Matthew Sluka

Holy Cross Class of 2024

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Class Senior
Hometown Locust Valley, N.Y.
High School Kellenberg Memorial

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HONORS & AWARDS:
Two-time Walter Payton Award Finalist (2022, 2023)
2023 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year
Two-time All-Patriot League First Team (2022, 2023)
Team MVP (2022)
New England Football Writers’ Association Agganis/Zimman Award (2022)
All-New England (2022)
All-Patriot League Second Team (2021)
Phil Steele’s All-Patriot League Second Team (2021, 2022)
Six-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week (9/6/21, 9/20/21, 11/15/21, 10/31/22, 9/18/23, 10/23/23)
FedEx Ground FCS National Offensive Player of the Week (10/23/23)
Stats Perform National Offensive Player of the Week (9/12/22)
Jerry Rice Award Finalist (2020)
Patriot League Rookie of the Year (2020)
Patriot League Rookie of the Week (3/29/21)
New England Football Writers' Association Gold Helmet Award (2021)
Gold Helmet Award (9/4/22, 9/11/22, 10/22/23)
Hilton Garden Inn Crusader of the Week (9/5/22)

AS A SENIOR IN 2023:

Team captain.
Stats Perform Preseason All-America First Team.
Passed for 190 yards and two touchdowns while totaling 91 rushing yards in the win against Merrimack (9/2).
Rushed for 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns while completing 10-of-15 passes for 130 yards at Boston College (9/9).
Completed 23-of-30 (76.6%) passes for 275 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 98 yards and two scores at Yale (9/16).
Threw for 186 yards with four touchdowns and rushed nine times for 41 yards in a win against Colgate (9/23).
Passed for a career-high 325 yards with four touchdowns and added 83 yards on the ground against #24 Harvard (9/30).
Threw for 258 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 122 yards at Bucknell (10/7).
Set a Division I single-game record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 330 yards on the ground - more rushing yards ever recorded than any FBS or FCS quarterback while running for three touchdowns and throwing for one against Lafayette (10/21).
Rushed for 171 yards and passed for 156 yards with a pair of touchdowns at Army West Point (11/11).
FedEx Ground FCS National Offensive Player of the Week (10/23)
Named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week (9/18, 10/23).

AS A JUNIOR IN 2022:

Finalist for the Walter Payton Award.
New England Football Writers’ Association Agganis/Zimman Award recipient.
All-New England selection.
Named to All-Patriot League First Team.
Selected to Phil Steele’s All-Patriot League second team.
Named Team MVP.
Gold Helmet Award recipient in Weeks 1 & 2 (9/4, 9/11).
Stats Perform National Offensive Player of the Week (9/12).
Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week (10/31).
Named Hilton Garden Inn Crusader of the Week (9/5).
Started all 13 games at quarterback.
Rushed 203 times for 1,234 yards — the most by an FCS quarterback in 2022 — with 11 touchdowns on the ground.
Completed 153 of 266 passes for 2,489 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, while throwing only four interceptions.
Rushed for 146 yards while tallying 238 passing yards and three touchdowns — including Hail Mary touchdown in win over Buffalo (9/10).
Passed for 298 yards in win over Harvard (10/1).
Had 291 passing yards and 174 rushing yards with five total touchdowns in win over Fordham (10/29), earning Anderson Award as the Family Weekend MVP.
Passed for 301 yards and three touchdowns in win over Georgetown (11/19).
Set single-game program for rushing yards by a quarterback with 213 yards on the ground in NCAA quarterfinal matchup at South Dakota State (12/10).

AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2021:

Earned New England Football Writers' Association Gold Helmet Award.
Named to All-Patriot League second team.
Selected to Phil Steele’s All-Patriot League second team.
Three-time Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week (9/6, 9/20, 11/15).
Started all 13 games at quarterback.
Rushed 166 times for 868 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Completed 117 of 208 passes for 1,512 passing yards and 11 touchdowns.
Rushed 14 times for a touchdown and 112 yards – including a season-long 76-yard run – while passing for 140 yards and two more touchdowns in win over UConn (9/4).
Had 136 passing yards and 92 rushing yards for four total touchdowns in win against Georgetown (10/16).
Rushed for 104 yards while passing for 272 yards and totaling four touchdowns in Patriot League Championship-clinching win over Fordham (11/13).
Rushed for 90 yards and passed for 171 yards and a touchdown in FCS playoff victory over Sacred Heart (11/27).
Totaled 106 rushing yards and 169 passing yards in FCS playoff game at Villanova (12/3).

AS A FRESHMAN IN 2020:

Finalist for Jerry Rice Award.
Named Patriot League Rookie of the Year.
Earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors on March 29.
Led team with 268 rushing yards, averaging 58.5 per game and 5.3 yards per carry, totaling four rushing touchdowns.
Completed 20 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
Rushed for six yards in first collegiate appearance against Lehigh (3/13).
Had 145 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries while also completing two passes for 33 yards and a touchdown against Fordham (3/27).
Started Patriot League Championship Game against Bucknell and recorded three total touchdowns; rushed for 61 yards on 18 carries and passed for 78 yards (8-of-11) (4/17).
Shortened season played during Spring 2021 due to COVID-19.

HIGH SCHOOL:

Spent one postgraduate season at the Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J. playing for head coach Chris Malleo.
Led Peddie to a perfect 8-0 record during the 2019 season, while winning the Mid-Atlantic Prep League title.
Previously graduated from Kellenberg Memorial High School in Uniondale, N.Y., where he played for head coach Kevin Hanifan.
Led Kellenberg to two straight undefeated seasons and two Catholic High School Football League AA titles.
Named the most valuable player of the CHSFL championship game in both 2017 and 2018.
Earned All-New York state, All-Long Island and All-Metro honors.
Accounted for 101 touchdowns during his prep career.
Also played lacrosse and basketball.

PERSONAL: