American football player

John Daniel Matuszak (October 25, 1950 – June 17, 1989), nicknamed "Tooz", was an American football defensive end 📉 in the National Football League (NFL) who later became an actor.

Matuszak was the first overall pick in the 1973 NFL 📉 Draft and played most of his career with the Oakland Raiders until he retired after winning his second Super Bowl 📉 in 1981. He participated in the 1978 World's Strongest Man competition, where he placed ninth. As an actor, Matuszak played 📉 in both films and television, appearing first as O. W. Shaddock in 1979 in North Dallas Forty followed by Tonda 📉 in the 1981 film Caveman and the deformed Sloth in the 1985 movie The Goonies. His biography, Cruisin' with the 📉 Tooz, written with Steve Delsohn, was published in 1987.

Early life [ edit ]

Matuszak was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Audrey 📉 and Marvin Matuszak. He had two brothers, but both died of cystic fibrosis at young ages. One of his sisters 📉 also had the disease. The family moved from downtown Milwaukee to Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where Matuszak's classmates ridiculed him as 📉 a gawky beanpole. Their disrespect motivated him to develop into a muscular young man, and he became the Wisconsin Class 📉 A state champion in the shot put with a throw of 58 ft 11 in (17.96 m).[citation needed] Matuszak was 📉 always big for his age, which became an advantage as a defensive lineman in football. He attended Oak Creek High 📉 School.[1]