Although not a household name nationally, Tom Matte is a fan favorite from the early days of Baltimore Colts football. The Ohio State University quarterback was picked by Baltimore in the first round of the 1961 NFL draft, and he enjoyed a successful 12-year career as a running back for the Colts. Poiley, a veteran sports journalist, begins the story when Matte was enlisted to play quarterback for the Colts, replacing an injured Johnny Unitas. Through extensive research, including interviews with Matte and many others, Poiley renders a detailed account of games throughout Matte’s career including the heartbreaking loss in Super Bowl III to Joe Namath’s New York Jets and the triumph of winning Super Bowl V in 1970. Known for his affable personality and pride for the city where he played, Matte advocated fiercely to get football back in Baltimore when the Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984 and was a Baltimore Ravens radio announcer from 1996–2005. This account will appeal to Baltimore football fans as well as those interested in the personalities that propelled the NFL into the Superbowl era.

Booklist

Tom Matte is a true legend in every sense of the word. He was everything you’d want in a football player but offered even more as a human being. Readers will feel just how talented, funny, and larger than life he was—all of which my family was fortunate enough to experience up close. Last Man Standing is a masterful ode to a man deserving of celebration.

John Harbaugh, Super Bowl-winning head coach

When I was growing up, Tom Matte was one of my favorite players. Last Man Standing gives you an inside look at the dedication, sacrifice, and commitment to his teammates that made him such an important part of those Baltimore Colts championship teams. It also shows you why a generation later, when I was head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, I was looking for players just like Tom Matte.

Tony Dungy, Super Bowl-winning head coach and player

The NFL was a very different game on and off the field in the 1960s. As captured in Last Man Standing, Tom Matte stood out in many ways, especially his effervescent personality. He was Chatty Matte, always talking and laughing while rarely making a mistake. This counted big time in the football mind of the football genius Johnny Unitas. Matte was outgoing, courageous, bright, and always fun to be around. He always made the biggest plays in the biggest games. He has my greatest admiration.

Upton Bell, former Baltimore Colts personnel director and New England Patriots general manager

From the foreword:Tom was a Super Bowl champion (Super Bowl V) and a two-time All-Pro, all for the then-Baltimore Colts. He was a great guy, a great friend, and his life on and off the football field was full, and like Tom, never boring.

Jack Nicklaus, professional golfer

Tom Matte was more than an accomplished football player. He was a Baltimore folk hero and a near-mythical figure who in 1965 became the centerpiece of an epic story. Fortunately, in Last Man Standing, author Joel Poiley chronicles what happened that season to Matte and the Colts when the team’s running back was thrust into an emergency and responded by turning in a series of performances that were more than inspirational; they were legendary. Tom Matte was a charismatic individual who was revered by teammates, adored by fans, and as beloved in Baltimore as Unitas, Berry, or Moore. He wasn’t the best of a litany of Baltimore Colts’ stars, but he was one of the franchise’s most valuable and cherished players. Thank you, Joel Poiley, for bringing him to life again and helping us remember why Tom Matte’s story still resonates with football followers everywhere.

Clark Judge, award-winning national NFL writer and host of “The Eye Test for Two” podcast