While watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, keep an eye out for #71 of the Carolina Panthers. It’s 6-8, 315-pound offensive right tackle Matt Willig, who moved to the Palisades bluffs a year ago with his wife, Chris, and their baby. Willig, a 12-year NFL veteran, is a native of Santa Fe Springs and was a standout player at USC. He entered the league as a defensive end but switched to tackle as a rookie with the New York Jets, where he spent the first three seasons of his pro career. He started a career-high 13 games at right tackle for the Atlanta Falcons in 1997, then had a short stint with the Green Bay Packers before earning a Super Bowl ring with the St. Louis Rams in 1999. Willig was traded to San Francisco prior to the 2000 season, where he played three seasons. He signed with Carolina as a free agent in August and has backed-up first-round draft choice Jordan Gross this season. Willig has started 34 of the 133 games he has played in the NFL.
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