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Three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck made sure to avoid defenders when throwing passes during his 18-year NFL career, but now he makes sure to keep his cholesterol levels low after playing.
Hasselbeck’s father, Don Hasselbeck, died suddenly at age 70 due to cardiac arrest. After her death, Hasselbeck’s mother urged him to get tested, and he was touched by his results.
“It was really my mom who told me, you know, there are three boys in our family and she said, ‘Boys, I want you to get screened for everything, you know, calcium levels in your heart, blood pressure, LDL cholesterol,'” Hasselbeck told PK Press Club Digital in a recent interview with the Family Heart Foundation.
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Chicago Bears during the 2011 NFC divisional playoff game at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, January 16, 2011. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
“And we kind of like to be honest, I rolled my eyes at the cholesterol one, because I was like, ‘Oh, that’s for the people who are out of shape, the people I crush on the Peloton.'”
“I was really touched when my scores came back. A lot of my other scores were great, fantastic, and the cholesterol was too high, and I was shocked to be honest, and I can’t take credit for taking ownership of it. I was just trying to honor my mom in a difficult time for her, and through the process I probably accidentally helped myself a lot and probably helped my kids. It was eye-opening.”
Hasselbeck has partnered with the Family Heart Foundation for its “Tackling Cholesterol: Enter the LDL Safe Zone” campaign. As a football player, Hasselbeck said he always knows if he is injured, but with cholesterol, the threat is invisible.
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(Left) Matt Hasselbeck, (middle) Don Hasselbeck and (right) Tim Hasselbeck all pose for a photo. (Courtesy of Matt Hasselbeck)
“When you’re a football player, a lot of injuries you have, you can see them. It’s a shoulder, it’s a knee, it’s a high ankle sprain. It’s like orthopedic. With things like LDL cholesterol, it’s invisible. And you can exercise as much as you want or eat as well as you want, but if you’re not in that safe zone where you have to be careful with cholesterol, it can lead to all kinds of problems different, and cardiac arrest is one of them,” Hasselbeck said.
Hasselbeck, who has a family history of cardiovascular disease, urges families and fans to get tested. Hasselbeck hopes people will visit CholesterolConnect.org for more information or to order a one-time, free at-home cholesterol screening.
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Former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck greets fans before the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington on January 25, 2026. (Jane Gershovitch/Getty Images)
“I’m really passionate about trying to tell everyone that it’s the simplest thing ever to get tested. Get tested, find out what your numbers are, find out what those numbers mean, and then you’ll know how to reduce your risk,” Hasselbeck said.
Hasselbeck played for four different teams during his 18-year career: 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, three with the Indianapolis Colts, two with the Green Bay Packers and two with the Tennessee Titans. In 209 games, he completed 60.5% of his passes for 36,638 yards with 212 touchdowns and 153 interceptions.
