View source for Matt Millen

{{Short description|American football player and executive (born 1958)}}
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{{Use American English|date=May 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Matt Millen
| image         = Matt Millen NFL Network.jpg
| caption       = Millen in 2009
| number        = 55, 54, 57
| position      = [[Linebacker]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1958|03|12}}
| birth_place   = [[Hokendauqua, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| height_ft     = 6
| height_in     = 2
| weight_lb     = 250
| high_school   = [[Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania)|Whitehall]] {{nowrap|([[Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania]])}}
| college       = [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]]
| draftyear     = 1980
| draftround    = 2
| draftpick     = 43
| pastteams     =
* [[Oakland Raiders|Oakland / Los Angeles Raiders]] ({{NFL Year|1980}}–{{NFL Year|1988}})
* [[San Francisco 49ers]] ({{NFL Year|1989}}–{{NFL Year|1990}})
* [[Washington Redskins]] ({{NFL Year|1991}})
| pastexecutive =
* [[Detroit Lions]] ({{NFL Year|2001}}–{{NFL Year|2008}})<br>President & CEO
| highlights    =
* 4× [[List of Super Bowl champions|Super Bowl champion]] ([[Super Bowl XV|XV]], [[Super Bowl XVIII|XVIII]], [[Super Bowl XXIV|XXIV]], [[Super Bowl XXVI|XXVI]])
* [[Pro Bowl]] ([[1989 Pro Bowl|1988]])
* First-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1978 College Football All-America Team|1978]])
* First-team All-East ([[1978 All-East football team|1978]])
* Second-team All-East ([[1979 All-East football team|1979]])
| statlabel1    = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue1    = 9
| statlabel2    = [[Quarterback sack|Sacks]]
| statvalue2    = 17.0
| statlabel3    = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue3    = 8
| pfr           = MillMa01
}}

'''Matthew George Millen''' (born March 12, 1958) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player and executive in the [[National Football League]] (NFL). Millen played as a [[linebacker]] for 12 years for the [[Oakland Raiders|Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders]], [[San Francisco 49ers]], and [[Washington Redskins]], playing on four [[Super Bowl]]-winning teams and is the only player to win a [[Super Bowl ring]] with three different franchises.<ref>[http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=3290 Super Bowl champs on Lions roster] Detroit Lions.com.</ref><ref>[http://www.football.com/cgi-bin/posters/printPost.cgi?pa=yes&category=nflfeature1&PID=2767&at=generic.shtml Lions to stick with Millen by Dan Haugh] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020044117/http://www.football.com/cgi-bin/posters/printPost.cgi?pa=yes&category=nflfeature1&PID=2767&at=generic.shtml |date=October 20, 2006 }} Football.com.</ref>

Following his NFL playing career, Millen was a football commentator for several national television and radio networks. His last job before joining the Lions was as a member of the number two broadcast team for ''[[NFL on Fox]]'',<ref>[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_19981130/ai_n10470074 Fox's No. 2 announcing team proving itself to be first-rate] The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.</ref> and the color commentator for ''[[Monday Night Football]]'' on [[NFL on Westwood One|Westwood One]]. On February 1, 2009, he joined the [[NBC Sports|NBC]] broadcast team for pre-game analysis of [[Super Bowl XLIII]]. He has also been employed by [[ESPN]] as an NFL and college football analyst, and by the [[NFL Network]] as a color commentator on ''[[Thursday Night Football]].''<ref>[http://www.freep.com/article/20110505/SPORTS01/110505052/It-s-official-Matt-Millen-out-NFL-Network] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110509070812/http://www.freep.com/article/20110505/SPORTS01/110505052/It-s-official-Matt-Millen-out-NFL-Network|date=May 9, 2011}}</ref>

In [[2001 Detroit Lions season|2001]], Millen was hired as president and chief executive officer of the [[Detroit Lions]] and served in that position until [[2008 Detroit Lions season|2008]]. His eight-year tenure as head of Detroit Lions led to the worst eight-year record in the history of the modern NFL (31–84, a .270 winning percentage),<ref>{{cite web|last=Rank|first=Adam|url=http://www.nfl.com/photoessays/0ap1000000148907/not-so-great-wizards-of-the-nfl|title=Not so great Wizards of the NFL|publisher=[[National Football League]]|date=March 8, 2013|access-date=March 8, 2013}}</ref> leading to fan outrage, and ultimately his termination from the franchise on September 24, 2008. Millen assembled the personnel and coaching staff of the [[2008 Detroit Lions season|2008 Lions]], which became the first team to go [[List of winless seasons|0–16]]. It stood as the worst single-season record in NFL history until [[2017 NFL season|2017]], when it was tied by the [[2017 Cleveland Browns season|2017 Cleveland Browns]] who went winless in the season. He is generally regarded among the worst general managers in the history of modern sports.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keri |first=Jonah |date=September 25, 2008 |title=Keri: Worst GMS in sports history - ESPN Page 2 |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=keri/080925 |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=ESPN.com}}</ref>

In 2015, Millen returned to broadcasting with [[Fox NFL]] and debuted on the [[Big Ten Network]].

==Early life and education==
Millen was born and grew up in the [[Hokendauqua, Pennsylvania|Hokendauqua]] section of [[Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania]], a suburb of [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]]. He attended [[Whitehall High School (Pennsylvania)|Whitehall High School]] in Pennsylvania's [[Lehigh Valley]] region. Whitehall High School competes in the [[Eastern Pennsylvania Conference]], an elite high school athletic conference known for producing a great number of [[National Football League]] and other professional athletes, and Millen was a standout football player for the school.

Whitehall High School later permanently retired Millen's Whitehall football jersey number (#83) in honor of his high school, collegiate, and NFL football accomplishments, making him one of only three Whitehall High School football players, along with fellow Whitehall High School alumni and NFL stars [[Saquon Barkley]] (#21) and [[Dan Koppen]] (#77), to have their Whitehall jersey numbers permanently retired in the school's history.

In April 2022, Millen also was inducted into the Lehigh Valley Sports Hall of Fame.<ref>[https://www.wfmz.com/sports/lehigh-valley-sports-hall-of-fame-to-welcome-11-new-members-in-may/article_1d1f0aba-b77c-11ec-b4fe-4360ad05050c.html "Lehigh Valley Sports Hall of Fame to welcome 11 new members in May"] WFMZ, April 8, 2022</ref>

===Penn State Nittany Lions===
[[File:Football signed by 1978 Penn State Nittany Lions (1987.576).jpg|thumb|A football signed by Millen and other members of the [[1978 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|1978 Penn State team]] given to former U.S. president [[Gerald Ford]]]]
Millen was recruited from Whitehall High School by [[Penn State Nittany Lions football|Penn State]], where he played for the Nittany Lions in the [[1976 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|1976]], [[1977 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|1977]], [[1978 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|1978]], and [[1979 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|1979]] seasons. In 1978, Millen was named an [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] [[defensive tackle]] for Penn State.<ref>{{cite web |title=#60 Matt Millen |url=http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/millen_matt00.html |work=Penn State Athletics |access-date=September 28, 2011}}</ref>

==Career==
===National Football League===
Following his career at Penn State, Millen entered the [[1980 NFL draft]] and was selected by the [[Oakland Raiders]] with the draft's 43rd overall selection in the second round.

During his 12-year [[National Football League]] playing career, Millen played for the Raiders, the [[San Francisco 49ers]], and the [[Washington Redskins]]. He won a Super Bowl with each of these teams, including two with the Raiders (one when the team was based in [[Oakland, California|Oakland]] and one during their stint in [[Los Angeles]]). He won one Super Bowl each with the 49ers and Redskins, though he was deactivated for [[Super Bowl XXVI]] while with the Redskins.<ref>[http://www.nfluk.com/features-display.php?id=1923 Halling's Hall of Fame] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927022641/http://www.nfluk.com/features-display.php?id=1923 |date=September 27, 2007 }} NFLUK.com.</ref> As of 2025, Millen is the only player in NFL history to have won Super Bowls with three different teams.

During his NFL career, he was selected to play in the [[Pro Bowl]] in [[1988 NFL season|1988]].  Millen finished his 12 NFL seasons with 11 sacks and nine interceptions, which he returned for 132 yards, and eight fumble recoveries. He also returned seven kickoffs for 72 yards. Tackles were not yet being officially recorded at that time.

===Television and radio===
Following his professional football career, Millen worked as a [[color commentator]] for [[NFL on CBS|CBS]]  (which teamed him with [[Sean McDonough]], [[Paul Olden]], [[Mike Emrick]], and [[Tim Ryan (sportscaster)|Tim Ryan]]), and for [[NFL on Fox|Fox]] (which teamed him with [[Dick Stockton]]). He also provided game analysis for the radio broadcasts of ''[[Monday Night Football]]'', working alongside [[Howard David]] on [[CBS]]'s [[NFL on Westwood One|Westwood One]] radio network.

At Fox, Millen came to be considered the number-two analyst for its nationally broadcast games, behind [[John Madden]] (who had been teaming for years with [[Pat Summerall]]). He filled in for Madden, alongside Summerall, on the 1997 [[American Bowl]] game because John Madden had [[fear of flying|fears of flying]].

Millen returned to broadcasting when he served as a studio analyst for [[Football Night in America|NBC]]'s coverage of Wild Card Saturday,<ref>{{cite web|author=MJD |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Matt-Millen-finds-himself-busy-on-a-Playoff-Satu?urn=nfl,132004 |title=Matt Millen finds himself busy on a Playoff Saturday - Yahoo! Sports |publisher=Sports.yahoo.com |date=March 22, 2012 |access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref> his first television appearance in an analyst role since the 2000 NFC Divisional Playoffs, and reprised that role for NBC on their coverage of [[Super Bowl XLIII]].

On June 15, 2009, Millen was named the lead analyst for the NFL Network's [[Run to the Playoffs|''Thursday Night Football'' telecast]], replacing [[Cris Collinsworth]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story?id=09000d5d810d51ce&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true |title=Millen named analyst for NFL Network's Thursday Night Football |work=Nfl.com |date=June 15, 2009 |access-date=March 29, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105025103/http://www.nfl.com/nflnetwork/story?id=09000d5d810d51ce&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true |archive-date=November 5, 2012 }}</ref>  He was also a color analyst for [[ESPN College Football]] telecasts, teaming with Sean McDonough, [[Joe Tessitore]], and [[Bob Wischusen]]. Since 2015, Millen has provided color commentary for college games on the [[Big Ten Network]] and occasionally for [[NFL on Fox]].

===Detroit Lions management===
In [[2001 NFL season|2001]], Millen left broadcasting to assume the job of the [[Detroit Lions]]' CEO and ''de facto'' [[general manager]]. At that time, Millen had no prior player development or front office experience.  When first approached by owner [[William Clay Ford Sr.]] about the job, Millen told him "Mr. Ford, I really appreciate this, but I'm not qualified."  Ford responded "You're smart. You'll figure it out."<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Rosenberg|first1=Michael|title=THE SEVEN-YEAR GLITCH|url=https://vault.si.com/vault/2013/12/02/the-sevenyear-glitch|magazine=Sports Illustrated|access-date=January 3, 2017}}</ref>

Millen was the Lions' CEO for seven full seasons, from [[2001 Detroit Lions season|2001]] to [[2007 Detroit Lions season|2007]]; during that time, the club compiled a record of 31–81 (with at least nine losses each season). Detroit's .277 winning percentage was among the worst ever compiled by an NFL team over a seven-year period; only the [[Chicago Cardinals]] of [[1939 Chicago Cardinals season|1939]]-[[1945 Chicago Cardinals season|1945]] (10–61–3, .141)<ref>This includes the 1944 season, in which the Cardinals merged with the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] and were known as [[Card-Pitt]], finishing with a 0-10 record. The NFL, however, usually considers Card-Pitt a separate franchise from both the Cardinals and the Steelers; if 1944 is not included but 1938 is, the Cardinals' seven-year ([[1938 Chicago Cardinals season|1938]]-[[1943 Chicago Cardinals season|1943]], 1945) mark would've been 12-60-3 for a .167 winning percentage, still the worst in league history.</ref> and the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]] of [[1983 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|1983]]–[[1989 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season|1989]] (26–86, .234) were less successful.

During the early part of Millen's tenure (2001–[[2003 Detroit Lions season|2003]]), the Lions failed to win a road game for three years (0–24) before opening the season with a win at the [[2004 Chicago Bears season|Chicago Bears]] in [[2004 Detroit Lions season|2004]]. Overall, the Lions went 8–50 on the road during the Millen era.<ref>Source: Profootballreference.com</ref>  Millen himself admitted to an interviewer in 2008 that the team's record under his leadership has been "beyond awful."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3259255 |title=Millen sympathizes with fans; has confidence in Marinelli, future |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=February 22, 2008 |access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref>  The ''[[Wall Street Journal]]'' said that NFL executives admit in private that Millen "has made more bad draft decisions than anyone else in two centuries."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120915476422645617 | work=The Wall Street Journal | title=The Sleeping Lion | first=Allen | last=Barra | date=April 26, 2008}}</ref>

Despite the team's record on the field, Millen was the second-highest paid general manager in the NFL.<ref>[http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/chargers/20080102-9999-1s2smith.html] Sign On San Diego.</ref>  With a draft record that included a number of high first-round draft picks who were considered poor choices, including [[Charles Rogers (wide receiver)|Charles Rogers]], [[Joey Harrington]], [[Mike Williams (wide receiver, born 1984)|Mike Williams]] (chosen over [[DeMarcus Ware]] despite initial organizational agreement for Ware), and others,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2006/12/02/lions_share_of_blame_goes_to_millen/ |title=Lion's share of blame goes to Millen - The Boston Globe |publisher=Boston.com |date=December 2, 2006 |access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref> and widespread disappointment among fans, the [[Detroit]] media, and even some players, Millen received a five-year contract extension from Ford at the start of the [[2005 Detroit Lions season|2005]] season.<ref>[http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=426876 President CEO Matt Millen Signs Five-Year Contract Extension] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060519135809/http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=426876 |date=May 19, 2006 }} DetroitLions.com.</ref> Following the team's 3–13 performance in [[2006 Detroit Lions season|2006]], Ford announced that Millen would be retained as general manager for at least another season, because, according to inside sources to the Ford family, they still believed that Millen was the best general manager that the Lions ever had.<ref>[http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070103/SPORTS0101/701030394&SearchID=73268180347664 Lions' Millen: 'I'll never quit'] The Detroit News.</ref>
On September 24, [[2008 Detroit Lions season|2008]], Millen was confirmed to no longer hold his positions with the Lions. Whether he was dismissed or resigned was unclear.<ref>[http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8601458/Millen-out-as-Lions-president,-GM Millen out as Lions president, GM] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925143450/http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8601458/Millen-out-as-Lions-president%2C-GM |date=September 25, 2008 }} Fox Sports.</ref> It was later reported by a team official that Millen was actually fired.<ref>{{cite web|author=AP File Photo |url=http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/2008/09/its_confirmed_the_lions_have_f.html |title=It's confirmed - the Lions have fired Millen |date=September 24, 2008 |publisher=Mlive.com |access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref>

====Competition committee====
Millen was named to the [[NFL competition committee]] on August 4, 2006.<ref name="prodigy">[https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2539393 Lions' Millen named to NFL's competition committee], espn.com. Retrieved August 4, 2006.</ref>

===="Fire Millen" movement====
[[Image:LionsFans.jpg|thumb|Angry [[Detroit Lions]] fans organizing a "Fire Millen" protest in December 2005]]
[[Image:Keepmillen.JPG|thumb|Rival [[Green Bay Packers]] fans at [[Lambeau Field]] fans insisting the Lions "Keep Millen" in September 2007]]
Chants of "Fire Millen!" began to spread among the Lions fanbase during a college basketball game between [[2004–05 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team|Michigan State]] and [[Wichita State Shockers men's basketball|Wichita State]] at [[The Palace of Auburn Hills]] on December 10, 2005. It started when ousted Lions [[head coach|coach]] [[Steve Mariucci]] was shown on the big screen, prompting a standing ovation for Mariucci and a loud chant of "Fire Millen!"<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20211020171909/https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap/_/gameId/253440127 Spartans winners of six straight]</ref> The chant was then heard during various home and away games of the other Detroit sports teams. It was also heard during [[Michigan Wolverines men's basketball|Michigan]] and [[Michigan State Spartans men's basketball|Michigan State]] basketball games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fans express ire, want Millen fired|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2005/12/07/fans-express-ire-want-millen-fired/|website=Tampa Bay Times|date=December 7, 2005|access-date=March 18, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Fans ESPN">{{cite web|title=Fans take aim again at Lions GM Millen|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=2264484|website=ESPN.com|agency=Associated Press|date=December 18, 2005|access-date=March 18, 2022}}</ref> Former Pistons [[power forward (basketball)|power forward]] [[Rasheed Wallace]] even took part in the chant during a late timeout in a December 16, [[2005-06 NBA season|2005]] game against the [[Chicago Bulls]].<ref name="Fans ESPN"/> A "Fire Millen" sign was shown in the background of a February 3, 2007 broadcast of [[ESPN]] ''[[College GameDay (basketball)|College GameDay]]'' at the [[University of Kansas]].  One large sign with the "Fire Millen" slogan was removed by NCAA officials at the [[NCAA Division II Football Championship]] in [[Braly Municipal Stadium|Florence, Alabama]].

"Fire Millen" turned up in a background sign in the sports-oriented [[comic strip]] ''[[Gil Thorp]]'' on February 20, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gil Thorp by Neal Rubin and Rod Whigham for February 20, 2006|url=https://www.gocomics.com/gilthorp/2006/02/20|website=[[GoComics]]|date=February 20, 2006|access-date=March 24, 2022}}</ref>

The "Fire Millen" chant returned in force to Ford Field during the second half of the 2006 [[NFL on Thanksgiving Day|Thanksgiving Day game]] between the Detroit Lions and the [[Miami Dolphins]],<ref>[https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap;_ylt=Am7beiAeKWc0RkHlv1wBhCKF2bYF?gid=20061123008&prov=ap Miami 27, Detroit 10] Yahoo! Sports.</ref> when former Lions quarterback and first-round pick [[Joey Harrington]], often a [[scapegoat]] for the Lions problems, led the Dolphins to a 27–10 victory over the Lions, dropping the Lions' record to 2–9. More "Fire Millen" chants were heard at wrestling events, including [[WWE]]'s [[WrestleMania 23]] at [[Ford Field]] and [[Total Nonstop Action Wrestling|TNA]]'s [[Bound for Glory (2006)|Bound for Glory]]. For 2008, the "Fire Millen" chants were back in force during the game against the [[Green Bay Packers]].

====Other protests====
On December 6, 2005, [[Detroit]] sports talk radio station [[WDFN]] announced the "Angry Fan March", also known as the "Millen Man March", in protest of Millen's contract extension.<ref name="Fans ESPN"/>

On December 9, 2005, in protest of Millen's poor record, Detroit Lions fan site "The Lions Fanatics” organized a walkout led by site owner Dan Spanos, which encouraged Lions fans to show up at [[Ford Field]] clad in [[orange (color)|hunter's orange]], the color of their opponent that week, the [[Cincinnati Bengals]].<ref>[http://www.thelionsfanatics.com/insider_news_178.html Asking For Your Support] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060926200546/http://thelionsfanatics.com/insider_news_178.html |date=September 26, 2006 }} The Lions Fanatics.</ref>

In a game against the [[Chicago Bears]] on December 24, 2006, another group of fans, led by Herbert Nicholl Jr., planned a walkout protest towards the end of the first half to express their disgust with Millen's management.<ref>[http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2006/12/06/lions-fans-are-mobilizing-their-hatred-of-matt-millen/ Lions Fans are Mobilizing Their Hatred of Matt Millen] AOL Sports.</ref><ref>[http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-156029988/bears-getting-used-friendly.html bears getting used friendly] Chicago Tribune.</ref>

====Terminated from the Lions====
After a 0–3 start to the [[2008 Detroit Lions season|2008 season]], Lions vice chairman and [[Ford Motor Company]] Executive Chairman [[William Clay Ford Jr.]], told reporters on September 22, 2008, if it were up to him, he would fire Millen.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3603062 |title=Ford Jr. says if he was in charge of father's Lions, he'd fire Millen |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=September 22, 2008 |access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref> Despite this, the elder Ford claimed he had no plans to dismiss Millen.

Two days later, however, on September 24, 2008, Millen's tenure as team president and general manager ended.<ref>[http://failuremag.com/feature/article/the_failure_of_detroit_lions_GM_matt_millen/ Zasky, Jason, "The Failure of Detroit Lions G.M. Matt Millen"], ''[[Failure Magazine]]''</ref> Lions owner William Clay Ford later announced that Millen had been relieved of his duties as Lions general manager and team president.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story/_/id/3606294|title=Millen removed as Lions team president, CEO|website=ESPN|date=September 24, 2008 |access-date=2024-07-15}}</ref> The Lions finished the 2008 season with a record of 0–16 and did not win again until Week 3 of the [[2009 Detroit Lions season|2009 season]].

On the January 3, 2009, edition of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Football Night in America]]'', Millen admitted his role in the team's downfall, saying he would have fired himself after the 2008 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3808086 |title=Millen says Lions' downfall is his fault |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=January 6, 2009 |access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref>

During the pre-game show for [[Super Bowl XLIII]], [[WDIV-TV]], the [[NBC]] affiliate in Detroit, ran a ticker on their website, asking viewers to question his credibility as an [[NBC Sports]] panelist, given his past with the Lions;<ref name="warning-mattmillen">{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/article/20090202/SPORTS01/902020356/1049/SPORTS01/Warning++Matt+Millen+s+on+ |title=Warning! Matt Millen's On |last=Shrader |first=Steve |date=February 2, 2009 |publisher=The Detroit Free Press |access-date=February 2, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090205134519/http://freep.com/article/20090202/SPORTS01/902020356/1049/SPORTS01/Warning%2B%2BMatt%2BMillen%2Bs%2Bon%2B |archive-date=February 5, 2009 }}</ref> over 36 pages of comments were posted on the station's website.<ref name="codnotovermm">{{cite web|url=http://deadspin.com/5144695/city-of-detroit-still-not-over-matt-millen|title=City Of Detroit Still Not Over Matt Millen|last=Bennett|first=Dashiell |date=February 2, 2009|publisher=Deadspin|access-date=February 2, 2009}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Millen is married to Patricia Millen. They have four children and ten grandchildren.<ref>{{cite web |title=Matt Millen '80 Bus |url=https://directory.alumni.psu.edu/s/1218/16/interior.aspx?sid=1218&gid=4&pgid=5668&cid=28723&ecid=28723&crid=0&calpgid=4254&calcid=28718 |access-date=19 December 2020}}</ref>

Millen was diagnosed with the rare disease [[amyloidosis]] in 2017. In Millen's case, the disease affected his heart, reducing it to operating at about 30 percent capacity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcall.com/sports/college/psu/mc-spt-matt-millen-big-ten-network-20180908-story.html# |title=Big Ten Network's story on Matt Millen and his battle with amyloidosis |work=themorningcall.com |publisher=Mccall.com |date=September 8, 2018 |access-date=September 8, 2018 |last1=Wogenrich |first1=Mark }}</ref> Millen was told he needed a [[heart transplantation|heart transplant]] to continue living. As he waited for one, he began chemotherapy to rid himself of the amyloidosis.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/23350832/matt-millen-former-detroit-lions-president-battling-rare-disease-amyloidosis | title=Matt Millen battling amyloidosis, might need heart transplant | date=April 29, 2018 }}</ref>  The transplant surgery was performed successfully at [[Newark Beth Israel Medical Center|Beth Israel Medical Center]] in [[Newark, New Jersey]] on Christmas Eve 2018.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shook |first1=Nick |title=Matt Millen undergoes successful heart transplant |url=https://www.nfl.com/news/matt-millen-undergoes-successful-heart-transplant-0ap3000001004037 |website=NFL |access-date=6 March 2019}}</ref>

==Controversies==
On January 5, 1986, at [[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]], after losing the [[American Football Conference|AFC]] divisional playoff game to the [[New England Patriots]], Millen intervened in an on-field dispute between Raiders player and teammate [[Howie Long]] and Patriots general manager, [[Patrick Sullivan (American football executive)|Patrick Sullivan]], by punching Sullivan in the face. Sullivan said the punch made him "see stars" and that he required stitches. Millen later called the incident "a good hit."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://deadspin.com/5901978/the-time-matt-millen-punched-patriots-general-manager-pat-sullivan-in-the-head|title=The Time Matt Millen Punched Patriots General Manager Pat Sullivan in the Head |publisher=Deadspin.com |date= September 19, 2014}}</ref>

In December 2003, following a [[Detroit Lions]] 45–17 loss to the [[2003 Kansas City Chiefs season|Kansas City Chiefs]] at [[Arrowhead Stadium]], Millen came under fire after a postgame incident with former Lions and then-Chiefs wide receiver [[Johnnie Morton]].  Millen tried to congratulate some of the Chiefs players near the Chiefs' locker room, when he confronted Morton, who claimed that he wasn't going to say anything to Millen. When he walked by him, Millen said, "Hey Johnnie." Morton ignored him, and then Millen replied, "Nice talking to you," and Morton replied "Kiss my ass."  That's when Millen shouted, "You [[Faggot (slang)|faggot]]! Yeah, you heard me. You faggot!" at Morton, which was heard by a member of the Chiefs public relations staff and a columnist for ''[[The Kansas City Star]]''. After he was informed of Millen's remarks, Morton replied, "I apologize for what I said, but I never expected anything like that. What he said is demeaning and bigoted." Millen apologized for his remarks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.outsports.com/2013/2/20/4010160/matt-millen-calls-player-a-faggot |title=NFL Exec Calls Player "Faggot" |publisher=Outsports.com |date=December 15, 2003 |access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref> There had been bad blood between the two since Morton was released by the Lions after the [[2001 Detroit Lions season|2001 season]], and Morton felt like Millen "tossed him aside."

On April 24, 2010, at the [[2010 NFL draft]] in [[Manhattan]], Millen referred to fellow [[ESPN]] commentator [[Ron Jaworski]] as a "[[Polack]]," after which he made an on-air apology, stating that he "didn't mean anything" by the remark.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/24/matt-millen-apologizes-for-calling-jaws-a-polack/ |title=Matt Millen apologizes for calling Jaws a "Polack" |date=April 24, 2010 |publisher=Profootballtalk.nbcsports.com |access-date=March 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beatweek.com/blog/4868-matt-millen-apologizes-to-ron-jaworski/ |title=Matt Millen apologizes to Ron Jaworski : Beatweek Magazine |publisher=Beatweek.com |date=April 24, 2010 |access-date=June 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118093843/http://www.beatweek.com/blog/4868-matt-millen-apologizes-to-ron-jaworski/ |archive-date=January 18, 2013 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MillMa01.htm "Matt Millen"] at [[Pro-Football-Reference.com]]
* [https://www.foxsports.com/presspass/bios/on-air/matt-millen/ "Matt Millen"] at [[Fox Sports]]
* [https://www.profootballhistory.com/matt-millen/ "The Life and Career of Matt Millen"] at Pro Football History

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