Who was Matt Vrzal? Tributes pour in as former Nebraska player and Piezon's Pizza owner passes away

The 51-year-old Matt Vrzal, who played football for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Huskers, has passed away, according to KETV.

Matt Vrzal owned Piezon’s Pizzeria in Omaha, Nebraska. Between 1993 and 1996, Vrzal featured in more than 30 games for Nebraska and played as a walk-on offensive lineman, according to KETV. Vrzal was a part of two National Championship-winning teams in 1994 and 1995.

The news of Vrzal’s death was broken by a radio station, 1620 the Zone, for which Vrzal often hosted shows. In a Facebook post, the radio station wrote,

“We are deeply saddened to share the passing of our friend Matt Vrzal. Matt wasn’t just a guest and friend of 1620 The Zone — he was part of our Zone family.”

Paying tribute to the former athlete and entrepreneur, 1620 the Zone added,

“His passion for sports, his honesty, and his humor connected him with his customers and Zone listeners in a way that few ever could. His impact stretched far beyond the microphone and the pizzeria. Our hearts are with his family and all who loved him. He will be missed, but never forgotten.”

About Matt Vrzal’s life and career

Matt Vrzal was born in 1974, notes his bio on the Nebraska Huskers’ website. Before playing with the Huskers, Vrzal also played football at the Grand Island High School, during which time he received USA Today Honourable-Mention All-America honours.

Initially redshirted for the Huskers, Vrzal began his career as a collegiate athlete in 1993 as a backup center, according to his Nebraska Huskers bio. He went on to have an important impact on the team and gained an Honourable-Mention Academic All-Big 12 in 1996.

As per his LinkedIn page, Vrzal graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in finance. After his graduation, Vrzal worked as a market representative for Anheuser-Busch when he bought a pizzeria and a bar, and became part of an ownership group for two other bars, according to Omaha Magazine. After a decade or so, Vrzal began working as a financial adviser, but gave up his career in finance soon to establish Piezon's Pizzeria, notes the publication.

Throughout his life and career, Vrzal was mindful of the impact of football, and told the Omaha Magazine,

“Football is the best game to prepare for your life, better than any game, anywhere. Because your team, your organization’s success, relies on 10 other people at any given time. Everyone has to be working for a common goal all the time.”

A multi-hyphenate man, Vrzal kept up with his interest in sports as a podcaster and radio show host. He regularly hosted the podcast Husker Hangover in addition to hosting 51/15 with Tommie Frazier. He also appeared as a guest host for 1620 the Zone.

UM vs NU https://t.co/9kTunTolNj

— HuskerHangover (@HuskerHangover) September 21, 2025

While speaking to Omaha Magazine, Vrzal opened up about his football career’s intersection with his priorities as a restaurateur, and said,

“We’re a neighborhood spot. People chirp at me, ‘Why don’t you have your jersey up?’ or ‘Why don’t you have pictures up?’ Because you can go anywhere and see that stuff. We’re just a neighborhood pizza spot [where] you can bring your kids and have a nice dinner. I’d rather talk to people than point to my jersey on the wall. We wanted more substance than style.” 

Vrzal was also formerly an assistant football coach for the Omaha Skutt Catholic School, as per KETV.