Matt Mercer ’94
Year: Class of 2025
Team: Football
One of the greatest defensive players to ever play at WPI, Mercer was a tenacious competitor with a nose for the football. He is one of only three players in Engineers' history to accumulate over 300 career tackles, joining now-fellow Hall of Famer John Pires and Brian Murtagh.
Mercer was one of the leaders of the WPI defense during a Golden Age of accomplishments for the Engineers, with a career record of 29-9-1. In 1990, he helped lead the team to an undefeated regular season. The next year they played in an ECAC Bowl Game, followed by two Freedom Conference championships in 1992 and 1993, the first of which led to the only NCAA playoff appearance in program history.
The final season of his career was Mercer’s most productive and decorated campaign. He recorded 122 of his 322 career tackles during that season, and set WPI records that still stand today with 25 tackles in a single game and 13.5 tackles per game. A team captain that year, Mercer would be recognized in 1993 as the Freedom Conference Defensive MVP, an ECAC First Team Selection, and an Honorable Mention All- American.
“Matt Mercer was a machine on the football field,” stated Kevin Morris, WPI’s head coach in 1993. “He was non-stop to the ball, wreaking havoc on the way and upon arrival. Matt left it all on the field. One Sunday, a day after a game, I asked Matt what his physical status was, his response, with a smile, ‘total body pain.’ I can assure all our opponents had that same sentiment after 60 minutes against Matt. What a great player and a truly deserving recognition.”
Mercer joined the semipro football team, the Marlborough Shamrocks in the fall of 1994. The Shamrocks reached the national championship during all seven seasons that Mercer played, winning five titles as he was a 1994 All-American and selected as a top 45 player all-time in the Shamrocks program.
Professionally, Matt started as a design engineer for Raytheon and progressed this his career with Stanley Black and Decker and Novanta. He is currently the COO at Milsco, who provides seats for companies such as: Harley Davidson, John Deere, Stanley Black and Decker and Toyota.
Matt has lived in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, for the past 25 years with his wife Beth and children AJ and Logan.
