"Matthew Roth is regarded as one of the premier pass rushers in the collegiate ranks and one of the toughest players in the country. He is a blue-chip prospect with a blue-collar work ethic. Roth is a colorful character who plays the game as if he is on a "search and destroy" mission. He is the source of a campus urban legend, as many Hawkeyes talk of the time Roth challenged and cleared out an entire bar in a fight.

Even in practices, the coaches have to pray he stays under control. They will generally blow the whistle early on plays, so Roth does not hurt any of the offensive players. There are times where he plays with such intensity in practices that the coaches must sit him down, even for walk-throughs."

Roth was a standout linebacker and fullback at Willowbrook (Ill.) High. He was a consensus All-State pick and named Illinois High School Athlete of the Year by the Chicago Tribune as a senior, totaling 161 tackles with four sacks, 23 stops for losses, 10 forced fumbles and a state-record 12 blocked kicks. He also scored four times while gaining 307 yards rushing.

Roth began his Iowa career as a middle linebacker, recording 19 tackles (12 solo) in 12 games as a reserve in 2001. He shifted to the defensive line in 2002, as the coaches felt he played with too much reckless abandon to be effective as a linebacker. Roth responded to the move by recording 48 tackles (22 solo) with 10 sacks, 11 stops behind the line of scrimmage and 11 quarterback pressures, despite starting only one game. Roth took over left end duties in 2003, collecting 51 tackles (32 solo) with 12 sacks, 16 stops for losses and four forced fumbles. Only Leroy Smith (18 in 1991) had more sacks in a season for the Hawkeyes.

With an addional 10 pounds of muscle on his frame in 2004, Roth put together a banner senior season, earning All-American honors. He ranked fourth in the Big 10 Conference with eight sacks and registered 15 stops for losses (sixth in the Big 10), eight pressures and 49 tackles (34 solo) while leading the conference with three forced fumbles.

In 49 games, he started 25 times, recording 167 tackles (100 solo) with 23 quarterback pressures, thirty sacks for minus-192 yards, 43 stops for losses of 224 yards, eight forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection. His 30 career sacks rank third in school history, topped only by Mike Wells (33, 1990-93) and Jared DeVries (42, 1995-98). Only Wells (54) and DeVries (78) registered more tackles behind the line of scrimmage in a career for the Hawkeyes."

Dave Te' Thomas, NFLDraftScout.com on Matt Roth



Q: Why did you stay and workout at Iowa for all of your workouts instead of Speed Camp or big name Workout School?

Matt Roth: I felt that I had no need to. I think we have the best coaching staff as far as strength and conditioning so I made the decision to stay. I thought I put up pretty good numbers but more important than that, I feel I'm ready for camp for the upcoming season.



Q: How was it working with Jim Flanigan (Former Bears defensive lineman)?

Matt Roth: He's a cool guy. We are both kind of similar, out of the same mold. When I was picking agents, I thought that he brought tremendous knowledge teaching the position because he has played for ten years in the league you know? Right away I thought I could get better as a player and learn alot mentally and he's a guy I felt very comfortable with, would do a good job with his support and staff with me. I just like him as a person, he's the type of guy who won't shoot smoke you know where or stroke your ego. With Jim it's all business.



Q: What areas of your game has he helped you out most?

Matt Roth: The first time we met to go over anything we went and watched film of me, we broke everything down. Every single game, every snap, we broke it all down. He showed me some things right away I could work on to get better as well as things I was doing well and how to build even more off those things. We just got into it pretty heavy. I went down to the Senior Bowl and used some of that stuff and it went well.



Q: Do you consider yourself a real student of the game, film room type guy even before Jim Flanigan?

Matt Roth: Oh yea. At Iowa our coaches did a great job of working with us. Preparation, getting the edge, all of that starts with watching everything you do and critiquing it. To have an actual NFL player like Jim though, a guy who has been around the game for soo long, you are going to pick up stuff from a guy like that easy, just by being around him. Jim has a different perspective of everything and he passes it on.



Q: What do you think of your whole Combine experience?

Matt Roth: It was good. I was a little disappointed in the numbers I put up. I mean, they were not bad, they were pretty good but I felt I could have done alot better. It's just the nature of that beast. Waking up at 5:00 AM in the morning, sitting around all day, it's gets on you fast. I kept slipping on that turf, it kept popping up during the agility drills.



Q: On the NFL Network coverage, you were on and jumping the gun a few times in your starts, nervous?

Matt Roth: (laughs) Well, you know what it was, they had two lines there and I never had two lines, always practiced with one. My coach told me they had two and I was watching but you get up there and it was different. I was looking around like what the hell...I was nervous, I was trying to get every extra inch I could.



Q: Your parents got NFL Network, so they got to see you?

Matt Roth: Yep, they got it. They seen it.



Q: You came in 10 pounds over normal weight, were you trying to wash any form of "tweener" tag from your name? Did you do it to prove you are flexible or wanted a defensive end type weight?

Matt Roth: No, it was just from travel, not eating right, that type of thing. It started around Senior Bowl time. I have always been around the same weight but I remember just traveling like 10-12 hours and it was connecting flights so I never really got a chance to eat good you know? I'm kind of a health food nut and would rather not eat than put fried food in me but during the Senior Bowl time, yea, it was from non-stop snacking and not eating right.

After the Senior Bowl, I got a nutritionist and weight trainer and for the first time in my life all I had to worry about was weight training, film study and football. I would just eat good and train and I just got even bigger. (laughs), My agent told me to slow down before I turn into a defensive tackle. I do feel my best heavy like that though, no kidding. I feel better bigger.



Q: With a lot of teams switching to the 3-4 you can play outside linebacker if asked I assume since you played in the past. You would need to brush up on your cover skills I bet?

Matt Roth: Oh yea, I have not done that in three years. I think I can handle drop covering though, no problem.


Q: You guys do any zone blitzing at Iowa?

Matt Roth: No, we did none. We played just straight up base defense.



Q: Bull rush or speed rush?

Matt Roth: Both! (confident laugh)



Q: What is most important in getting to the Quarterback? Speed, Strength, Agility, Film Study?

Matt Roth: A combination of all of those.



Q: Spin move good? What you think is your best move?

Matt Roth: Yea, spin is good but I think I'm very good with my hands. I use alot of hand movement when I get after it. I like to knock down and swipe at the offensive linemen and I think it comes from my wrestling background. That's alot of what they teach us at Iowa, how to be good with your hands.



Q: What do you say or do you even think about the Scouts or critics that say your technique is too "stiff"?

Matt Roth: (that same confident laugh)....They are entitled to their opinion and I'm entitled to mine. Stiff? I'm a football player.



Q: How do you think you get soo much pressure? Critique your own pass rushing technique....

Matt Roth: I think I have a great! initial burst off the ball, that's where it starts. I think I'm really explosive, stay low and don't let the linemen get their hands on me where they would be able to punch me in the chest. I try not to give them much of a surface to hit me any. Then it's about turning that corner, I think I'm good at that. Turning the toes, use my hands, speed, power and leverage, good hand placement technique and whoop up on those tackles.




Q: For you, what is the hardest thing to do as a defensive end in football?

Matt Roth: For me? Nothing really. I think I'm pretty sound across the board. I can play the run pretty well and I can get a pass rush as well. It doesn't matter to me if it's an offensive tackle, tight end or both of them!, I can get there. I wouldn't say there is much of a problem. The only thing that might hold me back a bit is the double team.



Q: How do you think your Pro day and individual workouts have gone?

Matt Roth: I think they went pretty good. I think people seen that I'm tough, I'll do whatever they want me to do as long as they give me enough time to get prepared. I went and ran for the Colts. I did my short shuttle and change of direction drills again because I felt I didn't do too hot at the Combine. I mean, I did alright compared to other players, but for myself it was not good enough. I think they saw that I was improved, was different.



Q: What areas of the game you working on hard to improve most?

Matt Roth: Running. You got to run hard on first and second down then rush hard on third down passing situations. I think I take pride in not letting anyone blow me up, so running and being in shape has a lot to do with that. That's an aweful insult to let a lineman whoop your butt and let him run you ten yards down the field.



Q: Then I should never ask you if you ever got pancaked right? Ends hate hearing that word, you probably don't even eat them for breakfast right?

Matt Roth: (laughing) Nope. Never. Actually, I'll tell you this one. The first time I ever got pancaked was my sophomore year, I got moved right to the defensive line. I was playing linebacker back then, but was at end and I popped up out of my stance and Eric Steinbach (Bengals 2nd round pick, 33rd overall in the 2003 Draft) and Robert Gallery (Raiders 1st round pick, 2rd overall in the 2004 Draft) picked me up and carried me right down the field. After that day, I got to the point of staying low, using my leverage and hands but that first time was a real eye popping experience for me.



Q: Besides Robert Gallery, who is the best offensive lineman you faced in College?

Matt Roth: We have some good guys at Iowa. I also met Khalif Barnes down at the Senior Bowl, he's very good as well. Those type guys right there but I'm still going to say Robert Gallery.



Q: You think Robert Gallery shaped your game?

Matt Roth: Ohh, for sure! He sharpened iron with iron!



Q: How good of friends are you and Gallery?

Matt Roth: Real good friends. We hang out all the time and stay in touch when we are away from each other, go out to eat a lot. We're close.



Q: Speaking of Hawkeyes, how good will Chad Greenway be?

Matt Roth: Chad, oh he's going to be a stud! Him and Abdul Hodge, both guys are studs. I was watching them both at spring ball. Chad is hurt right now but Abdul is just tearing them apart.



Q: Greenway and A.J. Hawk look to be pretty close for next year as far as
inside linebacker ratings go. I know we have them close.

Matt Roth: I've got to put everything on Greenway. I'd put the house on it! I'd put my signing bonus on it! Put that in your article. The "Hawk" is a good player but he's not Greenway.



Q: Your official Draft biography is done by Dave Te' Thomas who works for us. I would like to read you the first two paragraphs and you let me know if this is you....

"Matthew Roth is regarded as one of the premier pass rushers in the collegiate ranks and one of the toughest players in the country. He is a blue-chip prospect with a blue-collar work ethic. Roth is a colorful character who plays the game as if he is on a "search and destroy" mission. He is the source of a campus urban legend, as many Hawkeyes talk of the time Roth challenged and cleared out an entire bar in a fight.

Even in practices, the coaches have to pray he stays under control. They will generally blow the whistle early on plays, so Roth does not hurt any of the offensive players. There are times where he plays with such intensity in practices that the coaches must sit him down, even for walk-throughs."
Dave Te' Thomas, The SportsXchange, NFLDraftScout.com

Is that you, that fair, what you think?

Matt Roth: (that same confident laugh) That's me! I like that. I like that A LOT!



Q: Your mom said kids seem scared of you and that your tattoos are not role model type acts by a player like yourself. Any comments?

Matt Roth: (laughing) Well, my mom, she hates my tattoos. She absolutely hates them. She cries every time she sees them. She made me promise her no more but maybe if I get her a new car she'll relax.



Q: You have done private autograph signings. I seen Ebay stuff of you, helmets, photos, etc. Have you done any public signings where you would meet those little kids?

Matt Roth: Yea, I've done a few car shows, public signings like that.



Q: The kids there are not scared of you are they?

Matt Roth: No, no. The little kids love me. My mom knows they love me.



Q: When you see a kid wearing your jersey, what goes through your mind?

Matt Roth: I absolutely love it. He's the first kid I want to sign something for or give something to. I grew up idolizing, so I know how it is. Sports is just a passion for me and my family. It's the ultimate act to do that kind of stuff for kids, I know the feeling.



Q: Why did you wear number 31 at Iowa, another of the Roth myths?

Matt Roth: It was just the number they gave me, that's all. You hear all kinds of crazy stories about why I wore that number. Some said it was because my wrestling record was 31-0, all kinds of other stories but it's the number they gave me.



Q: Think about what number you want to wear in pros at all, something like
91, 51, you think about it?

Matt Roth: Hey, whatever number they want to strap on my back is fine with me. It don't matter to me at all. Just as long as I got a pair of shoulder pads and a helmet and maybe some spikes, I'm good to go.



Q: You consider yourself shy off the field?

Matt Roth: Not at all. I'm very personable. I'm calm and cool, just a guy's guy you know? I love to grill outside, have a couple beers, just hang out, that's how I do it.



Q: What makes you tick on the field then, what turns the switch on for you?

Matt Roth: I just love it! I love to compete. I just love the game of football. Even wrestling, I just love to compete. I don't want to back down, I don't want to loose and I don't want anyone to get over on me at all.



Q: Do you watch Pro Wrestling then?

Matt Roth: Pro Wrestling as in WWE? No, that stuff is garbage. I like to watch real wrestling and fighting. The Ultimate Fighting stuff I love to death! I love the real deal stuff. That's what I love about football and wrestling. The respect, the warfare, being tough, going 100 miles per hour, letting it all fly, man against man. That's me. In the game of football, that's the type of person I want to be remembered as. That's what I believe in.



Q: Do you look at yourself as a marketable player because of your attitude?
You plan to sell some merchandise?

Matt Roth: Yes I do. I like to think of the way I play that way, I think people will take a liking to me. I think I had a pretty good following at Iowa and that I'm pretty personable and the fans will like me wherever I end up.



Q: You think it's because of the sack dances?

Matt Roth: Sack dances? (laughing), I think that may have something to do with it, yea.



Q: Do you call those before the game or they just spur of the moment?

Matt Roth: (still laughing) Some of them I call, yea. You got to. Got to make the big play in the big dance. I just let loose.


Q: Coaches ever tell you to stop acting a fool?

Matt Roth: Yea they do sometimes but we just got right back at it and sometimes during practice they would say something just because they had to say it.


Q: You talk trash a lot out there?

Matt Roth: Actually no, that's one thing I never do. I'm so focused and even out of breath so to talk would be foolish. Unless someone says something to me first, I just get right back in the huddle. I never talk to the ref, I talk to my teammates only. I'll scream and let loose when I get a sack because it's just so much fun for me, I have such a great time doing it.




Quick 6
----------------


1. Favorite Music artist(s), what you listen to?

Matt Roth: I like to listen to 2-Pac, rap and alternative music.



2. Play Football Video Games at all?

Matt Roth: Yes I do. NCAA and Madden on the PS2, I play them both.



3. Favorite Movie(s)?

Matt Roth: Bronx Tale, Rocky, movies like that.



4. What other sports you like?

Matt Roth: Wrestling, basketball, golf, I like to play those sports. I love to watch UFC, boxing and sports like that.



5. Favorite TV show(s)?

Matt Roth: Seinfeld, Unsolved Mysteries, all the CSI's.



6. What you like to do to relax?

Matt Roth: I like to grill out, hang out by the pool or beach, frat party outside games, those types of things. I'm just a normal, hang out kind of guy.


7. Where will you be for the Draft?

Matt Roth: I'll be at home watching that TV like a hawk with my family and yea, we might just grill out a little bit.