A Chapel Hill High School graduate and former NFL safety, Matthew Stevens, died on March 20 at 51 years old.
The Buffalo Bills selected Stevens in the third round of the 1996 NFL draft. Over the course of his eight-season career, he played for five different teams. Stevens also played for the New England Patriots when the team won their first Super Bowl title in 2002.
Stevens graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1991, where he played football and ran track. He was inducted in the Chapel Hill High School Hall of Fame in 2004 and was presented with a commemorative golden football — an award given to high schools with alumni who have participated in a Super Bowl.
After high school, Stevens went on to play for Appalachian State University, where they won the Southern Conference Championship in 1995 during his senior year. He is a member of the App State Hall of Fame.
When Stevens was at ASU, he once visited former Chapel Hill High assistant football coach Jeff Giersbrook while Giersbrook's family was camping. Giersbrook said Stevens was a hard-worker who was competitive on the field and especially on the checkerboard.
“He'd come by the campground and see my two boys, Jeffrey and Justin, and my wife, Linda,” Giersbrook said. “We'd all be at the campground and Matt would come over and play checkers with my sons.”
One of his best NFL seasons was in 1999 when he played for the Washington Commanders. He had six interceptions and a recovered fumble for 17 yards.
He played his final two seasons with the Houston Texans and started all 16 games in the 2002 season.
His former teammate, App State Board of Trustees member James Reaves, described Stevens as being a fierce competitor on the field, while being easy-going and good-natured off of it.
