John Daniel "Tooz" Matuszak (October 25, 1950 – June 17, 1989) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League who later became an actor. He was the first draft pick of 1973 and played most of his career with the Oakland Raiders until he retired after winning his second Super Bowl in 1981. Matuszak participated in the 1978 World's Strongest Man competition, where he placed ninth. As an actor, he played the deformed Sloth in the 1985 movie The Goonies and Tonda in Caveman. His biography, Cruisin' with the Tooz, written with Steve Delsohn was published in 1987.
Matuszak was part of one of football's most surreal moments. He was playing for the Houston Texans of the World Football League, but was still under contract to the Houston Oilers of the National Football League. Matuszak was in the middle of a game when lawyers for the NFL and the Oilers showed up with a court order barring Matuszak from playing under his Texans contract. He was benched for the second half, but was waiving the court order in the air for the fans to see so they'd know exactly why he wasn't in the game.
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Inducted into the University of Tampa Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983.
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The Thoroughbred racehorse Matuszak, which finished 10th in the 2014 Belmont Stakes, was NOT named after John Matuszak. It was named for Felix Matuszak, father-in-law of George Prussin, the horse's owner.
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He attended the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou) on a football scholarship and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. However, he was kicked out when he completely beat up a guy on the twenty-first birthday of one of his fraternity brothers.
Was originally drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1973.
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As Sloth in The Goonies (1985), his make-up took five hours to complete. One of the eyes (which was out of place on the face) was mechanically operated off-screen by remote control. He had to time his blinking to match the blinks of the robotic eye. A crew-member would countdown from three, two, one and tell him to blink. The cast was told not to get him wet in scenes outside of the pirate ship, but the kids inadvertently did so, holding up filming for an entire day. In the scene where Chunk and Sloth head down through the grate to follow the gang and the Fratelli's, you can see that Sloth is wearing an Oakland Raiders T-Shirt. Matuszak was a former Oakland Raiders football player.
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He died of heart failure, which was probably caused by on by an overdose of pain medication and pneumonia. He also had cocaine in his system at the time of his death.
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Attended the University of Tampa where he was the star of their football team and a brother of the Theta Chi fraternity (Incidentally, the football program at the University of Tampa ended after the 1974 season). Also attended the University of Missouri and Iowa Central Community College before going to Tampa.
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Hard-driving athlete who lived life in the fast lane.
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Competed in the 1978 World's Strongest Man Competition weighing 308 lbs.
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Former defensive end for the Oakland Raiders.
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Ex-football player turned actor.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Down the Drain
1990
Jed Stewart
The Princess and the Dwarf
1989
Ghost Writer
1989
Chuck Aaron
One Man Force
1989
Jake
Heartbeat
1989
TV Series
Warnick
Superboy
1989
TV Series
Android
Perfect Strangers
1989
TV Series
Cobra
T and T
1988
TV Series
Rubberhead
Aaron's Way
1988
TV Series
Purque
The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission
1988
TV Movie
Fred Collins
The Charmings
1987
TV Series
Rock
1st & Ten: The Championship
1987
TV Series
John Manzak
Miami Vice
1987
TV Series
Lascoe
Charlie Barnett's Terms of Enrollment
1986
Video
TV Spokesman
Amen
1986
TV Series
Elmo The Handyman
The A-Team
1986
TV Series
Davey Miller
One Crazy Summer
1986
Stain
Fathers and Sons
1986
TV Series
Mad Dog
Hunter
1986
TV Series
Lincoln
Tall Tales & Legends
1986
TV Series
Mountain Man
Stir Crazy
1985
TV Series
Grossberger
Command 5
1985
TV Movie
Nick Kowalski
The Goonies
1985
Sloth
The Fall Guy
1985
TV Series
Dwayne
Hollywood Beat
1985
TV Series
George Grinsky
Silver Spoons
1984
TV Series
Elmer
The Dukes of Hazzard
1984
TV Series
Stoney
The Ice Pirates
1984
Killjoy
Matt Houston
1983
TV Series
Harold
Trapper John, M.D.
1982
TV Series
Joe McGurski
M*A*S*H
1982
TV Series
Cpl. Elmo Hitalski
Caveman
1981
Tonda
North Dallas Forty
1979
O. W. Shaddock
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
The New Hollywood Squares
1987-1988
TV Series
Himself - Panelist / Guest Apperance - Center Square / Himself / ...
P.K. and the Kid
1987
Himself
All Star Blitz
1985
TV Series
Himself
Just Men!
1983
TV Series
Himself
Late Night with David Letterman
1982
TV Series
Himself
NFL Monday Night Football
1975-1981
TV Series
Himself - Oakland Raiders Defensive End / Himself - Kansas City Chiefs Defensive End
The NFL on CBS
1981
TV Series
Himself - Oakland Raiders Defensive End
Super Bowl XV
1981
TV Special
Himself - Oakland Raiders Left Defensive End
1980 AFC Championship Game
1981
TV Movie
Himself - Oakland Raiders Defensive End
The Mike Douglas Show
1979
TV Series
Himself - Actor
1977 AFC Championship Game
1978
TV Special
Himself - Oakland Raiders Defensive End
Super Bowl XI
1977
TV Special
Himself - Oakland Raiders Left Defensive End
1976 AFC Championship Game
1976
TV Movie
Himself - Oakland Raiders Defensive End
The NFL on NBC
1973-1975
TV Series
Himself - Kansas City Chiefs Defensive End / Himself - Houston Oilers Defensive Tackle
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lego Dimensions
2015
Video Game
Lotney 'Sloth' Fratelli (uncredited)
The Making of a Cult Classic: The Unauthorized Story of 'The Goonies'
$10 Million
