Matt Hasselbeck on his accidental QB start, night swimming at Steve Nelson's, and Bob Lobel telling him his dad had been traded

Up next in our “New England Roots” series: former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. Raised in Southeastern Massachusetts as the son of former Patriots tight end Don Hasselbeck, he and his brother Tim would go on to carve out their own careers in professional football.

Matt played at Xaverian Brothers and starred at Boston College. A sixth-round pick of the Packers in 1998, he would go on to play for Green Bay, Seattle, Tennessee and Indianapolis, throwing for 36,638 yards and 212 touchdowns in his career. After retiring following the 2015 campaign, Hasselbeck moved back to the Bay State. He is currently an NFL analyst for ESPN.

BSJ: What was your youth sports experience like in New England when you were growing up?




Matt Hasselbeck: It was awesome. My Dad played for the Patriots, so we really didn’t get to play too many fall sports, at least until he was done. I mean we played some soccer in the fall, but my parents wouldn’t let us play football until my Dad retired. His last year, in 1986 with the Giants, he pulled his hamstring and tried to come back too soon, and he pulled the other hamstring, so he ended up retiring. My parents sat us down and let us know that now it was OK for us to play. I think they thought we’d be bummed out, but we were like, “Sweet, now it’s our turn.”

I got to play youth football in sixth grade for the first time. It was fun getting to be out there on our own. We were living near the old Foxboro Stadium in Norfolk, but every time we got out there and were playing, it felt like a big game. My Dad coached us, which was fun, and we had kids from a bunch of other schools because our school district was small. I know a lot of the other teams who played us, felt like they were geared up to try and beat the Patriots’ players on our sidelines, so there was some pressure. But it was really good competition and football against talented kids. It was really fun.

What’s your most vivid youth sports memory?

I mean, I could talk for days about playing at Xaverian and those memories. And we played every sport growing up — baseball, basketball, football. But the biggest one for me was probably my first organized football game ever in sixth grade.

We got to play Hyde Park, and I was at tight end because my Dad played tight end. I think I ran corner routes all game long and we won. I remember they had way cooler uniforms than we did — I mean, we had no funding for our program. No logos on the helmets, nothing. Later, I think we got a helmet with a red stripe down the middle, but that was pretty much it.

I do remember how I eventually started playing quarterback — one day at practice, I went out for a route and the quarterback overthrew me and I went to pick up the ball and throw it back. I heard the coach say, “Hey, you. Come get in the line with the quarterbacks.” So I’m feeling pretty good about myself, “Hey, he must have seen one of my deep throws in practice.” It was only later on, I heard him say to another one of the coaches, “He’s too skinny to play tight end. He won’t be able to block anyone. He’s going to get killed out there.” Brought me right back down to earth.

My other favorite memory was probably freshman year of high school, one of the best teams I’ve ever been on. That year, we went 8-0 and never punted once all season.



Favorite Boston sports team growing up?

I was Jim Rice or Wade Boggs or Roger Clemens growing up, so I’d probably say I was more of a Red Sox fan than anything. I mean, I loved Larry Bird and Ray Bourque, and I loved the Patriots, but I really thought of those guys are more of being my Dad’s friends than anything. I took those guys for granted. I mean, a normal summer night for me would be going to Steve Nelson’s house to go swimming with my friends, and Steve Grogan and John Smith would be there just hanging out. I remember I was on “High 5” once in high school with Mike Lynch, and he asked me a question about the Patriots. I was like, “Oh, Mr. Grogan? Mr. Nelson? Mr. Hannah?” My friends loved that — they were all making fun of me after that. “Yeah, I call them that. What do you call them?” But I really loved the Red Sox, and really thought I was going to grow up and play for them one day.

Favorite Boston sports athlete growing up?

I mean, I loved every sport. Loved it. Like I said, it was probably some combination of Rice, Boggs and Clemens. Those guys were the absolute best. I remember not having jerseys growing up as a kid, and taking a white T-shirt and writing on it a name and number on the back in Magic Marker. I still have a picture somewhere my parents took of me in a white T-shirt where I took a green marker and wrote “BIRD 33” on the back.

Favorite memory of a Boston sports event?

I think it might have been the 1984 NBA Finals. Dad got traded to the Raiders in 1983 — that was tough for a few reasons. I mean, first, the way I found out was a strange story in itself. Bob Lobel called our house, and I answered the phone. My voice was so high then he thought it was my Mom. “Betsy, Bob Lobel here. Don was traded to the Raiders.” That was kind of traumatic on a couple of levels. “Mom, I think the phone is for you.” Of course, the Raiders win the Super Bowl. But NFL players weren’t making the sort of money they are today, so we kept the house back here in Massachusetts. The summer of 1984, we were back at our house here — my parents still live in the same house today. Anyway, coming back here with all my Massachusetts friends and watching those games was fun. I remember my Dad was working out at a health club in Dedham and sitting around waiting for his workout to be done and everyone was talking about that series and Bird and Magic. That was fun.

What is your favorite Boston sports venue?

It’s got to be Fenway, right? I mean, there’s nothing better. I remember going to the Garden as a kid, and just remembering how hot it was and how great it was. But Fenway was all the way for me, man. In high school, we’d go buy tickets for seven bucks and sit in the bleachers. We’d try and get there early for batting practice to get a baseball. I mean, the C’s were amazing and always winning championships, but the Sox were just different for me. I did a radio interview in Seattle once, and they asked me how great it was to be able to play at Lambeau Field with and against guys like Brett Favre. I said Lambeau was to football what Fenway is to baseball, and they all started laughing at me. They were sure I was going to say something else like Wrigley or Yankee Stadium. Fenway is the best.

Boston sports team you keep the most track of?

It’s hard to keep up with the movement of guys in baseball and basketball these days. The thing is, you’re a New England guy and you go to these other cities and you become friends with guys who play on those teams. Like, Raul Ibanez was the nicest guy in the world. You couldn’t help but cheer for him. Same for Ichiro. Of course, that was tested when they both went to the Yankees. When I was with the Seahawks, I’d go to a Mariners-Red Sox game, and I had to work to keep from clapping when the Red Sox would do something good. “You better not cheer when Papi hits a home run!” I remember this woman yelling at me. I never stopped rooting for the Red Sox. There were just times where I had to be quiet about it. You know what? Hockey hasn’t really been tainted for me in that same way. My kids are very much into hockey, which has kind of turned me into more of a Bruins’ fan than I was before — the Bruins were always my team in Sega Genesis NHL. But I like them all.

As a sports fan, what’s the best thing about being back in New England?

Nice night. Fenway Park, watching some baseball.