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The unsung heroes in the trenches, defensive tackles do the dirty work that allows the flashy ends and corners to make highlight-reel plays. Often the first ones to contact off the snap, they are the dogs of war on the gridiron. This is one of their stories.
#54, Matt Locher, RS Senior, DT
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Stats
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 272lbs
High School: Los Alamitos HS (Los Alamitos, CA)
How’d he get to The BlueTM?
Initially offered by and committed to Cal Poly in January 2015, Locher garnered a late offer from Boise State almost a week later. After a whirlwind visit, Locher changed his commitment to the Broncos. While he wasn’t heavily recruited, Boise State coaches definitely saw something they liked and went after him.
Nickname
”The Hurt” has been a mainstay, likely in reference to “the Hurt Locker”, or possibly a Frank Thomas callback. Either way, it’s solid.
Look-alike
Am I the only one who see a buffed up Michael Katz? Maybe.
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Career highlights
After playing sparingly his first few years on campus, Locher got into the rotation last season, and appeared in every game, recording 15 tackles and a sack. Not one to be limited to sports, he’s also received several academic awards, including Academic All-Mountain West in 2017, and CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 Team in 2017 and 2018.
2019 Prospectus
After his solid performance in 2018, Locher should see the field regularly in the defensive tackle rotation.
Is he on Twitter?
He is, but sparingly. One of his last tweets is our 2015 Countdown piece about him.
Completely made up fact
Locher loves turkey at Thanksgiving, but none of the sides. His family usually cooks a second bird just for him.