RICHMOND, Ky. – Former Eastern Kentucky University tight end Matt Lengel (pictured) will try and help the New England Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI in Houston on Sunday, Feb. 5. The game, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m., will be televised by Fox.

Lengal joined the Patriots in November after serving on the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad for a year and a half.

He played in six games during the regular season and caught two passes for 22 yards and scored a touchdown. He caught his first NFL touchdown pass against the New York Jets on Dec. 24, an 18-yard reception. He had one catch for four yards in the season finale 35-14 victory at Miami.

The 6-7, 266-pound Lengel played on special teams in each of New England’s two playoff games, a 34-16 win over Houston and a 36-17 victory over Pittsburgh in the American Football Conference (AFC) championship game.

The native of Mechanicsburg, Pa., played tight end for the Colonels from 2010 to 2014. He fought back from season-ending injuries in 2012 and 2013 to play in 12 games as a senior with nine starts. He hauled in a season-high three receptions four times in 2014 and finished fifth on the squad with 16 catches for 139 yards. Lengel recorded his only two collegiate touchdown catches in 2011, which included a 55-yard scoring play against Chattanooga.

New England posted the best record in the NFL, going 14-2 during the regular season. The Falcons finished 11-5 and were the No. 2 seed in the National Football Conference (NFC).

EKU Athletics Photo