Bruce Matthews (American football)

Infobox NFLretired


name=Bruce Matthews
|width=
caption=
position=Offensive Lineman
number=74
birthdate=birth date and age|1961|8|8
Raleigh, North Carolina
deathdate=
debutyear=1983
finalyear=2001
draftyear=1983
draftround=1
draftpick=9
college=USC
teams=
* Houston Oilers / Tennessee Oilers / Tennessee Titans (1983-2001)
stat1label=Games played
stat1value=296
stat2label=Games started
stat2value=292
stat3label=Fumble recoveries
stat3value=10
nfl=MAT532814
highlights=
* 14x Pro Bowl selection (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)
* 12x All-Pro selection (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000)
* NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
* Tennessee Titans #74 retired
HOF=264

Bruce Rankin Matthews (born August 8 1961 in Raleigh, North Carolina) played American football as an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise from 1983 through 2000. He is considered one of the best offensive lineman in NFL history, and was also voted into the Pro Bowl 14 times.

Personal

Bruce comes from a football family. He is the son of Clay Matthews, Sr., who played in the NFL in the 1950s. His brother, also named Clay Matthews, played 19 seasons in the NFL. Three of Bruce`s four sons are also football players: Kevin is the starting center for the Texas A&M Aggies, [cite news|url=http://www.theolympian.com/nationworld/story/551183.html|title=Son of ex-NFL great earns A&M's starting center spot as walk-on] while Jake and Mikey play offensive lineman in high school.

In the 1970s, the family lived on the North Shore of Chicago where Bruce attended New Trier High School for one year. Matthews later moved to Los Angeles, where he was a standout playing on both the offensive and defensive line at Arcadia High School. He was also an all-league wrestler.

He is currently an assistant video coordinator for the Lawrence E. Elkins High School football team in Missouri City, Texas.cite news|url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/5934393.html|title=Touchdown Club to honor Matthews]

College career

He attended the University of Southern California, where he played all offensive line positions at various times, earning All-America honors in his senior year and winning the Morris Trophy.

Professional career

Matthews was drafted ninth in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers, where he would block for the legendary Earl Campbell and eventually play all line positions (guard, center and tackle), going to the Pro Bowl as a guard and center. He was selected to fourteen Pro Bowls in all, tying a league record held by Merlin Olson. Matthews was also named first-team All-Pro nine times (1988-1993, 1998-2000) and All-AFC 12 seasons (1988-1993, 1995-2000). He was selected as a guard on the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s. His entire career was spent with the Oilers franchise, which relocated in the middle of his career and became the Tennessee Titans. An extremely durable player, Matthews recorded the longest playing longevity at any position. He holds the league record for most games (296) and seasons (19) played by an offensive lineman. Matthews retired after the 2001 season.

In his first year of eligibility, Matthews was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2007. He is the only player from the Tennessee Titans to be given this honor. He was the fifth player from the 1983 NFL draft class to be enshrined, joining Dan Marino, Eric Dickerson, John Elway, and Jim Kelly (Darrell Green would later become the sixth player from the 1983 NFL Draft to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.)

Trivia

*Matthews appears as the starting Center for the Tennessee Titans in Madden NFL 2003 (that simulated the 2002 NFL Season) despite being retired.

*Matthews was the only player to play against the Baltimore Colts in their last game at Memorial Stadium and the Baltimore Ravens in their last game at Memorial Stadium.

External links

* [http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.jsp?player_id=264 Pro Football Hall of Fame]
* [http://usclegends.org/bruce-matthews.php Profile at USC Legends]