As a young boy, Matt Sayman dreamed of playing pro basketball. His family believed in his vision, even agreeing to move to Texas when one of Matt’s favorite coaches left Pennsylvania for the Lone Star State.
Matt eventually received a full athletic scholarship from Baylor University. He was only six-feet-four but what he lacked in height, he made up for in skill and positive attitude.
Then the summer before his senior year, the bottom fell out of Matt’s world. A player went missing…and was found dead. A teammate was the murder suspect. A coach was accused of paying players under the table. Some players had received drug-free urine samples to pass off as their own. And through it all, Matt was supposed to be the glue who held the Baylor basketball team together.
In The Leftovers: Baylor, Betrayal, and Beyond, Matt shares his personal story of dealing with the fallout after tragedy and trouble nearly sank Baylor’s program. Matt was senior co-captain, but with a short-manned team of leftover players, there was no way to have a winning season, no way some talent scout would take a chance on him.
Matt’s hope and faith were shaken because of the scandals that summer. His post-Baylor years included a DWI, a difficult divorce, and broken relationships. Matt struggled to find peace. On his thirtieth birthday, just a few days after a deep conversation with his pastor, Matt said goodbye to alcohol and surrendered his life to God.
This book tells the story of Matt’s personal redemption—but it is also a story of the redemption of Baylor University’s men’s basketball program. Matt’s team with a young new head coach forged the Baylor team that won the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball championship.
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