Remember Matt Light? The former New England Patriots left tackle covered Tom Brady’s blindside for more than a decade. A three-time Super Bowl champ and Patriots Hall of Famer, Light is one of the most beloved players of his generation. The former tackle is also remembered as a big-time jokester in Foxborough — and even got busted for hunting behind Gillette Stadium. Let’s check in to see what he’s doing these days:
Where are former Patriots now? Matt Light (2001-2011)
The 46-year-old Light sold his $2 million Foxborough home in November 2023. But he didn’t move too far. He now lives in Glocester, Rhode Island and is involved in a variety of off-the-field ventures.
Light makes appearances as a keynote speaker, emcee and auctioneer. He is also heavily involved with the Light Foundation, which operates in Massachusetts and Ohio. The foundation, which Light runs with his wife Susie, aims to “help young people develop the skills, values, and mindset they need to create a meaningful and productive future.”
Last month, Light spoke in front of a Glocester Town Council meeting with a proposal to help salvage a historic building, which was slated for demolition. Through his foundation, Light runs a timber frame education program for youth.
“There is a considerable amount of frame that is in good enough shape that we can preserve a lot of the history of this area,” Light said, via NRI Now. “For me that is important. When we teach timber framing, we want to make sure the kids can see real world examples.”
Light also spends part of his time back in his home state of Ohio. Since 2009, his foundation has been developing Chenoweth Trails, a 500-acre property near his hometown of Greenville, Ohio. The property holds six miles of wooded trails and facilities for outdoor activities, hosting 7,000 visitors per year.
Light is an avid fan of hunting, having admitted earlier this year to hunting turkeys near Gillette Stadium before getting busted by Bill Belichick. The former tackle hosts an annual Youth Wild Turkey Hunt back in Ohio.
There’s also the Matt Light Celebrity Shoot-Out, an annual clay shooting tournament. Last year, the event raised over $1 million for the Light Foundation.
Light was famous for his joking nature and pranks during his time with the Patriots. He even went as far as pranking Belichick. The former tackle says he replaced the mouse on the coach’s computer with one that would shock the user.
“That did not go well. He lost all the information on his computer,” Light said. “He was angry at me for about a month. I had to run a little extra in practice. But we made it through it.”
A second-round pick out of Purdue in 2001, Light quickly worked his way into the starting lineup at left tackle. He was a cornerstone of New England’s offensive line for a decade, setting the standard at that position during Brady’s time in New England.
Light was a three-time Pro Bowl and one-time All-Pro selection. He was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2018.
After his retirement, Light had a brief stint as a talking head on ESPN. However, he left the TV gig after about a year.
“Putting a suit on and talking sports, I could do that, but I just knew it wasn’t me,” Light said to the Dayton Daily News in 2013. “I just knew it was not something I wanted to do.”
In 2022, Light ran for a spot on the Foxborough School Committee and finished third, falling short of election.
In 2011, Light co-founded KEEL Vodka in Newport, Rhode Island. In 2023, KEEL was acquired by Newport Craft Distilling.
