For other people with similar names, see Matt Burke.
American football player
Matt Birk
Birk with the Ravens in 2012
No. 75, 78, 77
Position:
Center
Personal information
Born:
(1976-07-23) July 23, 1976 (age 47) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Height:
6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:
310 lb (141 kg)
Career information
High school:
Cretin-Derham Hall (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
College:
Harvard (1994–1997)
NFL draft:
1998 / Round: 6 / Pick: 173
Career history
Minnesota Vikings (1998–2008)
Baltimore Ravens (2009–2012)
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XLVII)
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award (2011)
Second-team All-Pro (2003)
6× Pro Bowl (2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007)
50 Greatest Vikings
Career NFL statistics
Games played:
210
Games started:
187
Fumble recoveries:
5
Player stats at PFR
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Matthew Robert Birk (born July 23, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a center for in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He spent most of his professional career playing for the Minnesota Vikings.[1][2] He was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, running alongside Scott Jensen in the 2022 Minnesota gubernatorial election.
Born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Birk played college football at Harvard University. He graduated from Harvard with a degree in economics and entered the 1998 NFL draft. He was selected towards the end of the draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He spent his first two seasons with the Vikings as a backup offensive lineman. He became the starting center in 2000 and went on to be selected to six Pro Bowls and two All-Pro second-teams during his career with the Vikings. As a free agent following the 2008 season, Birk left the Vikings and joined the Baltimore Ravens. After the Ravens won Super Bowl XLVII, Birk retired from the NFL. In 2011 he was awarded the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
Following his retirement in 2012, Birk returned to Minnesota. He started a Catholic school in Burnsville, Minnesota in 2019.[3] Active in pro-life causes and local Republican politics, Birk joined Jensen's gubernatorial candidacy in March 2022.[4] Jensen and Birk faced incumbents Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan in the general election and lost the race.
^"The Official Site of the Minnesota Vikings". www.vikings.com. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
^"The 30 greatest Minnesota Vikings players of all-time". The Viking Age. June 19, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
^"Former Viking star Matt Birk has started a school focused on learning over athletics". Twin Cities. October 23, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
^Hauser, Tom (March 4, 2022). "Super Bowl Champ to be Jensen's running mate for MN governor". KSTP. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
Matthew Robert Birk (born July 23, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a center for in the National Football League (NFL)...
Parker Scott Jensen, family medicine physician and former state senator MattBirk, former professional football player with the Minnesota Vikings, businessman...
this event, Terrell Suggs was named the Defensive Player of the Year and MattBirk was named Walter Payton Man of The Year. Despite early injuries that led...
to VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank after their deaths. In 2009, NFL Pro Bowlers MattBirk, Lofa Tatupu, and Sean Morey pledged to donate their brains to the VA-BU-CLF...
born 1997), Irish rugby union player DCI Matt Burke, character in the television series Taggart MattBirk (born 1973), American politician and former...
former Viking MattBirk in supporting a ban on same-sex marriage. In the letter, Kluwe outlined six primary reasons why he disagreed with Birk's statement...
line was led by Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda, and 14-year veteran center MattBirk. On special teams, Jones returned 38 kickoffs for 1,116 yards and two...
Kansas City Chiefs 2010 Madieu Williams Safety Minnesota Vikings 2011 MattBirk Center Baltimore Ravens 2012 Jason Witten Tight end Dallas Cowboys 2013...
not qualify Pro Bowlers 4 C MattBirk FS Corey Chavous QB Daunte Culpepper WR Randy Moss (injured) AP All-Pros 2 C MattBirk (2nd team) WR Randy Moss (1st...
Football Hall of Fame. Grady Alderman OT, #67 Jared Allen DE, #69 MattBirk C, #75/78 Matt Blair LB, #59 Bill Brown RB, #30 Joey Browner S, #47 Bobby Bryant...
(DPOYTooltip National Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award) MattBirk (WPMOYTooltip Walter Payton Man of the Year Award) 2012 2012 NFL* AFC#...
team released linebacker Vinny Ciurciu. On March 4, free agent center MattBirk left the Vikings to join the Baltimore Ravens. On March 18, free agent...
fumble by Rice, an interception by Flacco, and a fumbled snap by center MattBirk (Flacco was credited with the lost fumble), and with those the Steelers...
Emma; Stout, Matt (December 1, 2021). "Governor Baker will not seek re-election". The Boston Globe. Retrieved December 1, 2021. Murphy, Matt (December 1...
of Mdewakanton Sioux Indians John Binkowski (born 1979) – politician MattBirk (born 1976) – Minnesota Vikings football player Andy Bisek (born 1986)...
Past notable residents include Philip Warren Anderson, Danny Biega, MattBirk, Matt Damon, John Dos Passos, Maura Healey, Barney Frank, William Randolph...
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