Background
Szczur was born in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, and grew up in Erma, New Jersey, He attended Lower Cape May Regional High School, where he earned varsity letters in football, baseball, and track and field
baseball player American football player
Szczur was born in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, and grew up in Erma, New Jersey, He attended Lower Cape May Regional High School, where he earned varsity letters in football, baseball, and track and field
Szczur played wide receiver, running back, wildcat QB and was a return specialist on special teams for the Villanova Wildcats football team He gained 270 all-purpose yards and scored two touchdowns in a winning effort in the 2009 Division I FCS National Championship Game helping Villanova capture their first National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Championship. He was named Most Valuable Player of that Championship Game.
Also was a consensus All-American and 2009 Civil Aeronautics Administration Offensive Player of the Year.
Matt also played centerfield for the Villanova Baseball Program.
He played college football and baseball at Villanova University prior to signing a professional contract with the Cubs in January 2011. Szczur was drafted in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft out of high school by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 38th round, but decided to attend Villanova University instead. Szczur signed a contract with the Chicago Cubs organization, which drafted him in the fifth-round of the 2010 Major League Baseball Draft.
He received a $100,000 signing bonus, with an additional $500,000 if he declined to attend the NFL combine and made a written commitment to baseball before February 10, 2011.
He was assigned to the club"s short season Class-A team, the Boise Hawks, and first appeared in uniform July 8, 2010. He was then promoted to the club"s mid-A team, the Peoria Chiefs on July 27, 2010.
He hit.347 in 25 games in 2010. After the 2010 season, Szczur committed to baseball and signed a $1.5 million deal with the Cubs in January 2011.
As he was released from his initial contract and signed a new contract to receive the bonus, he would have been eligible in the 2011 Rule 5 draft if not added to the Cubs" 40 man roster.
On July 9, 2011, Szczur was assigned to the Class A-Advanced Daytona Cubs roster. On July 27, 2012, Szczur was promoted to the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. On August 16, 2014, Szczur was called up to the Cubs.
He made his debut with the Cubs the next day.
In 2015 Matt would spend time with the Iowa Cubs but would be recalled to Chicago on June 2. In 2009, Szczur donated bone marrow to a 15-month-old Ukrainian girl named Anastasia battling Leukemia.
Szczur essentially saved the girls life given how hard it would have been to find another person that was a match for bone marrow and the severity of her condition. lieutenant was documented in East:60 Risking it All, which is one of Entertainment and Sports Programming Network"s East:60 presentations.