Matt Tennant

Matthew H. Tennant (born March 19, 1987) is a former American football center for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League. He attended Boston College. Tennant was considered one of the best centers available for the 2010 NFL Draft.[1] He was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 5th round with the 158th overall selection, and played with the Saints for two years.

Matt Tennant
Free agent
Position:Center
Personal information
Born: (1987-03-19) March 19, 1987
Cincinnati, Ohio
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:300 lb (136 kg)
Career information
High school:Archbishop Moeller
(Cincinnati, Ohio)
College:Boston College
NFL Draft:2010 / Round: 5 / Pick: 158
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • Second-team All-ACC (2009)
Career NFL statistics as of 2012
Games played:36
Games started:0
Player stats at NFL.com

High school career

Tennant attended Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was a three-year starter on the offensive line and senior team captain. He gained Associated Press All-State second-team honors and was named a 2004 All-American by SuperPrep.

Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com,[2] Tennant was listed as the No. 55 offensive guard prospect in the nation in 2005.[3] He chose Boston College over offers from Indiana, Kentucky, Penn State, and Purdue.

College career

After redshirting his initial year at Boston College, Tennant saw action in five games in the 2006 season. In his sophomore season, Tennant succeeded Kevin Sheridan as the Eagles' center. He started all 14 games for the Eagles in 2007 and helped the team to finish with 5,924 yards of total offense, while quarterback Matt Ryan passed for 4,507 yards.

As a junior, Tennant remained BC's starting center and played in all 14 games. The Eagles' line allowed only 21 quarterback sacks with a pair of first-year starting quarterbacks behind them. Tennant's performance earned him an All-ACC honorable mention.

Prior to his senior season, Tennant was voted a team captain. He started all games for the Eagles and anchored an offensive line that ranked 35th in the country in sacks allowed (1.42). He subsequently earned Second Team All-American honors by the Walter Camp Foundation.[4]

Professional career

2010 NFL Draft

Projected as a second-round selection by Sports Illustrated,[5] Tennant was ranked as the No. 2 available in the 2010 NFL Draft, behind only Maurkice Pouncey.[6] He was drafted by the Saints in the fifth round.

New Orleans Saints

Tennant signed a four-year contract with the Saints on July 22, 2010.[7] He was cut in 2012.

New England Patriots

Tennant was claimed off waivers by the New England Patriots on September 1, 2012, but was cut on September 4 when the Patriots needed to make room on the roster for running back Lex Hilliard.[8] Tennant was again signed by New England as an emergency depth option because of the injuries to Guard Logan Mankins and Tackle Nick McDonald.

Tennant was released by the Patriots on October 20, 2012.

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennant was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles on October 23, 2012, after the Eagles released center Steve Vallos, who replaced injured starting center Jason Kelce.[9] He was released on August 30, 2013.

References
  1. "2010 NFL Draft prospect rankings", CBS Sportsline
  2. "Matt Tennant Recruiting Profile", Rivals.com, retrieved December 19, 2009
  3. "Offensive guards 2005", Rivals.com, January 18, 2005
  4. "2009 Walter Camp All-America Team Announced", Walter Camp Foundation, December 10, 2009, archived from the original on December 14, 2009
  5. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2010/draft/players/14208.html
  6. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/2010/draft/breakdowns/by_position/C.html
  7. Aaron Wilson, "Saints sign up fifth-rounder Matt Tennant" Archived July 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, National Football Post, July 22, 2010.
  8. "Patriots sign RB Hilliard, waive C Tennant" Archived September 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, Pro Football Weekly, September 4, 2012.
  9. "Eagles Sign Center Tennant, Cut Vallos", CSN Philly, October 23, 2012
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