About
Name: Matt Birk
Height/Weight: 6'4", 310 lbs.
Position: Center
Born: July 23
Resides in: Baltimore, Md.
College: Harvard
Acquired: 1998
NFL Experience: 14 seasons
PROFESSIONAL FACTS
- Originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 6th Round of the 1998 NFL Draft (173rd overall).
- Started 96 consecutive games, the NFL's second-longest active streak among centers.
- After spending eleven seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Matt was the key off-season acquisition for the Baltimore Ravens in 2009.
- USA Today Sports Weekly's All-Decade (2000s) Team
- Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro (2003)
- The Sporting News All-Pro (2003)
- Pro Football Weekly's All-NFC (2000 and 2003)
- NFL.com All-Interview Team (2005 and 2006)
PRO BOWL SELECTIONS
- 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008* alternate.
AWARDS
- In 2009, Matt was the runner-up for the NFL Player Association's Man of the Year Award, which is known as the Byron Whizzer White Award.
- Finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2011
- Baltimore Ravens' Man of the Year Award in 2009 and 2011.
- Minnesota Vikings' Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2008.
- In 2008, was one of three finalists for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year.
- Ed Block Courage Award winner 2006
- JB Award Honoree 2010
PERSONAL FACTS
- Attended Cretin-Derham Hall High School (St. Paul, MN).
- Earned his Economics degree from Harvard University in 1998.
- Matt and his wife, Adrianna, reside full-time in Baltimore with their five children.
ABOUT MATT BIRK'S HIKE FOUNDATION
In 2002, Matt Birk's HIKE Foundation was established to impact the lives of at-risk children by providing interactive programs and resources needed to guide a child through the key educational transitions between elementary, middle, high school and college.
H.I.K.E. stands for: Hope, Inspiration, Knowledge, and Education.
MISSION
The mission of Matt Birk's HIKE Foundation is to provide children with the educational opportunities needed to excel in the classroom and in life.
