Matt Milano

BIOGRAPHY

Matthew Vincent Milano’s journey from Gridiron play in College to securing his place as a Pro-Bowler in the NFL spans over an impressive career that we are about to unravel in this extended 2500-word bio. Born on July 28, 1994, Milano is an American professional football linebacker famous for his representation of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL).

Shaping his career’s early years, Milano played college football at Boston College, benefitting from being under the expert tutelage of Head Coach Steve Addazio. This strategic training helped prove Milano as a force to be reckoned with – his hard work and skills won him a spot on the Buffalo Bills’ team in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft. Interestingly, the pick used to draft him resulted from a swap with the New England Patriots to compensate for their signing of free agent running back Mike Gillislee.

Once signed by the Bills on May 11, 2017, onto a four-year, $2.66 million contract, Milano displayed his dedication by competing against veterans Ramon Humber and Gerald Hodges for the coveted role of starting weak side linebacker. His tenacity was noted by Head Coach Sean McDermott who named him the backup linebacker. Little did they know that Milano was gradually making his way to the very top.

Milano’s first professional career start came on October 8, 2017, during a match where he registered four combined tackles; even though his team suffered a 20-16 loss against the Cincinnati Bengals, it didn’t break his morale. In fact, it amplified his gusto, and he hit back with a remarkable performance during the subsequent game, claiming five combined tackles and making his first career interception. It exponentially increased his standing when he further scored his first career touchdown in Week 8, securing a 34-14 win against the Oakland Raiders.

Throughout the remaining season, Milano alternated between being the backup and the starting weakside linebacker. Despite facing a hamstring injury which made him miss AFC Wild Card Round loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars, he finished his rookie season with admirable stats: 49 combined tackles, two pass deflections, one interception, and a fumble recovery over the span of 16 games.

Milano’s second season saw him earning the title of AFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 3. He kept edging forward until an unfortunate broken fibula and a subsequent season-ending surgery paused his incredible run. But that didn’t stop the fighter in Milano. After recovery, he bounced back and recorded a career high of 100 combined tackles, becoming instrumental in getting Buffalo back into the playoffs. Even though the Bills faced a 22-19 loss against Houston Texans, Milano impressed all with a game-high 12 tackles.

Once recovered from his pectoral injury in 2020, Milano made a triumphant comeback. He showcased his skills in ten games, making 3.5 sacks, 45 total tackles, one interception, and three passes defended. He also made a significant contribution to the Bills’ playoff games despite some tough matches against the Jets.

On March 11, 2021, Milano signed a four-year contract extension with the Bills. He had a busy season and recorded his highest nine tackles and finished the season with promising stats with 86 total tackles and three sacks. Motivated by his success, he started the next season strong too.

In the 2022 season, he recovered an impressive total of 99 tackles, intercepted the ball three times, and defended 11 passes. Milano’s fantastic performance earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl Games and first team All-Pro honors. Despite a setback when he got injured with a fractured leg in a game against the Jaguars, he bounced back again.

However, in 2024, a torn biceps in a practice session led to a surgery and indefinitely pulled him out of the game. Despite these substantial setbacks, Milano’s tenacity and ambition to achieve more have kept him going. The milestones he managed to conquer in his career so far make him a respected figure, and there’s no doubt that Milano will get back stronger and perform better than ever before, once he recovers. His story is a testimony to the age-old adage, “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”