Welcome to my daily blogs "Road to the NFL."

Welcome!

Thank you again for viewing my daily blog. Every day I will post live blogs that will describe my experiences in pursuit of playing in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks.

I will be moving up to Bellevue, WA, which is just east of Seattle, this weekend. We will begin our offseason training program on March 15th. For the next 4 months I will be going through OTA's(optional training), mini camps, and the strength and conditioning program. I will be working closely with coach Brian Schneider (Special Teams coach), coach Jeff Ulbrich (Special Teams assistant), and coach Chris Carlisle (Strength and Conditioning coach).

What has happened....

For those who aren't familiar with the path that I have been on, here is a quick story.

I began playing football at the age of 8 in the central valley of Northern California. My career began with me being cut by the Tracy Raiders, I quickly experienced the adversity that football brings. I still remember that very day, but soon after I went and played for the Delta Rebels. The following year I made the Tracy Raiders and continued to play for the dominating pop warner team for the next 5 years until reaching high school.

I attended Tracy High school and played all four years for the Bulldogs, earning most valuable lineman, team captain, and all-league recognition. This is where I was introduced to the long snapping position. Who would have though that this would lead me to the NFL? After my senior year of high school, I was left with very few college options. I was not recruited by any schools and really didnt know what I wanted to do. All I knew is that I wanted to pursue football.

Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, CA is where I landed and it was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made. I was coached by some of the best coaches I have ever had, played with/against some tremndous athletes, and made lifelong friends. At DVC I was named captain and special teams MVP for long snapping. During this time I began to take my long snapping skills very seriously. Those two solid years at DVC helped me earn a scholarship to Western Washington University.

WWU was no different. A perfect fit and a decision that changed my life. I had the priviledge to play under coach Rob Smith and the following year under Robin Ross, along with great position coaches. I was a 2 year starter at defensive end and also handled all snapping duties (stats).

After my senior season at WWU in 2006, I participated in 3 NFL pro days (San Jose State, Cal Poly, and WWU). Pro days are workouts for NFL teams showcasing the skills of all college seniors who are draft eligible for the upcoming NFL season. After having very strong performances at these pro days, the Seahawks brought me into their rookie mini camp in May of 2007. I was not offered a contract at the conclusion of the 3 day camp. From there I pursued the arena league and signed with the Tri Cities Fever as a LB/FB of the Arena 2 Football League. I played in 3 games for the Fever before being released. With no other interests from NFL teams or playing options within the arena league, I went back to WWU to finish my degree.

Completing my degree was the most important thing for me to do at the time. While finishing my degree I was able to play ball for the local semi-pro team, the Whatcom County Raiders, and helped them win a championship. Playing with that team was a very humbling experience. I graduated from WWU with a bachelors in general studies in December of 2008. Shortly after I signed with the Milwaukee Iron of the AF2 league. The Iron ended up releasing me before the season even began. It seemed as though my chances of playing somewhere were slim, especially in the NFL. I still continued to train hard and maintain a positive attitude. I attended several NFL free agent camps to showcase my long snapping skills to the NFL scouts. Ive worked with coach/scout Paul Assad for the past 3 years. His camps helped gain exposure and experience.

In the summer of 2009 I had been in contact with coaches from the United Football League. The UFL was a new upstart league with strong NFL ties. I knew that this league would be the perfect opportunity for me if I got one. I finally caught a break with the Florida Tuskers. Their long snapper had endured an injury in camp and they quickly brought me in for a workout and signed me the next day. Long story short, I played the entire season with the Tuskers under coach Jim Haslett and coach Al Roberts. We had a very successful season going 6-1 and playing in the first UFL Championship game. I also had the honor to snap to former NFL pro bowler punter, Todd Sauerbrun, and kicker Matt Bryant, who currently holds the second longest field goal in NFL history. By the end of my UFL experience, I signed on with a big time agency DEC management.

My experience with the UFL helped me get another opportunity within the NFL. On February 8, 2010, the Seattle Seahawks brought me in for a free agent workout. After a very solid workout for the coaches and staff I was offered a contract. I officially signed with them on February 10, 2010 making me one of the first signees of Pete Carroll's reign of the Seahawk's. Pretty cool!!!

Now the hard work continues!!!! Stay tuned for my next blog coming soon. Thank you again and GODbless

-Matt Overton

www.seahawks.com