Matt Overton | Dallas Cowboys Long-Snapper

We are so touched. You all made the trek out here. Robert, Renata, we hope our marriage is nothing like yours.

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Cheers everybody! From the director of Pitch Perfect and the producers of The Proposal. Something doesn't feel right. We're pirates and they took everybody hostage.

Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel. This is not happening. Pirates chasing you wasn't on your vision board? You're the only thing on my vision board.

Shotgun Wedding, rated R. Watch now on Prime Video. Matt Overton, long snapper. He's played with four teams in five years but most recently the Cowboys and has now survived a decade in the NFL.

He's a free agent heading into the new league year. Matt, what has this year been like for you with Dallas? Kind of picking up and moving and starting again in your career?

It's been great. Those challenges because of the uncertainty of things. I'm pretty familiar with being a free agent these past four years now. I've been on four different teams in four years. I went to the Titans during COVID, then the Chargers and then this year made my way to Dallas as a Cowboy.

The unknown is difficult especially when you have a wife and kids now. It's not as easy just to pick up and go but it's been a blessing to go everywhere we've been. This year was just really special because being a Dallas Cowboy is just an iconic place to play.

My experience there was great. We had a great run this year. This season was definitely special.

I'm glad you said that because I was talking about LeBron setting the NBA's all-time scoring record. On my show I was saying with the Lakers it's just different. There's some franchises that they have such an iconic tradition. There's a different buzz around them and that certainly applies to the Cowboys. So yes, what's different about being a Cowboy Matt?

There's a lot. I think it starts with the rich history. You go back to the Tom Landry days and then you talk about Jerry Jones coming in the mix and how he got the team. Obviously the 90s when they were winning all the Super Bowls and all that kind of stuff. Now at this point it's just every year it seems like the Cowboys are always in conversation, good or bad. The media always loves the spotlight, the Cowboys. They coined America's team and the fan base is incredible.

As a young kid growing up, I'm a die-hard Diner fan so I despise the Cowboys every single year. Growing up I always had that profound respect for the Cowboys just because they were always a tough team and always competing for the title. One of those iconic franchises and I just kind of equated playing for the Yankees. Going there as a player, my respect for what Jerry has done has grown tremendously.

Just getting to meet him and see him operate first hand and what he provides us players and the resources he gives. Jerry's world and the star and Frisco and our stadium, it's all top notch. I've played for Indianapolis for a handful of years and that's a historic franchise as well. My Earth Day family is tremendous but when it comes to Jerry and the Jones family and what they provide us as a player and coaches and our families, it's definitely taken it up a few notches. It's really cool, just the amenities and the buzz around the team always. When we travel it seems like we're playing at home sometimes on the road. It's really cool to play for such an incredible organization and a great fan base. Before you got to the Cowboys, did you believe what you hear about the franchise or is it one of those situations where you think it must be hyped up?

It can't really be that good or really be that different. When it comes from a facility standpoint and what they provide the amenities for players, it's definitely the best that I've been around. I spent some time in Seattle and their facility is really nice. I know there's a handful of other organizations that roll out the red carpet for their guys. When I got there and stayed at the Omni that's attached to the star and our facility and the indoor, it's like walking into a hotel lobby when you get to the player facility and the locker room.

Everything that they provide has definitely been the best in that regard. When you're an outsider looking in, there always seems to be some drama floating around the Cowboys. We experienced that this year with the OBJ. Is he coming or is he not? It seems like it was two months straight of non-stop talk of Odell and when he's visiting. Obviously he's courtside with Micah Parsons at the Mavs game and all that kind of stuff.

I get it. I see it firsthand now, but I've also seen the way Jerry handles himself. He's with us all the time at practice, on the road, in the locker room. He's such a down to earth guy. What I learned and got to experience is you think of Jerry Jones as this larger than life personality. He's really one of the faces of the NFL. Meeting him in person, he couldn't be a nicer guy. He's just down to earth and literally knows everybody on the roster at all times. It's just incredible to see the passion he has for not just his team, but for the league itself and for the game.

Now that I've got to meet Jerry up close in person and see how he operates, I think that's been something eye-opening for me. We're spending a few minutes with Matt Overton, who is a long snapper in the NFL now 10 years. Does that make you feel old?

A 10 year vet of the NFL? Well yeah, when these rookies are born in 2002. Yes, I definitely feel old because I was graduating high school when they were born. So yes, it does make me feel old.

It's after hours here on CBS Sports Radio. What are you looking for? What are you hoping for, I guess, in 23? I'm just hoping to play again.

Every year it's kind of been like, let's go back to the drawing board. Not to say that there may not be an opportunity with Dallas, but I kind of prepare myself as if I'm going to be that free agent guy. I kind of tell my agent and my family, the role that I have now later in my career, my position, I've kind of become that emergency long snapper guy, and I'm okay with that.

I really am. I feel like I've proven to these teams that if there is an emergency, whether it's by injury or not performing well, that I could be that guy to come in and play and help a team win. I would love to go back, of course, and have some continuity with the team, but it's also kind of exciting to think of the possibilities of maybe I'll go somewhere else and get to be a part of another historical franchise and meet other guys that I never would get to meet or play with. My family can experience another city, so there's pros and cons, but I think just stay optimistic in the moment. I love kind of being against the odds, and I know God's got a greater plan than I can ever think of, so I'm excited for what the future holds for sure. Do you have to get a real estate license in every state where you move?

No, I've only done that two places, and that's enough for me. It keeps me busy. I was going to say, how does a person have time to not only manage an NFL career and what comes with potentially moving, and as you say, you've done that now the past few years, plus a family and a podcast and a brand and sell real estate. In 2019, I kind of dove headfirst into the real estate and did really well.

I sat out pretty much the entire season of 2019, and so I was able to get my license in Indiana, and I loved it. I think it's a great thing for guys to have, just because of the network circle that we have as players and the guys that we get to meet and the people we get to meet. That's kind of the perk of our profession, is meeting a lot of people and the influence that you have. So I felt like I got lucky there, and Indianapolis was home to me for about eight years, so being an agent in that market was really, really good, and then moved to Nashville and got my license here when I played for the Titans, and that's been good too. I've been utilizing that, whether it's helping people relocate and even helping some teammates and their families. So it's very, very part-time, but it is fun to have, and real estate is something I really do love, whether I'm licensed or not. It's been a nice little fallback, and I kind of just use this as an example for guys that you just have something to fall back on, and that's where this comes into play for me and podcasting and building a brand too. Football doesn't last forever, and you just kind of have to utilize the platform that you have at the moment, and hopefully it'll propel you to greater things afterwards.

Well, I have an accounting degree, and early in my radio career I had to use it to pay the bills, so it is definitely smart to have other skills that you can use to get a job, because you never know how long the career will go and when it might come to an end, as you point out. So Matt, what would you say was the best game, the highest point, the coolest moment with the team this season? I mean, there was definitely a handful. I joined the team week five, three quarters of the season I was with them, and gosh, it goes by so fast. So I'd have to say some of the high points for us this year was going on the road against Minnesota and completely just blowing the doors off of them. It was kind of like one of those games where it's just like, gosh, dang, we're rolling.

I think the score was 41-3 or something like that. It was an incredible road victory, because that's such a tough place to play, and Minnesota at the time was kind of on a hot streak. So it was one of those games where we felt pretty good about ourselves going to that locker room and that flight home, that game. We had another home victory against the Eagles on Christmas Eve. That was a huge, huge one for us. The road game, obviously, in Tampa Bay in the playoffs, because it had been like 30 years since the Cowboys had won on the road in the playoffs, and only 10 of us on the team were even alive during that time. Obviously, that pressure was on, but we got that big road victory, and it just so happened to be Tom Brady's last game that we think.

We don't know if he's going to come back or not, but it sounds like he won't. There's particular games where personally I felt like I played pretty well. Our kicker, Brett Maher, had a great game. Our punter, Brian Anger, had a great game. Our special teams had a great game. But as a team, I think those road victories always seem to mean a little bit more, just because it's special. It's hard to win on the road, and then you get to enjoy it on the way back on the flight home.

Those are some of the high points for sure. Okay, I swear to you, I was not going to bring up Brett. I wasn't going to bring up the game that really captivated the NFL, even more so than the results, the game in which he missed those extra points. It happens, right? It's sports.

Nothing's automatic. But what was happening on the sidelines, or what was happening with Brett? It's just one of those things where I equate it to a professional golfer not having a great day on the course. We all have those days, and I never want to act like I know how to diagnose his kicking, because I know nothing about kicking, even though I'm with him all the time.

The only thing that I know what to do is just to support my guys no matter what, because they do it for me. The team rallied around him. Everyone obviously knew that he was just going through a whirlwind of an experience. He owned it like a true professional. Whether it was with the media or just how he handled himself the week after and the week in practice and the next game. It's just one of those crazy flute games where it's just like, gosh dang, for whatever reason the ball just wasn't going through the uprights. It wasn't like he wasn't kicking the ball well. The ball seemed to leave his foot really, really well.

It just wasn't going through. I commend Brett for everything he'd gone through in that game, because up to that point he'd had a stellar season. I think that's what really stinks about the situation is people overlook the fact that he really did have a Pro Bowl caliber season. When you can only select two kickers, one from the NFC and one from the NFC for Pro Bowl, it's unfortunate because Brett deserved the acknowledgement of getting Pro Bowl this year because he deserved it. He's a true pro. I have so much respect for Brett and everything he's done for the team. It was an honor playing with him. But that situation stunk and we moved on from it.

He bounced back. It's just how it goes sometimes. Everyone goes through it. From quarterback down to the kicker, everyone goes through it. Unfortunately, at our position, sometimes you're under the microscope or the spotlight 10 times because you're almost expected to make your kick every time.

It's a crazy thing and Brett will be better for it. I think what impressed me the most is, as you say, everyone was supporting him. Nobody was ripping on him, recognizing. I think even Dak said, heck, I had two interceptions played like crap the week before that Buccaneers playoff game, but also there was no knee jerk to cut him.

Also a sign of an organization where there's strong leadership. So then going into the Niners game, you mentioned that you grew up being a Niners fan. What was that like for you to be there and to be part of a Cowboys playoff game against San Francisco?

It was incredible. Obviously, we didn't win the game. I wouldn't put that in my top five experiences with the team this year.

It would have been number one for sure outside if we didn't win the Super Bowl. Because just for me personally, just being from the Bay Area, growing up as a Niners fan, I played the candlestick, so I never played. It was my first time at Levi's and having a ton of friends and family in the stands and everyone watching. And everyone's a Niner fan, me and my family and friends. So there was nobody out wearing Cowboy stuff to the games or anything like that. So it was kind of cool. I was upset, like, hey, you got to put the Navy on and put that star on just for one game.

But my family and friends are diehard. So they were rooting for me and they wanted me to play well, but they were rooting for the Niners. So it was just cool just because the environment's hostile and it's just that rivalry. Growing up watching the Niners and Cowboys play, it seemed like every year they were battling in the NFC Championship to go to the Super Bowl. And so to kind of relive that as a player, especially on the road, was really special. And I'll never forget that game.

And gosh dang, I hope that one stung and I hope we get another chance to meet again. Matt Overton is a longtime NFL long snapper, now a decade in the league, most recently with the Cowboys. It's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. We had a unique situation around DeMar Hamlin. For me, it felt like Matt from the outside, that the NFL really ground to a halt, which never happens. This is a behemoth of a league. It's become year round.

It's all consuming. But those couple days while we were waiting for some news about DeMar and he was in the hospital, it seemed like everything really stopped. And a bunch of players, Josh Allen even from the Bills coming out talking about how the conversations in the locker room had changed. And it was a lot more about what it means to play a game where sometimes your life can be on the line. And then he also spoke about faith and about mental health. So wondering in your locker room and the conversations that you had with people, how players in Dallas that you worked with were looking at that situation from the outside and processing some of those same reactions and anxieties?

I know there was definitely a deep concern for his health and well-being. And obviously, that game was on Monday night. So Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday were just kind of very somber and not knowing the status of DeMar.

And obviously, when we're watching on TV, there's not a lot that we're being told and we can't see certain things. And obviously, there's something seriously happening because the game is done and all the players on the field are going to need praying. People are crying.

The entire stadium is silent. And so there was just that weird 24-hour period where everyone just kind of paused and football went to the wayside. Even when we came into our first team meeting, that first thing we talked about was DeMar and the situation and just praying for him and praying for the Buffalo Bills and the Bengals and everyone that was there to experience that. I would have to say that our experience is obviously not the same as what those guys on the Buffalo Bills and the Bengals experienced because they were there. But there were certainly a few days where it just seemed like everything just moved slower and football wasn't a priority.

And there was like a lack of energy kind of going into the last week. And I would have to assume that most of the league felt that just because everyone was concerned. And as the good news continued for DeMar and his progress, I think that's kind of when everyone took a deep breath.

And we heard that he was on FaceTime with his teammates. And what an incredible testimony that can be shared. And the power of prayer is real. And it was really cool to hear guys who probably normally wouldn't talk about faith or praying. And they were actually talking about that in press conferences and just sharing their beliefs and their faith, which was incredible. And so I have no doubt that DeMar is going to use his testimony to do so much good. And it's incredible to see how really just humanity came together and the people supported his charity and the NFL just banded together.

Very, very scary situation. And, you know, when it all came through, it just was kind of just a beautiful display of humanity and coming together and supporting somebody who needed us. How does your faith help you when you don't know about the future? What's coming next, even if your career continues? I wouldn't have made it this far in my professional career without my faith. I mean, it started it goes way, way back to college, you know, just coming from a small division two school and not a lot of interest from NFL teams.

Obviously not going to a combine, not having any exposure, not not having, you know, the NFL knocking on Western Washington's door to come, you know, scout us, you know. So, I mean, the odds are stacked against me and just through faith and perseverance and just believing in my abilities. I mean, God took me incredible places, whether it's, you know, the United Football League at three years there and arena ball and made my way to the NFL with Indianapolis my first year. And so, yeah, there's just been so many crazy, wild experiences in this journey and that started what seems a long, long time ago. And but it's been incredible to see God being faithful to the entire process and whether a door closes or whether a door opens.

I mean, he's he's just always exceeded my expectations. And as I've grown as a believer, just using my platform as a disciple and in the locker room and and knowing that my purpose is much more greater than being a football player. And and so just trying to have that mindset and the humility every time has been been key for me. You know, I love playing football. Don't get me wrong, but I know I know that I'm not here just to snap a football.

You know, I'm here to be a shining light in the locker room. And that's where I think being on a new team every year is cool because now I can I could be a disciple on a new team and reach people and meet people and grow with people that I normally wouldn't meet if I just stayed on the one team. So it's been incredible to see just how things have unfolded. And my family has been a tremendous support, my wife and my daughter and my parents and grandparents have been super supportive through this entire journey.

And it's been really cool to share it with them. Matt Overton is with us here after hours on CBS Sports Radio to kind of dovetail off of that. Matt, you have coined stay ready as your motto and your brand. What does that mean for you?

Yeah, I mean, five consecutive years with the Colts and then kind of got sideswiped as far as getting released abruptly in the spring of 2017. And, you know, it's kind of when I had that kind of awakening moment in my career where I was like, man, like I need a I need a man up. I need to get better. I need to, you know, stay ready for the next opportunity. And that's it kind of just derived from preparing and being a free agent and like staying ready for the opportunity or the call when it hopefully comes. You know, but then it's just evolved over the years into more of like a faith based type mentality. And it's just, you know, staying ready for God's divine appointments.

You know, whether like I said, whether it's a door closing or whether that's a door opening and just being ready and willing to serve and help others. And so it's turned into like this little personal brand that I have and into a podcast. And and I love sharing my testimony. And so the podcast has really just been mainly about that, like bringing people on that have incredible stories, testimony that many fans may not get to hear because they're not the star player. You know, and everyone has a unique journey to the NFL. Not everyone's a first round draft pick.

Not everyone's from an SEC school. And, you know, it's it's really cool to share those stories of guys who have come from, you know, nothing and have have made their way to making their dreams come true, but have also been faithful and sharing their faith along the way. And so it's been just a really cool thing that's evolved from really just kind of a little hashtag on Twitter, you know, five or six years ago. So it's been it's been fun. It's been a really good way for me to connect with people.

And even these young guys, I get the opportunity to help and train and work with like young middle schoolers in high schools and college players and in free agents who are long staffers or who have aspirations to play and I love helping them and, you know, it's kind of like, hey, you got to stay ready, you know, no matter if you're an eighth grader or going in your senior year in college, you know, just staying ready for these opportunities and being ready and willing to help others along the way. I saw that you posted a photo as you get set to launch into season two of your podcast. What can people expect to start out season two? Well, season one was filmed and recorded in my garage. So I think we started very organically very we had no idea what we're doing. We just kind of just pushed record, you know, got the cameras going and we just kind of went off and but it took some time so we didn't start until May of last year.

This year, we're a few few months ahead. So season two, we're actually in a professional studio. We got editing, we got producing, we got everything kind of dialed in.

So I would have to say that like, we're already starting in a better trend. Our mics are going to work this time and all that kind of stuff. Learning the space and learning how to actually do something professionally because I'm, I need things to look right sound right and very happy with the with the way that we're going and the guests will have on this year, you know, I'm gonna have more teammates more, you know, of my peers in the NFL, the resources and just the community here in Nashville, we have, you know, country artists coming on. So it's just the reach we have here in Nashville is is really special because there's so many talented people right here downtown Nashville, and it's a hub for guys training in the off season two.

So season two is going to be really, really cool with the types of individuals will have on this year. So Matt, before I let you go, you can laugh at me if you want. I do not know the first thing about long snapping, but you mentioned working with kids, youth who are interested in making that their craft. Where do you start? What do you tell kids or youth about the keys to a successful long snap? Well, I guess if you can throw the ball overhand, you can try to learn to throw it upside down.

I truly believe that I was God gifted me this ability to do it because not a lot of people can do it. And, and I think the trend is, is slowly going up with, you know, special teams and being a kicker punter snapper because now there's opportunities for scholarships and all that kind of stuff. So yes, and hopefully we make the we make the position, the position cool, you know, and and so that's what I like to share with these young people. I like to show these young guys that, Hey, man, if you're a young guy, and maybe this is your way to play varsity football, or maybe this is the way that you make a team.

I was never the biggest, fastest, strongest guy on my teams. And luckily for long snapping, that was my ticket to a professional career. So everyone has a different ability, and I just there to help them in any way. And, you know, it's pretty incredible to see you put a little work into it, you can be pretty good. So my encouragement is just guys just stick with it and be consistent and actually practice. And most guys will be surprised with how good they they can become if they just put their mind to it and actually put the time in. Sometimes these kids they do it for the first time.

They think it looks easy and they get pretty quick, you know, so it's fun. It sounds like gotten you 10 years into the NFL so you can find Matt on Twitter at Matt Overton OVR ton underscore LS for long snapper. But he's also a licensed real estate agent and he's got to stay ready brand and podcast and make sure you check it out. You're welcome on our show anytime. It's great to connect with you. Thank you so much and hope that you will land somewhere again, whether it's the Cowboys or another team and you can take your influence your impact to a new city. I appreciate that. Thank you so much.

It's been a pleasure being on your show. Shotgun wedding rated our watch now on prime video. We hope our marriage is nothing like yours from the director of pitch perfect and the producers of the proposal. Something doesn't feel right. Jennifer Lopez Josh Duhamel. This is not happening. I was chasing you wasn't on your vision for you. The only thing in my vision for shotgun wedding rated our watch now on prime video.