Matt Blair

Background

Blair was born in Hilo, Hawaii, but his family moved to Ohio when he was in high school. He walked onto the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M football team and was a member of the 1969 Junior College Championship squad. He earned a half scholarship through football and joined the basketball team to receive his other half scholarship. He committed to Iowa State after a visit by Johnny Majors.

At Iowa State, he was a two-time letter winner, a member of the 1971 Sun Bowl team, and named the bowl's most outstanding defensive player despite the loss. After sitting out the 1972 season with a knee injury, he earned All-America honors in 1973 with 77 tackles, one interception, and three fumble recoveries. He was invited to the Hula Bowl, East-West Shrine Game, and Senior Bowl. Blair was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round of the 1974 NFL draft with the 51st overall selection.

He earned Pro Bowl honors for six consecutive seasons (1977–1982), made the NFL All-Rookie Team, was selected All-Pro in 1980, All-NFC in 1978, and Second-team All-NFC in 1977, 1979, and 1981. He is third in NFL history with 20 blocked kicks. He appeared in Super Bowl IX and Super Bowl XI, both losses. In Super Bowl IX, he blocked Bobby Walden's punt, recovered by Terry Brown in the endzone for the Vikings' only points.

In 2022, the Professional Football Researchers Association named Blair to the PFRA Hall of Very Good Class of 2022. Blair died on October 22, 2020, at age 70; his cause of death was not immediately announced, but he had been dealing with complications from dementia.