It’s a cool October afternoon, and the Bethel University Royals football team is playing Augsburg University in a MIAC Skyline division matchup. Auggie quarterback Ryan Harvey drops back to pass. He floats the ball over the middle, where Bethel linebacker Taylor Glynn tips it into the air. The ball appears bound to hit the turf for an incomplete pass before Royal defensive back Matt Jung, patrolling his usual centerfield safety spot, intercepts the pass.
It’s Jung’s sixth interception of the season, tying him for first in the nation. It’s also his 13th career interception. In just two seasons Jung has been named an All-MIAC and All-American player and competed internationally in football.
Hailing from the small town of Neenah, Wisconsin — 30 minutes south of Green Bay — Jung grew up surrounded by football for as long as he could remember. His father, Steve, is Neenah High School’s head coach, and both of his older brothers, Joe and Sam, went on to play Division II at St. Norbert University and North Dakota State University, respectively.
Despite his love for the game entering high school, Jung questioned if he had the size to play college football.
“Growing up, I was always the smallest kid,” Jung said.
Entering his sophomore year of high school, Jung stood just five feet eight inches tall and weighed a measly 135 pounds. He was the only one in his family who didn’t start on the varsity team as a sophomore.
Jung fell off a stool at the age of two, suffering a broken femur in his leg that required a spica cast – a cast for children that covers the lower half of the body – and seven months of relearning how to walk. The injury stunted Jung’s growth, leading to him consistently being one of the smallest players on the field.
“I would say in our parenting, that was the hardest thing… we got through, but I think that shaped Matt’s mindset.” Steve Jung said.
To chase down his dream of playing college football, Jung needed more than just his physical attributes.
Developing a strong work ethic and football IQ allowed Jung to continue playing through high school. By the time his junior year came around, Jung sprouted five inches — growing taller than both of his older brothers.
“Once he started growing, he got thick and strong,” Steve said. “But still, he was kind of like a baby giraffe, a bit gawky.”
The growth spurt allowed him to start as both a middle linebacker and cornerback his junior and senior year at Neenah. He received offers from multiple colleges including Bethel and Minnesota State University-Mankato (MSU).
Jung ultimately chose Division II MSU out of a desire to play at the highest level possible.
“Ultimately, Minnesota State-Mankato is really good at football, and that’s why I chose to go there,” Jung said. “Then I got there, and it wasn’t really what I thought. It wasn’t the same football.”
Jung felt that football at MSU lacked the family aspect he remembered experiencing while growing up in small-town Neenah. The chemistry wasn’t there, and he wanted to leave before the end of the season and his first semester. But his father wouldn’t let him.
Steve told Jung he could transfer after the season if he wanted, but he was not allowed to quit during the season.
“We’re gonna make mistakes, and you gotta live and you gotta own them,” Steve said. “And that’s part of life, so we made him stay.”
But another roadblock got in the way of Jung’s football career.
Jung suffered another leg injury on a non-contact play during a late season practice, breaking his fibula and tearing all of the tendons on both sides of his ankle. Facing another major surgery and rehabilitation process, his time at MSU ended.
December of 2022, Jung entered the transfer portal, unsure if he would ever recover fully and get the chance to play football again. This time he focused on the two teams that had recruited him the hardest the first time around: the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Bethel.
It was around Christmas time when Jung received a call from then-defensive coordinator Mike McElroy.
“We chatted two or three times in the midst of [his time in the transfer portal],” McElroy said. “He knew us, and we were losing a pretty good player at the time in Matt Feldick, so [Jung] had opportunities and things were open.”
A year earlier McElroy and the Royals pushed hard to recruit Jung, even attending one of his high school basketball games after he had already committed to MSU.
“[We’re] always trying to go after those guys who are fringe D-II or walk-on guys at higher levels,” McElroy said. “You get a couple of them, but lose a majority…but it’s just trying to have a good relationship, so you know, if things happen, you’ll have a relationship with those guys.”
The second time around, that relationship aspect sealed the deal for Jung when deciding between nearby-football-powerhouse Whitewater and the five-hour drive to Bethel.
He ultimately chose Bethel for the culture, small-school feel and family atmosphere he believed the football program would provide.
Jung recovered from his severe ankle injury and thrived in his first season under McElroy’s system in 2023.
As part of a defense that finished fifth nationally with 21 interceptions, Jung accounted for seven of them – the most by a Royal in 14 years.
“Did I think he was going to have seven interceptions and be all over the place? Probably not that early,” McElroy said.
McElroy, now the head coach, credits Jung’s attention to detail on the practice field and in the film room to his ability to step in and make an immediate impact.
Jung’s standout first season earned him All-MIAC honors, third team All-American honors and an opportunity to represent Team USA at the International Federation of American Football U20 World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, where he earned special teams MVP honors.
Jung followed up his stellar freshman campaign by displaying his positional versatility in 2024.
In this season’s matchup against conference rival Saint John’s, Jung lined up on offense as wide receiver. Catching the Johnnie defense off guard, Jung snuck past their secondary and into the endzone for his first career receiving touchdown.
Looking to make an impact in all three phases of the game, Jung has even taken up punt return duties for the Royals this season.
“It’s kind of been like ‘hey what if we put him here? What if we give him an opportunity here?’” McElroy said. “And it’s been fun to watch him.”
Jung continues to build on his already impressive resumé at Bethel. Six games into the season, he currently has six interceptions in 2024 – tied for first in all of Division III.
“I think he’s continually earned more and more responsibility because of the way he carries himself, the way he prepares, the way he takes care of his body,” McElroy said. “The guy’s a student of the game…and it’s been fun to watch him grow into that.”
Through two leg injuries, a failed semester at MSU and disappointment with scholarship football, the road hasn’t been easy. As his career continues to take-off, opportunities will open for Jung – a boy that, at one point, was compared to a baby giraffe.
