Day 33: Matt Stary '02

I like mine medium rare


In just a few minutes, I'll be headig up to Wien Stadium for the returning season ticket holders dinner and reception beginning at 6pm. I am really looking forward to it, as last year's inaugural event was great. Kudos to the athletic department and especially Columbia sports marketing chief Barry Neuberger for dreaming the event up.

With just a few days to go before training camp begins, Head Coach Norries Wilson is making what I expect are his last few trips away from Baker Field. Saturday he visited his old school to watch practice at UConn as the Huskies prepare for 2009.



Matt Stary '02

Doing the 5th year senior thing can be harder than it looks in the Ivy League. Matt Stary found that out the hard way in 2001, but before that he was a super force at defensive tackle for the better part of three seasons at Columbia.

The son of a Canadian-Pacific Rail conductor, Stary came to Columbia in 1997 from Fenton High School in Bensenville, Illinois. He break out season came in his junior year of 1999, when he 21 total tackles, three tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks.

In his "first" senior season of 2000, he had 32 tackles, five tackles for a loss and two sacks. He made Second Team All Ivy that year.

In 2001, as a fifth year, he had 21 tackles and three tackles for a loss through six games, before someone noticed he wasn't taking enough credits to be eligible. It was an honest mistake, but an embarrassing moment, even though Columbia was not forced to forfeit any games. It was an unfortunate end to a very good Lions career for the run-stopping monster that was Matt Stary.