from and what everybody was saying. I just didn’t have belief in myself”, and would go on to say, “Our starting All-Big 12 tackle got hurt, I started to look at myself and say no way they want me to replace him, I’m just some schmoo, I’m not like a real player”’ Slauson would enter Coach Callahan’s office, playbook in hand, ready to turn it in. As soon as Matt sat down, Bill Callahan told him he would start the rest of the year. Matt was in utter disbelief but would gladly accept the starting job.
The next day in practice, Slauson would learn the hard way what it takes to be a starting lineman. “Carriker and Jay Moore beat the ever-living crap out of me just play after play after play. It got to the point I thought I was for sure cut.” Slauson said when talking about that practice. After practice, Coach Callahan would do the team breakdown and send everybody to the locker room. Well, almost everyone. Coach had three people stay behind: Matt Slauson, Adam Carriker, and Jay Moore. Bill told Slauson that what he saw today would not cut it and told him to get into his stance. Bill then told Carriker to line up in a wide 9, and he would be calling an 8-hole reach. Bill then told Carriker to go as hard as he could. Adam did just that, driving Slauson onto his back. Jay Moore would then rotate in for Carriker. Coach Callahan would order them to do it again and again. “I’m bleeding from my nose, my mouth. I got snot coming out. I’m crying. I wanted no part in this. I was about to quit,” Slauson said. Coach Callahan would bark out for them to line up again, and Carriker would be up this time. Suddenly, something finally snapped inside Slauson. He would catch Carriker under his chin, drive him backward, and into the dirt. “Alright, we’re done. Adam, Jay, go shower,” said Coach Callahan before pulling Matt closer. “Whatever just happened, just now in your brain, needs to happen before every play,” Callahan told Slauson. Matt would never need to be told this again; he finally realized he was good enough.
In 2006, Slauson was locked in as the starting right tackle, starting in 11 games and missing two games due to a leg injury. In their bowl game against Michigan, he returned to action but saw limited playing time. The Big 12 coaches awarded Slauson second-team All-Big 12 honors and an honorable mention all-conference pick for his elite play. Entering spring and fall camp of his junior year, Slauson was moved inside to play right guard. This change did not affect Slauson, as he would go out and again be dominant and end the year with multiple awards and honors. Coach Bill Callahan would be fired after Matts junior year, and Coach Bo Pelini would be named the new head coach. During the offseason before his senior year, Pelini told Slauson he was too big to play effectively in his style of offense. So Slauson became dedicated to improving his body and overall conditioning level. He lost over 20 pounds during that off-season, making him even more explosive and versatile. Slauson’s hard work paid off as he would start all 13 games and prove to be Nebraska’s most complete offensive lineman. His performance would earn first-team All-Big 12 honors and numerous second-team all-conference mentions. Media outlets and Conference leaders weren’t the only ones to notice Slauson’s elite level of play; multiple NFL teams had taken notice. In the 2009 NFL draft, Matt Slauson was drafted in the 6th round by the New York Jets. 
Slauson would be reunited in New York with former coach Bill Callahan, now his offensive line coach. At this time, the Jets had arguably the best offensive line in the NFL. As a result, Slauson only saw action in three regular-season games, playing as a guard and center. Come the 2010 season, the Jets would draft Vladimir Ducasse in the 2nd round of the NFL draft. Slauson and Ducasse would battle for the starting job. In the end, Slauson would beat out the 2nd round pick and go on to start at left guard and wouldn’t lose the job, the remainder of his time as a Jet. After the 2012 season, Slauson would test free agency and sign with the Chicago Bears. 
Slauson played at an all-pro level his first year with the Bears and earned himself a 4-year contract extension. In 2014, Slauson tore his right pectoral muscle, causing him to miss the remainder of the season. He would return to the field in 2015 and 2016 before being released by the Bears in May 2016. Slauson would then sign a 2-year deal with the San Diego/ Los Angeles Chargers. In his first year for the Chargers, Slauson would move to center and start 16 games. In his last season with the Chargers, he became the starting left guard before suffering a season-ending injury and being placed on injured reserve. Slauson would test free agency one last time and be brought in to help fix the offensive line of the Indianapolis Colts on a 1-year deal. He would become the starting right guard and start the first 5 games until breaking parts of his neck, back, and chest during a game in October 2018. A few months later, in February of 2019, Slauson would officially retire from the NFL after 10 years.
Following his retirement, Matt and his family moved back to Nebraska. They settled in the small town of Hallam, just 20 minutes outside Lincoln. Here they started, Three Thirty Three Farms, a small family farm committed to connecting the community and embracing the beauty that rural Nebraska has to offer. From picking pumpkins to seeing the adorable mini highland cows, Three Thirty Three Farms is an experience the entire family will love! Please stop by the farm in person or give them a follow on Instagram at three30three_farms. When Matt isn’t busy on the farm or spending time with his wife and kids, he can be found on the golf course or enjoying a long ride on one of his motorcycles. Matt Slauson’s journey from a bullied stutterer to a starting offensive lineman in the NFL serves as a powerful testament to resilience and self-belief. It’s a story of defying the odds, shattering stereotypes, and realizing that sometimes, the greatest battles are fought within ourselves.