Meet Matt Dennish, the P.E. Teacher Who Outlasted Sports Legends and Won $250K from Tom Brady

Published: June 23, 2025

Matt Dennish, a 39-year-old P.E. teacher from Pennsylvania, has made headlines by finishing third in the inaugural Fanatics Games, leaving professional athletes like LeBron James, James Harden, and Eli Manning in his dust.

Dennish, who hails from York, Pa., participated in eight sports-themed skills competitions, including quarterback skills, soccer goal-scoring, basketball shooting, baseball pitching accuracy, hockey shooting challenge, UFC striking challenge, closest-to-the-pin golf challenge, and WWE Superstar entrance.

Despite being a novice in some of the events, Dennish's mental toughness and preparation paid off, earning him a 2003-04 Topps Chrome Gold Refractor LeBron James rookie card, which he later swapped with first-place winner Tom Brady for $250,000, plus a signed card and jersey from the seven-time Super Bowl champ.

"I was just trying to prepare as much as possible, but also stay calm and relaxed," Dennish said in an interview with PEOPLE. "And I knew that's kind of what it was going to come down to, is the mental side of things. I know I have the skills to compete, which is when, in the moment, I can dial it in when the light's bright."

Dennish's strategy included getting familiar with the massive venue at the Javits Center in New York City by poking his head in the night before to get a feel for the layout.

In the end, Dennish outlasted pro athletes like Harden (fourth place) and Manning (fifth place), and even manifested his own success, leaving him feeling proud and energized by the excitement of the event.

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