St. Joseph’s Prep lineman Matt Lombardi opens up about his commitment to Tulane @mattlombardi624 @SJPREP @T_Roken
Tagged under: District 12, News, Recruiting
Billy Splain | July 13, 2019
St. Joseph’s Prep has the beef, they usually do every year and this coming fall is no different. The defending 6A champs boast a powerful offensive line that opened big holes for the Hawk offense en-route to that title and one of them was 6-7, 285 pound Matthew Lombardi. His offer sheet reflects that talent with the likes of Tulane, Bryant, Bowling Green, Delaware and more making a play for the mammoth lineman but it was Tulane who came out of top of the Lombardi sweepstakes. Just a few days ago, he verbally committed to the Green Wave program and announced it on twitter:
We caught up with Matthew to ask him about his decision:
PFN: How long have you played football?
Matt: I’ve played football since I was 10 years old.
PFN: Why did you choose to commit to the Green Wave?
Matt: It really just felt like home, the players seemed to be my kind of guys and I love the culture I’m going to be a part of.
PFN: Why commit early?
Matt: Well it’s as simple as saying when you know you know, I found my home and I decided to make the call.
PFN: Who was your biggest influence at Tulane, who recruited you?
Matt: Coach Kennedy and Coach Fritz recruited me, after spending time with them and seeing how they run things they made me feel confident in my future at Tulane.
PFN: What are they getting in player like you?
Matt: They’re getting a young tackle, being that I just turned 17, with a lot of length and athletic ability and I refuse to quit when it comes to winning football games.
PFN: What was the recruiting process like for you?
Matt: I spent a lot of time traveling and looking for my new home, I looked everywhere from the FCS level to the Power 5, spent a lot of time on the road and a lot of time talking to coaches.
PFN: What position were you recruited for?
Matt: I’m recruited as an offensive tackle.
PFN: Do you know what you’d like to study?
Matt: I’m not really positive yet but I am leaning towards communications.
PFN: What role did your parents play in your decision?
Matt: My parents were my guides in this decision, I knew they would steer me the right way and I took everything they thought into consideration.
PFN: What do you think is the most exciting thing about the Tulane program?
Matt: Tulane is up and coming with a lot of guys coming in and already in the program who know how to win, the bowl game last year is a good sign and I only see it going up from there, especially with my class coming in.
PFN: Tell everyone out there in Green Wave Land something they’d never know about you until you told them:
Matt: I am a huge country music fan. I share a 23 hour country playlist with my friend.
PFN: Who is the person who most influenced you in your football career?
Matt: My younger brother Aidan. Having him watch me and learn everything he does from me has made me more motivated to be better at what I do than anything else, I want him to learn the right things from me.
PFN: What is it you’d like all your high school team mates and fans to know about your decision that you might have a hard time saying in person?
Matt: Honestly, I feel I’ve been very transparent with my decision and I’ve left everything out on the table about my decision for those that have asked.
