Tag: Clay Matthews

Former USC star Clay Matthews reveals what he wants to see from the Trojans

Clay Matthews did not pull punches in talking about Lincoln Riley’s USC football program. Matthews’ message was unmistakable, blunt, and unsparing.

One of the most important aspects of being the head coach at USC football is to build a program former players are proud of. So, when one of the Trojans’ all-time greats goes on a podcast and offers criticism of the state of the program, it generally isn’t the best sign. Last week, former USC star linebacker Clay Matthews III was interviewed on a podcast by Infinity Sports Network’s Zach Gelb. During the interview, Matthews discussed what he hopes to see from USC moving forward.

“I’d love to see a little bit more . . . grit, for lack of a better term,” Matthews said.

“I know they’re lacking—I’m watching them at the tackle position offensive tackle. So the quarterback is just getting rattled back there.”

Matthews went on the compare this USC team to ones that have worn the Cardinal and Gold in the past.

“SC historically has always had those players who can turn the tide, who can, you know, win these big games,” Matthews said. “I don’t know if we’re a few players away or what.”

After starting his college career as a walk-on in 2004, Matthews gradually worked his way up the depth chart. After finally becoming a starter in his final season in 2008, he did enough that year to convince scouts that he was worthy of being a first round draft pick.

The Green Bay Packers selected Matthews with the 26th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He would go on to play 11 seasons in the league, making six Pro Bowls and winning Super Bowl XLV. He is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame.

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USC’s Clay Matthews III named top walk-on of all time

Clay Matthews is a special USC success story.

In recent years, former college football walk-ons have won a Heisman, been a key component on multiple national championship teams, and provided a few examples of players who further developed their craft as NFL superstars. USC has Clay Matthews III as one of its greatest walk-on stories.

Walk-ons are utilized for depth and to fill out rosters, but every now and then there’s one who takes advantage of opportunity and balls out — like all of these standouts.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports took a walk down memory lane looking at the top ten walk on’s in the history of college football and there were some very notable names including former USC Trojans legend Clay Matthews who came in at No. 10 on the list.

Clay Matthews III joined the USC Trojans in 2004 from Agoura Hills High School in California.

Matthews was a standout special teams player under Pete Carroll, winning three consecutive Special Teams Player of the Year awards from 2006 to 2008. He also played backup outside linebacker until 2008, his senior season, when he was named 2nd team all-conference in the Pac-10.

A first-round pick (No. 26 overall) in 2009, Matthews stands atop the Packers’ all-time sack list (since 1982) with 83½ career sacks. Matthews’ six Pro Bowl appearances are tied with Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White as the most by a Packers defender.

Matthews III had the bloodlines for the sport, beginning with his grandfather, Clay Matthews Sr., who played four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers in the early 1950s. Matthews’ father, Clay Jr., played 19 seasons in the NFL and has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame several times.

His uncle, Bruce, is enshrined in Canton after starting 293 games over 18 seasons with the Houston/Tennessee NFL franchise. Bruce’s son, Jake, has been the Atlanta Falcons’ left tackle for nearly a decade.

Check out the full list here 247sports.com-10-most-memorable-walk-ons-of-all-time-ranked

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USC legend Clay Matthews will be inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame

This is a richly deserved honor.

Former Green Bay Packer and USC Trojan linebacker Clay Matthews will be inducted into the 2024 class of the Packers Hall of Fame.

A first-round pick (No. 26 overall) in 2009 out of USC, Matthews is among the best linebackers on the field and one of the most marketable NFL players in the past 15 years.

In his time as a Green Bay Packer, he finished number one in sacks with 83.5. He was a First-Team All-Pro, a six-time Pro Bowler, and a Super Bowl champion.

“I definitely look forward to it,” said Matthews (about life after football). “My kids are getting older, so they understand what I was able to do, so I very much look forward to showing them around Lambeau, and where we used to live, and all the things that were an integral part of their young lives and my young life as well.”

Matthews had the bloodlines for the sport, beginning with his grandfather, Clay Matthews Sr., who played four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers in the early 1950s. Matthews’ father, Clay Jr., played 19 seasons in the NFL and has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame several times.

His uncle, Bruce, is enshrined in Canton after starting 293 games over 18 seasons with the Houston/Tennessee franchise. Bruce’s son, Jake, has been the Atlanta Falcons’ left tackle for nearly a decade.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy details how Micah Parsons can take next step

Micah Parsons is already playing at an elite level, but Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy believes there is still an untapped dimension.

Give an expansion team Micah Parsons as their defensive cornerstone and they will be set with a one-man wrecking crew.

The former 2021 first-round pick has generated 149 combined tackles, 26.5 sacks, 33 tackles for loss, 56 quarterback hits, six pass breakups, six forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries, one of which he has returned for a touchdown.

Still, Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy believes there is another dimension the two-time first-team All-Pro can tap into.

“I think individually he will always be extremely impactful, and that’s why it’s important for us to stay focused on creating as many of those opportunities for him, and I think that’s the whole conversation of where he’s going to line up,” McCarthy told reporters at organized team activities June 1. “So, and I’m just telling you from an offensive perspective when you line up a premier player up in the same spot, it’s easier to apply help there.”

McCarthy saw as coach of the Green Bay Packers how explosive outside linebacker Clay Matthews was as a rookie. Matthews followed up a 10-sack rookie season, which was good enough to earn a Pro Bowl, with a stellar second year. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers would move around Matthews and allow him to attack from different positions. Matthews followed up with 13.5 sacks, a first-team All-Pro, and was integral in helping the Packers win Super Bowl XLV.

The Cowboys have seen defensive coordinator Dan Quinn similarly scheme Parsons around the field to provide better pass rush opportunities.

Parsons’ last level of greatness will be how many opportunities he can create for his teammates, according to McCarthy.

Said McCarthy: “Impact players not only affect the game with their individual production, but it’s really always being aware of where he is will definitely create opportunities for other guys.”

The Parsons effect has been felt even in small doses. Dallas was tied for the 13th-most sacks in 2021, but finished No. 3 in 2022. The Cowboys also led the NFL in takeaways in each of Parsons’ two seasons.

If creating for others is an element Parsons can influence, then the former 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year should be able to hone it.

“He’s going to compete at everything that he does,” said McCarthy. “That’s just the way he’s wired up obviously with the athletic and physical gifts that he has. But his drive and competitive spirit is as good as I’ve seen in a young player.”

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Former Packers linebacker Clay Matthews says his playing days are over

Former LB Clay Matthews is unofficially retired from the NFL, he told Packers Wire in an interview on Tuesday.

Former Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews isn’t sure what the protocol is for formally announcing his retirement from the NFL. However, after 10 seasons in Green Bay and one season with the Los Angeles Rams, he is ready to call it a career.

“My playing days are over,” Matthews said in an interview on Tuesday with Packers Wire.

The Packers drafted Matthews 26th overall during the 2009 NFL Draft.  He went on to become a six-time Pro Bowler and was named the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. Matthews is Green Bay’s official all-time sack leader at 83.5 sacks.

Matthews also played a key role in helping the franchise win their fourth Super Bowl. During the fourth quarter, he forced a pivotal fumble on Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall to help secure the win.

Injuries and age factored into Green Bay not re-signing Matthews following the 2018 season. Matthews then signed a two-year contract with the Rams but played only one season. In that lone year with Los Angeles, he recorded 8.0 sacks in 13 games, which was his most since 2014. However, despite somewhat of a resurgence from Matthews, the Rams released him in the offseason.

“I was shocked, to be honest,” Matthews said. I thought I had a very solid year. I broke my jaw and missed three games, but I came back as if I didn’t miss any time and felt good.”

Matthews said he did receive interest from a few teams for the 2020 season but having another child and the COVID-19 pandemic led to him sitting out.

“I had a few other offers after for the 2020 season, but we had just moved to LA, and we had just had our third child, and it was the middle of COVID, so there were a lot of unknowns. Ultimately, there wasn’t a situation out there that made me want to relocate the family again. I wanted to focus on the next chapter, which is being a dad and being home a lot more.”

Matthews has spent three years away from football and enjoys watching the game from the couch. As far as what is next, he looks forward to the day when he will be invited back to officially retire as a member of the Packers.

“I definitely look forward to it,” said Matthews. “My kids are getting older, so they understand what I was able to do, so I very much look forward to showing them around Lambeau, and where we used to live, and all the things that were an integral part of their young lives and my young life as well.”

As the team’s all-time sack leader, it is inevitable that Matthews will one day be inducted into Green Bay’s Hall of Fame, something he says he never could have dreamed of when he was a rookie.

“I would definitely be very appreciative and humbled.”

This interview with Clay Matthews was made possible by Tide. Matthews has gone from tackling quarterbacks to tackling stains. Fans can visit his Instagram for a chance to win NFL grand prizes.

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Clay Matthews gets cold reminder of Cam Newton’s ‘wheel route’ TD

Former Packers LB Clay Matthews once told us to watch that wheel route against Cam Newton, Christian McCaffrey and the Panthers. And four and a half years later, we’re still watching it.

One of the coolest moments in Carolina Panthers history happened on Dec. 17, 2017—when Cam Newton called Clay Matthews’ bluff on a touchdown pass to Christian McCaffrey. It was so cool, in fact, that we’re still talking (and tweeting) about it now—1,660 days later.

The former Green Bay Packers linebacker just got the Usher “Watch This” meme treatment— and from an old teammate, no less—stemming way back to that aforementioned moment. And although Matthews clearly needed to be corrected about the route McCaffrey took to the paint that afternoon, he probably didn’t have to be reminded about it.

Alas . . .

In case you’re still not familiar with the play, Matthews audibly called out what he thought was an incoming wheel route in that year’s Week 15 matchup between the Panthers and Packers. But that “wheel route,” of course, was no wheel route.

Newton, who heard Matthews’ chirping, chirped back with a little foreshadowing of his own—only his would prove to be correct. McCaffrey then cut the cheesy Green Bay defense on a Texas route for an easy 7-yard reception straight into the end zone.

As a side note—Will Blackmon wasn’t in a Packers uniform at Bank of America Stadium that day, as he wrapped up his career with Green Bay eight seasons prior. So, by official Twitter law, he was completely in his rights to burn Matthews being that he wasn’t one of the 11 men fooled by the Newton-to-McCaffrey connection.

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Aaron Rodgers: ‘Hasn’t been a big push’ for Packers to sign Clay Matthews

Aaron Rodgers said there hasn’t been a “big push” by him, David Bakhtiari or Randall Cobb for the Packers to sign Clay Matthews.

A gathering of friends turned into a FaceTime call, which turned into a series of social media posts, but the whole thing was more of a joke than a serious suggestion.

This is how Aaron Rodgers explained the Instagram posts suggesting the Green Bay Packers should bring back outside linebacker Clay Matthews.

Let Rodgers tell the story.

“Friday night, I was with Dave (Bakhtiari) and his lovely fiance, Frankie, and the Cobbs. And we had a question about Clay that came up, because Clay just moved from California. So we got Clay on FaceTime. Those conversations turned into a social media post. There hasn’t been, I don’t think, a big push from any of us to sign him. We didn’t even talk ball. We were just BS-ing with him. Having a good conversation. He’s a big farmer now, kind of like Jordy. He’s probably got that strength to play but I don’t think he’s thought about football for a while.”

There you have it.

Rodgers did reiterate his desire to be involved in more conversations about the personnel that directly affects his job, but trying to get the Packers to sign Matthews probably wasn’t a part of the process.

It’s certainly possible, based on Rodgers’ telling of the story, that Matthews wanted the social media posts as a joke, especially after Rodgers got Cobb back to Green Bay via trade to start training camp.

Matthews left the Packers following the 2018 season. He played one season with the Los Angeles Rams but didn’t play in the NFL in 2020.

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Packers GM shoots down idea of bringing back Clay Matthews

It doesn’t sound like the Packers have any interest in bringing back Clay Matthews.

The players’ intentions remain unknown, but the word from the top is in, and the Green Bay Packers won’t be bringing back veteran outside linebacker Clay Matthews.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, receiver Randall Cobb and left tackle David Bakhtiari all took to Instagram recently to implore – or so we think – the Packers to bring back Matthews. Rodgers’ caption read “BRING HIM HOME” over top of a photo of Matthews in a Packers uniform.

General manager Brian Gutekunst shot down the idea on Sunday.

“We’ve had no discussions about that,” Gutekunst said when asked about the Instagram posts.

Matthews, now 35, left Green Bay as a free agent following the 2018 season, played one season with the Los Angeles Rams in 2019 and sat out the 2020 season. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks.

Rodgers got Randall Cobb back to start training camp, but his team-building powers still appear limited.

Gutekunst has other roster concerns. The team must trim the roster to 85 players by Tuesday afternoon, but he may need to add a quarterback with Jordan Love’s status for this week in doubt.

Maybe bringing back Matthews will become a possibility if the Packers suffer any kind of injury issues at edge rusher during the regular season.

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Is Aaron Rodgers campaigning for Packers to bring back Clay Matthews?

Either Aaron Rodgers is campaigning for the Packers to bring back Clay Matthews, or he’s trolling on social media.

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Either Aaron Rodgers and few other veteran players for the Green Bay Packers are actively campaigning for the team to bring back outside linebacker Clay Matthews, or the veterans are having some fun trolling social media as the first preseason games of 2021 arrives.

Rodgers, receiver Randall Cobb and left tackle David Bakhtiari all posted Instagram stories about bringing back Matthews, who left Green Bay following the 2018 season.

“BRING HIM BACK,” Rodgers wrote as a caption over a photo of Matthews.

Cobb and Bakhtiari both piggybacked on the idea with their own stories.

Rodgers already orchestrated the return of Cobb, who came back to Green Bay via trade from the Houston Texans to start training camp.

It’s possible he’s trying to convince Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst to bring back another key member from past teams in Green Bay as he prepares for a “Last Dance” season in 2021.

Another potential scenario: Matthews is planning on signing a one-day deal to retire from the NFL as a member of the Packers, and Rodgers knows it and is making a joke about it.

Let’s entertain the first scenario for a second.

The Packers do have some degree of need at outside linebacker. Za’Darius Smith remains on the non-football injury list, and Randy Ramsey – a potential favorite to be the fourth outside linebacker – landed on season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury.

Matthews, who turned 35 in May, didn’t play in the NFL last season. He spent the 2019 season with the Los Angeles Rams, playing under new Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry.

Bringing back an aging player to be a backup at a premium position would be a wild scenario, but Matthews does have incredible football genes and could potentially make it work. His dad and uncle both played forever in the NFL. And Matthews does have experience playing inside linebacker, another potential need position.

In 2019, Matthews produced eight sacks and 11 quarterback hits while playing 614 defensive snaps over 13 games.

Would the Packers really want a 35-year-old backup with a lengthy injury history and who probably won’t play special teams? Then again, trading for Cobb suggests the Packers are willing to play by different roster-building rules to appease the MVP quarterback.

Matthews is technically the team’s all-time leader in sacks, although research from before sacks became an official stat suggests Hall of Famer Willie Davis is the franchise leader.

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Willie Davis is actually the Green Bay Packers’ all-time leader in sacks

New statistics from before 1982 reveal Willie Davis as the Packers’ all-time leader in sacks.

There’s a new all-time leader in sacks for the Green Bay Packers.

Hall of Famer Willie Davis produced more sacks than any player in franchise history.

Decades of research from John Turney and Nick Webster of the Pro Football Researchers Association gave Pro Football Reference the confidence to add sack statistics from 1960 to 1982, when sacks became an official statistic, to their already impressive database of football statistics.

Clay Matthews is currently the Packers’ all-time leader in sacks at 83.5. According to the new stats, Davis actually holds the mark at 93.5, but the data from 1960 isn’t yet registered, meaning he probably has closer to 100 total sacks based on Turney and Webster’s research.

Over 10 years in Green Bay between 1960 and 1969, Davis produced five seasons with 10 or more sacks, including four years straight between 1964 and 1967. He was a first-team All-Pro each season.

The numbers paint a clear picture: Davis was one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL during the 1960s.

A five-time champion and six-time All-Pro, Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981. He died in April of 2020 at the age of 85.

The added stats also helped former Packers pass-rusher Ezra Johnson, who had 17.5 sacks in 1978 and is now third in franchise history in sacks at 82.0. Lionel Aldridge (62.0, 1963-1971), Henry Jordan (52.0, 1959-1969) and Clarence Williams (49.0, 1970-1977) were also added to the team’s top 10.