John Matuszak

John Matuszak (October 25, 1950 - June 17, 1989) was a football player and actor who portrayed Sloth in The Goonies.

Life and career
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 25, 1950, Matuszak grew up playing football as a defensive end. He played for the University of Missouri during college, and was drafted into professional football for two teams at once, the Houston Oilers in the NFL and the Houston Texans in the WFL, before he was forced to stop playing both at once. Punishing him for this, he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, then the Washington Redskins before joining the Oakland Raiders. With the Raiders, he played in and won two Super Bowls.

Matuszak competed in the 1978 World's Strongest Man competition, placing ninth.

He began acting in the 80s and has been in multiple films, including Caveman, The Ice Pirates, and One Crazy Summer. His most well-known movie role was as Sloth in The Goonies. He also starred in numerous TV shows, such as M*A*S*H, The A-Team, and The Dukes of Hazzard.

Matuszak's autobiography, Cruisin' with the Tooz, written by Steve Delsohn, was published in 1987.

On June 17, 1989, Matuszak died from an overdose of dextropropoxyphene with cocaine powder found in his system; additional medical conditions such as an enlarged heart and underlying lung problems contributed to his death. He was 38 when he passed away.