1/15/2021 football Edit

Where Are They Now: Mayberry thankful for his time at Indiana

Paul Gable • TheHoosier

Staff Writer

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As a standout high school player, Matt Mayberry could’ve gone just about anywhere.

However, there was something special about Indiana University and a man named Terry Hoeppner. As a result of his relationship with Coach Hoeppner, Mayberry opted to join the Hoosiers, where he had an immediate impact as a player.

“There are way too many memories to single out one in particular, but there are two that come to mind when I think about my time at IU. First and foremost, Terry Hoeppner and the difference that he made in my life both personally and professionally. He embodied true leadership and cared more about his players than any other coach I have ever been around. Bill Lynch, George Ricumstrict, and Mike Yeager helped develop me as a player and into the man that I am today. College football coaches have an extremely challenging job, but also one that can alter the direction of a player's life forever, and I am living proof of that. I am forever grateful to my coaches at Indiana University,” Mayberry told TheHoosier.com.

For Mayberry, his Indiana career began in 2006 as a freshman, where he appeared in 11 games and notched 12 tackles, of which 12 were solo stops. His best outing was against the then-top ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, as he registered eight tackles and a tackle for a loss.

In 2007, he would follow up his freshman season by seeing action in all 13 games, including the Insight Bowl against Oklahoma State, where he had eight tackles and a tackle for a loss. For the season, he finished with 42 total stops.

As an upperclassmen, he finished out his career starting his final 24 games, and would go on to lead the Hoosiers in tackles. For his senior season, he led the team with 108 tackles, 61 of which were solo, and he finished fourth in the Big Ten with 9 tackles a game and was second on the team with five-and-a-half sacks, 11 tackles for a loss and three interceptions.

For his career, he ended with 251 tackles, 10-and-a-half sacks, 22-and-a-half tackles for loss, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

In 2009, Mayberry earned the Howard Brown Award, which is given to a player who exemplifies the qualities of former Indiana assistant coach Howard Brown.

While some were surprised with Mayberry’s success, he was not, as he had a belief in his abilities.

“I was never surprised because I always believed in my ability that if I could devote everything I had towards getting better on a daily basis that things would eventually fall into place," Mayberry said. "Outside of adopting a belief mindset, I tried my best to always be coachable and my coaches at IU really brought out the best in me. With great coaching and a proper mindset, nothing is impossible."

The award capped what was a great career for Mayberry, who helped Indiana begin to become something special.

“I selected Indiana because of Coach Hoeppner and Bill Lynch. Coach Hep had almost a magical way of making you believe in everything that he said and what he wanted to build at IU without even knowing him that well. I wanted to be part of building something special, to help get IU over the hump of being a laughingstock in the Big Ten," Mayberry said. "To see what Coach Allen and these players have done, is truly special."

With his college career over, Mayberry was signed by the Chicago Bears, but he suffered a broken ankle in the preseason of his first and only season.

With his pro career over, Mayberry now serves as president of Matt Mayberry Enterprises, Inc., which is a management consulting and keynote speaking company focused on helping organizations and business leaders maximize their impact and build more dynamic teams and workplace cultures.

“Some of our clients include organizations such as JP Morgan Chase, Allstate Insurance, DuPont, Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, Phillips 66, and the FBI to name a few. Outside of traveling the world and giving speeches at conferences and corporate events or working directly with our consulting clients, my first major book WINNING PLAYS was released in 2016. I am working on my next book as we speak and there is no timetable on when that will be released as of yet,” Mayberry said.

Despite his busy schedule, Mayberry says he keeps up with the Hoosiers and has some words of advice for anyone considering playing for Allen and Indiana.

“My biggest piece of advice for players is to really take it all in. I know it sounds like such a cliche statement, but there is going to come a time in the near future where you step away from the game as a player," Mayberry said. "Outside of that, it would be to really utilize everything that got you to where you are as an athlete and apply that to your career and personal life.

"The game of football teaches so many life and business lessons that have played a tremendous difference in my life and building my business. The grit, determination, and perseverance that is required to win on Saturdays is exactly what is required to win in the game of life. I have seen way too many former players not use that to their advantage."