We are not affiliated with Matt Barkley, nor USC Trojans, nor anyone associated with Matt Barkley and we are a fan site of MattBarkley.org
Matt Barkley Home Page Matt Barkley Sitemap Matt Barkley Email
Matt Barkley USC Trojans



MAIN MENU

Matt Barkley Home
Matt Barkley News
Video Highlights
Matt Barkley Links
USC Trojans
Sitemap
Contact Us



MATT BARKLEY NEWS

Longevity runs in Matthews family

 
 
 
 

If Southern Cal linebacker Clay Matthews plays as long as his uncle and father did in the NFL, he’ll retire after the 2027 season.

Not a bad career.

It would sure make his family proud. His uncle is Bruce Matthews, a former Titan offensive lineman now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His father is Clay Matthews, who played linebacker for the Browns and Falcons.

“I sure hope,’’ Matthews said with a smile at the NFL Combine on Saturday. “Nineteen years is real long time, and I barely made it out of USC after five years. So this should be an interesting experience. I’d love to have a career as long as they did.’’

Matthews is the latest from the famous football family to arrive on the NFL’s doorstep, another product of USC. And he’s the most unlikely of the bunch. He arrived at USC as an undersized walk-on, with only Idaho offering him a Division I scholarship.

Now he’s gearing up for the NFL Draft. He’s regarded as a first or second round pick after a strong final season with the Trojans.

He knows there’s pressure that comes with the name, but he’s ready to accept it, and has already lived it to some extent. His uncle and father were both All-Americans at USC, and his grandfather, also Clay Matthews, played at Georgia Tech in the 1940s and with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s.

“I love the pressure that the name Matthews brings upon me,’’ he said. “(My father and uncle) never pressured me into being the player who they are or emulating them or going past what they’d done. They never put too much pressure on me.“

“They have been supportive of what I have been doing and I am very fortunate for that. But at the same time I do have big shoes to fill and I understand that so I am trying to be the best player I possibly can.’’

Matthews said his desire to be good came from growing up in a competitive family. Bruce Matthews has seven children, and Clay is one of five kids in his family.

They pushed each other, which perhaps played a role in Matthews turning himself from a special teams player early in his career into a starter, though that didn’t happen until three games into his senior campaign.

Matthews had 56 tackles, finished third on the team in tackles for loss (9.5) and second in sacks (4.5) in 2008.

When he’s not doing something right, someone in his family will let him know about it. It’s usually Bruce. Clay went to Nashville to watch Bruce and the Titans play against the Raiders in 2001, a day when Eddie George rushed for 200 yards.

“Bruce is a lot quicker to put me down than my father,’’ said Matthews, offering another smile. “He likes to make fun of my sack dances or anything along those lines. But he has a good time and at the same time he compliments me and lets me know the kind of ball I am playing.’’

 

 

 


 

(More on www.tennessean.com)



MORE MATT BARKLEY NEWS


Message: This news feed will stop on Jan 23 2012. Thank you for your custom.
Jan 30 2012 2:34PM GMT

Football recruiting: Morris may be a pleasant surprise for Tide
Montgomery Advertiser Jan 30 2012 2:34PM GMT Florida State. "You see Alec Morris here, he's serviceable. Alabama hasn't needed to have Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley or Matt Stafford out there to win. So field generals are good. Quarterbacking one of the premier programs for two seasons in

Football recruiting: Morris may be a pleasant surprise for Tide
Prattville Progress Jan 30 2012 12:20PM GMT Florida State. "You see Alec Morris here, he's serviceable. Alabama hasn't needed to have Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley or Matt Stafford out there to win. So field generals are good. Quarterbacking one of the premier programs for two seasons in

Local roundup: Disc golfers Criss, Hokum win open divisions at Felton Freeze
Santa Cruz Sentinel Jan 30 2012 10:59AM GMT the Intermediate flight, La Selva's Ryan Gonyea shot a 2-under 112 for the win, San Jose's Matt Barkley took second with 117 and Monterey's Sean Allen took third at 119. CYCLING The fourth race in the Surf City Cyclo-X series course was held Sunday at

Kiffin, Orgeron Keep USC on Track
DawgsBite.com Jan 30 2012 6:37AM GMT of Robert Woods and Marquise Lee among others, and some teams could lose some of their leaders like Matt Barkley. ?Getting or keeping those guys on campus while trimming the roster of non producers will help lessen the impact of the scholarship

Holler: RG3 holds the key
PackerReport.com Jan 29 2012 2:22PM GMT flat on their faces, the quarterback market is as hot as it has ever been. The decisions of Matt Barkley and Landry Jones, both of whom would have been first-rounders, to stay in school increased Griffin?s value. Unlike most aspects of life, where

Top recruits don't always work out for teams
Individual.com Jan 29 2012 9:28AM GMT Missouri, Gateway (Mo.): Academics forced him to JC for two years, Missouri backup for half of 2011. 5. Matt Barkley, QB, USC, Mater Dei (Calif.): Threw for Pac-12 record 39 TDs, early Heisman favorite for 2012. Class of 2008 1. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio

Mock draft begins with Luck, trade for Griffin
SI.com Jan 29 2012 7:58AM GMT read is that Tannehill is the most likely candidate. Washington's desperation at quarterback is obvious, and no Matt Barkley or Landry Jones means the Redskins might have to roll the dice on the former Aggie. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina. The

Top recruits don't always work out for teams
Pittsburgh Tribune Review Jan 29 2012 7:23AM GMT Missouri, Gateway (Mo.): Academics forced him to JC for two years, Missouri backup for half of 2011. 5. Matt Barkley, QB, USC, Mater Dei (Calif.): Threw for Pac-12 record 39 TDs, early Heisman favorite for 2012. 1. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State,

Top recruits don't always work out for teams
Pittsburgh Tribune Review Jan 29 2012 7:23AM GMT Missouri, Gateway (Mo.): Academics forced him to JC for two years, Missouri backup for half of 2011. 5. Matt Barkley, QB, USC, Mater Dei (Calif.): Threw for Pac-12 record 39 TDs, early Heisman favorite for 2012. 1. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State,

  Please note we are not affiliated with Matt Barkley or the official site of Matt Barkley and we are only a fan site.  
Thank you to Los Angeles Website Design Company 365Mass.com
© 2011 mattbarkley.org