Matt Stevens, a former NFL safety who won Super Bowl XXXVI with the New England Patriots, died on March 20. He was 51.
The Patriots announced Stevens’ death on Thursday, March 27. No cause of death was immediately provided.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Matthew Stevens age 51, beloved son and father,” read an obituary published by Walker’s Funeral Home in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Stevens, who resided in Durham since retiring from football in 2003, enjoyed an eight-year NFL career that included stints with five different teams. His professional journey began when the Buffalo Bills selected him in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft.
The safety’s most notable achievement came during the 2001 season as a member of the New England Patriots. Stevens appeared in all but one game that season, recording 43 tackles in 15 regular-season games. He added six more tackles during the Patriots’ playoff run, which culminated in their first Super Bowl title in franchise history with a 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams.
Throughout his NFL career, Stevens also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins and Houston Texans. He appeared in 108 career games, recording 301 tackles, 13 interceptions and one sack. His most productive season came in 1999 with Washington, when he tallied a career-high seven interceptions.
Before turning professional, Stevens was a standout athlete at Chapel Hill High School, graduating in 1991. He went on to become a two-time All-American safety at Appalachian State University, where he helped the Mountaineers win the Southern Conference championship in 1995, his senior year. Stevens has since been inducted into both the Appalachian State Athletics Hall of Fame and the Chapel Hill High School Hall of Fame.
In 2007, Stevens was involved in a motorcycle accident that injured his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Despite this life-altering setback, Stevens demonstrated remarkable resilience. He participated in clinical trials for the ReWalk device in 2011, a wearable exoskeleton that enabled him to regain mobility with the assistance of special leg braces.
Former teammates and friends have shared memories of Stevens since news of his passing broke. James “J.K” Reaves, who played with Stevens at Appalachian State, called him “hands down the fastest guy on the team” and noted that “he went on to do what so many of us dreamed of, playing at the professional level.”
Stevens is survived by his parents, Jean Thillberg and Vincent Stevens, his brother Mark Stevens, and his children Cassidie and Colin Stevens of Avon by the Sea, New Jersey.
Stevens’ passing marks another loss for the football community, coming shortly after the Patriots organization also mourned the death of former player Ron Brace in February and the sudden passing of former linebacker Tedy Bruschi’s wife earlier this year.
As news of Stevens’ death spread, fans and former teammates have taken to social media to express condolences and share memories of the player who contributed to the beginning of the Patriots dynasty and showed determination both on the field and in his personal challenges following his career.
