Matt Goncalves, the heart of Pittsburgh’s 2021 ACC Championship-winning team, was just eight years old when his parents separated. Despite their divorce, his father, Bill Gonclaves, played a key role in all of his children’s (Matt, Billy, and Chris) lives. In heartbreaking news, the family lost its pillar in Bill. Matt made the announcement on his Instagram account.

Just last year, the Gonclaves were the talk of the town when the Indianapolis Colts picked Matt with the 79th overall pick in Round 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft. After the announcement, Billy, Chris, and Matt got into a long, tear-filled group hug.

Bill Concalves, who had seen his son toil through the grind of college football, was equally moved. What made it more special for him was seeing his three boys. “And that as a father was maybe the most important thing of the night to me. To see my three boys embracing. Billy and Chris are Matt’s biggest fans,” he said. About Matt, Bill said he is “an alpha male” and that there’s “no one tougher than him.”

Matt took to Instagram today and shared what Bill meant to him. He thanked Bill for being a good father and for having a positive impact on him and his brothers. “Not enough can be said about the father you were to me and my brothers. The impact you made on our lives will stick with us till we meet again. Rest In Peace Dad. Goncalves Strong. Always,” Matt said in his post.

The post also featured a set of photos. In the first photo, we see a young Matt donning his high school gear, standing next to his father. The pictures take us through their journey. In the second photo, Matt is wearing another high school’s jersey, culminating in the Pitts’ colors. Perhaps the best photo just features Bill Goncalves, smiling at the camera. But you look at his t-shirt, and it has a photo of him standing next to his three sons. That smile is what the Goncalves will miss the most about Bill.

Matt Goncalves will look to honor his father against the Steelers

You know you have made it when your parents are publicly proud of you. Bill Benjamin never shied away from the media when talking about his son. “Matt has a lot of pride, not pride in a bad way, but pride in a good way of who he is and the player he is, and he won’t be an a–h— to his teammates. But he’ll take no prisoners on the football field and in the locker rooms. I really do expect good things from him,” expressed Bill after Matt joined the Colts in 2024.

And he was right about it. Matt made an impressive debut in 2024, starting 8 games. Against the Minnesota Vikings that season, he didn’t allow a single pressure for the first nine drives. That was the start of Matt Goncalves’ storied journey in the NFL. And he brought that to his 2025 season as well.

Transitioning from tackle to guard this season, Matt Goncalves has just allowed 2 pressures among guards, tying for the fewest in the NFL. Being new to the position, Matt has a long way to go to fully settle in. After being out with a toe injury in September, Matt has recovered and will look to make his presence known this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.