Matt Blair

Lore & 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.

In Their Own Story

The archives at the Vikings facility are quiet, smelling faintly of old paper and stadium turf. A researcher flips through the roster books from the 1970s, then the 80s, scanning for the name Blair. The pages turn past legendary linebackers and tight ends, but the specific combination remains elusive. Finally, a note is made in the log: 'No record found.' It is not a failure of search, but a confirmation of history.

Reader's Guide

Matt Blair was a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings from 1974 to 1985. He was a six-time Pro Bowl selection, an All-Pro in 1980, and a key special teams player known for blocking kicks. He started for the Vikings as a rookie replacing the injured Roy Winston and played in two Super Bowls.

Did You Know?

• Blair is third in NFL history with 20 blocked kicks.
• He blocked a punt in Super Bowl IX that was recovered in the endzone for the Vikings' only points of the game.
• Blair was named the most outstanding defensive player of the 1971 Sun Bowl despite Iowa State's loss.
• He earned a half scholarship through football and had to join the basketball team to receive the other half.