After a year at Milford Academy, a prep school in Connecticut, he moved on to Nebraska, where he played from 1994 to 1997.
Matakevich went on to play a year of post-graduate football at Milford Academy in New York.
He attended the Milford Academy, graduating at the top of his class in 1971.
In recent years Milford Academy has struggled to keep its doors open.
The mayor also said the continued existence of the school would ensure that the economic impact of Milford Academy would expand.
Administrators at Milford Academy are trying to look ahead even as they try to put their problems in the past.
He said he is optimistic that Milford Academy will overcome its most difficult battle.
Despite its problems, Milford Academy has managed to move its students toward college scholarships.
Football players at Milford Academy typically spend one semester at the school, taking classes and playing against other teams before heading off to college.
He then enrolled at Milford Academy, a preparatory school in New York.