Sept. 14, 2009

He is one of the Big Uglies, to call up one of John Madden's more memorable phrases, one of those oft-ignored toilers in the 'Cats offensive line. But, like all those around him, there is a human being hidden behind that face mask, which tackle Kurt Mattes emphatically proves while chatting with NUsports.com special contributor Skip Myslenski...

On The Record...With Kurt Mattes

I got to watch professional and college football on TV all the time and thought it would be pretty cool to do that someday.

I started out playing tight end and defensive end.

I always figured this is where I'd end up. I was always a bigger guy and I figured, at the next level, I wouldn't be fast enough to run around and catch passes. So I always focused on blocking.

Also In This Edition of The Den:

• The Wildcat Mission: Developing Minds and Men

• Small Wonder: NU Field Hockey Coach Tracey Fuchs

I learned to enjoy it.

What we're asked to do, go out there and bang heads for 60 minutes, never hear your name announced unless you do something wrong, I think that creates a kind of culture where guys do different things to make themselves laugh, to make each other laugh.

In our room, usually the first thing that pops into our head, we shout out. It's usually pretty funny. We're a pretty funny group. We're all uniquely funny.

Ben (Burkett, the center) is pretty funny because he's bizarre. He's just got a pretty out-there personality. Desmond Taylor (a tackle) is the opposite. He's pretty quiet and laid back, but when he says something funny, when it comes out it's really hilarious.

I don't know. We're just a funny group.

We're not too big on practical jokes. It's just the standard rip-on-each-other when we get a chance.

It's real important being with the group, being in the film room together, seeing what defenses do, talking over stuff together. You get to a point where you're pretty sure you know how the guy next to you is going to adjust to whatever happens. That really helps.

You've got to look up, analyze what's in front of you, know what you're trying to do, think about any adjustments you have to make and then you just have to go and do it. Hopefully, most of the time you're right.

It's not just a bunch of big, ugly guys ramming heads. There are so many intricacies to offensive line play and it really requires athleticism. People might think it's complicated.

But I think it's a lot more complicated than people realize.

I pretty much like the fact that we're going out there cracking heads for 60 minutes. Sure, people don't know what you do. But you know that we're often the reason we win or lose the game.

Knowing that, you get a quiet confidence about you that says, "OK. In order for us to perform, I have to go out and do my job." That's something unique and special.

We talk about Hog Pride. It's the way we go about doing things and the pride we take in it.

We focus on getting knockdowns. We try to be legal, aggressive players.

We count each other's knockdowns after a game. We take pride in that and praise guys who play like that.

Last year I got my knee hurt. When I originally hurt it, it was a good thing I had my knee braces on. Anyone in the room will tell you it looked so ugly.

It wasn't even a dirty play. A guy just ran into my legs and I got bent back over.

I had a MCL sprain. It bothered me through the whole year, but I found a way to play on it. It was hard. But I was able to get through it.

A lot of things happen, obviously, once the piles are created and guys are falling over each other. You've just got to be able to find a way to defend yourself when the chips are down.

I've never been bit (in the pile), I know that much. You do get poked in the eye every once in awhile, but I don't know if that's necessarily dirty.

In order to play, you have to get yourself to a state of mind where you can bang heads with guys for 60 minutes. That takes a unique type of personality.

You have a way to prepare yourself.

I have a routine. I just throw some music on, stretch out a lot, quiet my mind down, relax, try and get my body loose.

Pre-game, I listen to hard rock. Tool. Alice in Chains. Slipknot. It's not what I usually listen to. But to get myself hyped up for games, those are the bands I listen to.

It gets the blood going a little bit.

You can't be like that in the real world. If you cross that line, you get yourself in trouble.

Can't move. You're pretty sore. You're pretty drained when you wake up Sunday morning. You're not moving around too much on Sunday.

I got into graduate school here in public policy administration.

It always appealed to me, the whole debate, competitive aspect of political science. There are always two sides to every issue. I find the discussions fascinating.

I'm always trying to win.

It was American History I minored in.

Richard Nixon and Alexander The Great (are two people I'd like to meet). I think Alexander the Great's interesting because he was able to unite the world the way he did with his wars. Richard Nixon. I just think he'd be a really interesting guy to talk to.