Matthew Thomas Overton (born July 6, 1985) is an
American football long snapper who is currently a free agent. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at
Western Washington after graduating from
Diablo Valley College, and was signed as an
undrafted free agent by the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
in 2007. Overton has also played for the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, with whom he made the
Pro Bowl in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
.
In between stints with the Seahawks, Overton played for the
Florida Tuskers of the
United Football League in 2009. After his release from the Seahawks in 2010, he rejoined the UFL but as a member of the
Omaha Nighthawks. In 2010, he was named to the UFL's top-10 players list, earning him the recognition as the league's top
long snapper. Overton was protected by the Nighthawks for the 2011 season.
Early years
Overton attended
Tracy High School
Tracy High School is a four-year public secondary school located in Tracy, California, United States. Enrollment during the 2009-2010 school year was 2339 students.
History.
The West Side Union High School, renamed Tracy Union High School in 1 ...
in
Tracy, California where he was a two-way starter for four years for the Bulldogs
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team. He earned Lineman of the Year, player of the month, athlete of the month awards, and 2002 SJAA honorable mention honors. Despite these accolades, Overton was not offered any scholarships coming out of high school and opted to attend
Diablo Valley College, a junior college in
Pleasant Hill, California.
College career
Overton began his college football career at
Diablo Valley College. In his time with DVC, Overton earned Special Teams MVP and Team Captain honors. He soon began to receive scholarship offers to 4-year institutions, and accepted an offer to attend
Western Washington University. At Western Washington, he was a team captain and two-year starter at defensive end and long snapper. As the starting defensive end, he recorded over 40 tackles, 5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 7 pass break-ups.
Professional career
Overton played for the
Tri-Cities Fever of the af2 in 2008. He played for the
Florida Tuskers of the
United Football League in 2009 and helped them to an undefeated season and appeared in the first UFL championship. He was re-signed by the
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
on February 10, 2010. After being released by the Seahawks during training camp, he signed with the
Omaha Nighthawks of the UFL for his second season. Overton was named to the UFL top-10 players list in 2010.
Indianapolis Colts

On April 3, 2012, Overton signed with the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. Used primarily as a long snapper, he was named to the
Pro Bowl in
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
. On March 3, 2015, Overton signed a four-year extension with the Colts. The Colts released him on May 1, 2017.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Overton was signed by the
Jacksonville Jaguars on August 3, 2017, after
Carson Tinker suffered a torn
ACL. On November 14, 2017, following the team's Week 10 win over the
Los Angeles Chargers, Overton was placed on injured reserve with a dislocated shoulder.
On October 11, 2018, Overton was re-signed by the Jaguars after Carson Tinker suffered another knee injury.
On March 7, 2019, Overton re-signed with the Jaguars. He was released on September 1, 2019.
Los Angeles Chargers
On November 15, 2019, Overton was signed by the
Los Angeles Chargers, but was released three days later.
Tennessee Titans
On October 12, 2020, Overton was signed to the
Tennessee Titans practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster on November 7, November 12, and November 21 for the team's weeks 9, 10, and 11 games against the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
,
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, and
Baltimore Ravens, and reverted to the practice squad after each game. On November 28, 2020, Overton was promoted to the active roster.
Los Angeles Chargers (second stint)
On August 16, 2021, Overton signed with the
Los Angeles Chargers.
Los Angeles Rams
On September 13, 2022, Overton signed with the practice squad of the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
. He was released on September 20.
Dallas Cowboys
On October 4, 2022, Overton was signed by the
Dallas Cowboys' to the practice squad, to compete with
long snapper Tucker Addington
Tucker Addington (born July 16, 1997) is an American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangu ...
. On October 15, 2022, Overton was promoted to the active roster to replace
Jake McQuaide, who was lost for the year with a torn left
tricep. He wasn't re-signed after the season.
NFL career statistics
Personal life
Overton is a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. He is married to Breanna Overton. They have one daughter together.
Overton runs his own youth charity foundation called Pros 2 Youth and owns and operates a small business with his former
Nighthawks
A nighthawk is a nocturnal bird.
Nighthawk(s) or Night Hawk(s) may also refer to:
* ''Nighthawks'' (painting), by Edward Hopper, 1942
Books and comics
* ''Nighthawk'' (novel), a 2017 novel by Clive Cussler
* ''Night Hawk'' (comics), a British ...
teammates
Maurice Clarett and
Chad Lucas
Chad Dennard Lucas (born November 7, 1981) is a former wide receiver. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at Alabama State.
Lucas was also a member of the San Jose SaberCats, ...
called Led By Pros. Led By Pros is located in
Omaha, Nebraska and offers a youth football academy and helps young athletes to succeed in life and in sport.
References
External links
Jacksonville Jaguars bioSeattle Seahawks bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Overton, Matt
1985 births
Living people
Sportspeople from San Leandro, California
People from Tracy, California
Players of American football from San Joaquin County, California
Players of American football from Alameda County, California
American football long snappers
American football defensive ends
American football linebackers
Western Washington Vikings football players
Seattle Seahawks players
Tri-Cities Fever players
Florida Tuskers players
Omaha Nighthawks players
Indianapolis Colts players
Jacksonville Jaguars players
Los Angeles Chargers players
Tennessee Titans players
Los Angeles Rams players
Dallas Cowboys players
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players
Tracy High School alumni