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Chris Matthews (gridiron football)

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Christopher Douglas Matthews (born October 6, 1989) is an American former professional wide receiver. Matthews was undrafted out of college in 2011, and signed with the Cleveland Browns. He then played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for two seasons, winning the CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award in his first season. Matthews then signed with the Seattle Seahawks where he recovered a critical onside kick during the 2014 NFC Championship Game, and caught four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl XLIX. Matthews played college football for Los Angeles Harbor College and the University of Kentucky.

Chris Matthews
refer to caption
Matthews with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014
No. 13, 19, 81, 84
Position:Wide receiver
Personal information
Born: (1989-10-06) October 6, 1989 (age 35)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:228 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:Susan Miller Dorsey
(Los Angeles, California)
College:Kentucky
Undrafted:2011
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Receptions:16
Receiving yards:176
Receiving touchdowns:1
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Career CFL statistics
Receptions:33
Receiving yards:571
Receiving touchdowns:5
Stats at CFL.ca
Career Arena League statistics
Receptions:36
Receiving yards:472
Receiving touchdowns:9
Total tackles:4
Stats at ArenaFan.com

Early life and college

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Matthews attended Susan Miller Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, California, and played American football for the school's team as a tight end and as a defensive end. He intended to enroll at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to play college football for the UCLA Bruins football team, but was academically ineligible to play for a school in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He enrolled at Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC), a junior college, to play football.[1][2] At LAHC, Matthews became a wide receiver.[2] During his sophomore season, Matthews caught 80 passes for 1,235 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games.[3]

In 2009, Matthews transferred to the University of Kentucky to play for the Kentucky Wildcats football team for his junior year, in 2009.[4] That year, he caught 32 passes for 354 yards with three touchdowns.[5][6] For the 2010 Wildcats team, Matthews caught 61 passes for 925 yards with nine touchdowns.[7]

College statistics

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Receiving
Year Team GP Rec Yards TDs
2009 Kentucky 13 32 354 3
2010 Kentucky 13 61 925 9
Total 26 93 1,279 12

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 5 in
(1.96 m) 		218 lb
(99 kg) 		4.57 s 1.56 s 2.59 s 4.29 s 6.90 s 33 1⁄2 in
(0.85 m)		 9 ft 10 in
(3.00 m)
All values from Kentucky Pro Day[8]

Cleveland Browns

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Matthews went undrafted in the 2011 NFL draft. The Cleveland Browns signed Matthews as an undrafted free agent. During the final cuts at the end of training camp, he was released.[4][9]

Iowa Barnstormers

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Matthews played for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League (AFL) in 2012.[1] He caught 36 passes for a total of 472 yards and nine touchdowns for the Barnstormers.[10]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (first stint)

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Matthews signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the 2012 season. In his rookie year, he played in all 18 games of the regular season, and compiled 1,192 yards on 81 receptions with seven touchdowns en route to winning the 2012 CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award.[4][9][11]

During the 2013 season, Matthews' performance was hampered by a serious turf toe injury which caused him to miss all but four games of the regular season. He finished the season with only 14 catches for 138 yards and one touchdown.[12] Matthews was released by the Blue Bombers. In the offseason, he worked at Foot Locker and as a security guard.[4]

Seattle Seahawks

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While Matthews was working as a security guard, he received a phone call from a member of the Seattle Seahawks inviting him to try out for them that night.[13] On February 18, 2014, Matthews signed with the Seahawks on a 2014 reserve/future contract.[14] After four preseason games in which he caught four passes for 53 yards, Seattle released him on August 30, 2014. On August 31, 2014, it was announced that he had been signed to their practice squad.[15] He was signed to the Seahawks' 53-man roster on December 6, 2014.[16] He played in three regular season games for the Seahawks in the 2014 season, and did not catch a pass.[4] He recorded a tackle on a special teams play.[17]

In the 2014 NFC Championship Game versus the Green Bay Packers, Matthews recovered a critical onside kick, which gave the Seahawks an opportunity to score and eventually win the game in overtime.[4] In Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots, Matthews caught his first NFL career catch, a 44-yard pass from Russell Wilson. He then caught an 11-yard pass for his first NFL touchdown at the end of the first half, tying the game 14–14.[18] Matthews finished the game with four catches for 109 yards, tied with the Patriots' Julian Edelman as the game's leading receiver, but the Patriots defeated the Seahawks 28–24.[19] For his performance he received consideration for Super Bowl MVP honors which was ultimately won by Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.[20] During the game, the value of Matthews's rookie card reportedly soared by 3,500%.[21]

On November 17, 2015, the Seahawks released Matthews.[22] Seattle had given him the option of returning to the practice squad, but Matthews declined saying “I felt like I was too far ahead for that. I didn’t want to go back to that life.”[20]

Baltimore Ravens

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After being released by the Seahawks, Matthews was signed to the Baltimore Ravens practice squad on November 23, 2015.[23] He was promoted to the active roster on December 12, 2015.[24] He scored his only NFL career regular season touchdown on December 27, 2015, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.[25] On April 7, 2016, Matthews signed his exclusive rights free agent tender to remain with the Ravens.[26] On September 3, 2016, he was placed on injured reserve.[27]

On September 2, 2017, Matthews was released by the Ravens, but was re-signed two days later.[28][29] He was released again on November 3, 2017.[30]

According to Sports Illustrated, Matthews was a "heartwarming story, a guy who’d gone from hiding in plain sight to the cusp of Super Bowl history to the unemployment line, in less than a calendar year".[20]

Calgary Stampeders

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On October 2, 2018, Matthews returned to the CFL when he signed with the Calgary Stampeders.[31] With the Calgary Stampeders winning the Grey Cup, Matthews became a crucial pickup making 12 receptions for 252 yards in four remaining regular season games.[32] In two playoff games, Matthews contributed seven catches for 98 yards en route to winning the Grey Cup.[33][34]

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (second stint)

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On May 10, 2019, the Blue Bombers announced they had signed Matthews to a three-year contract.[35] He played in six games for the team, recording 12 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown before being released on August 28, 2019.[36]

Montreal Alouettes

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Two days after being released by Winnipeg, Matthews signed with the Montreal Alouettes.[37] Matthews played in five games in the second half of the season, and helped Montreal secure its first playoff berth since 2015, by catching nine passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns.[38]

Personal life

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Matthews's father, Darell, is from Holly Springs, Mississippi. He played college football at Lane College, and is a member of the Los Angeles Police Department. Like his son, Darell also wore uniform number 13.[1] He has a younger sister, Jada, who attends the University of Utah and plays college basketball for the Utah Utes women's basketball team.[39]

Matthews is a cousin of Reggie White.[40]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Whicker, Mark (January 27, 2015). "Seattle Seahawks' Chris Matthews was late again, but in the right place at right time". Daily News. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  2. ^ a b Spratling, Shotgun (December 14, 2010). "After Complicated Journey, Receiver Chris Matthews Makes Good At Kentucky". Neon Tommy. Archived from the original on February 4, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  3. ^ "Barnstormers Add Three More to Roster". OurSports Central. January 20, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Lintner, Jonathan (January 20, 2015). "Ex-Kentucky football player Chris Matthews a surprising Seattle Seahawks star". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  5. ^ Verney, Dennis (February 1, 2015). "Ex-Cat Chris Matthews made run at Super Bowl MVP". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  6. ^ "Chris Matthews 2009 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  7. ^ "Chris Matthews 2010 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  8. ^ "Chris Matthews". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  9. ^ a b Condotta, Bob (February 18, 2014). "Seahawks sign receiver Chris Matthews, former CFL rookie of year". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  10. ^ "Former Iowa Barnstormer Chris Matthews makes Super Bowl impact". Des Moines Register. February 2, 2015. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  11. ^ "Bombers' Chris Matthews CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie". Winnipeg Sun. November 22, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  12. ^ Penton, Kirk (September 4, 2014). "We won't see Chris Matthews back with Bombers or in CFL any time soon". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  13. ^ Kaplan, Emily (January 19, 2015). "Seahawks' Chris Matthews, Garry Gilliam proved crucial to Seattle's comeback in NFC championship". SI.com. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  14. ^ "Seahawks Sign WR Chris Matthews". Seahawks.com. February 18, 2014. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  15. ^ "Seahawks Announce Practice Squad Signings". Seahawks.com. August 31, 2014. Archived from the original on September 3, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  16. ^ Farnsworth, Clare (December 6, 2014). "Seahawks sign Chris Matthews off their practice squad". Seahawks.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  17. ^ Weinstein, Arthur (February 1, 2015). "Seahawks' Chris Matthews goes from unknown to Super Bowl star". Sporting News. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "Super Bowl XLIX - Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots - February 1st, 2015". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  19. ^ Wilhalme, Matt; Farmer, Sam (February 1, 2015). "New England Patriots beat Seattle Seahawks, 28–24, in Super Bowl XLIX". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
  20. ^ a b c Murphy, Austin (January 31, 2017). "Where Are They Now: Seahawks WR Chris Matthews". SI.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  21. ^ Hackler, Tracy (February 2, 2015). "Chris Matthews Rookie Card Jumps 3,500% in Value During Super Bowl XLIX". The Knight's Lance. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  22. ^ "Seahawks release WR Chris Matthews". San Diego Union-Tribune. Associated Press. November 17, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  23. ^ Hensley, Jamison (November 23, 2015). "Ravens sign Super Bowl standout Chris Matthews to practice squad". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  24. ^ Condotta, Bob (December 12, 2015). "Ravens promote former Seahawk WR Chris Matthews and backup QB to active roster". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  25. ^ "Chris Matthews 2015 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  26. ^ Zrebiec, Jeff (April 7, 2016). "Ravens wide receiver Chris Matthews signs exclusive rights tender". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  27. ^ Downing, Garrett (September 3, 2016). "Ravens Trim 2016 Roster to 53 Players". BaltimoreRavens.com. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017.
  28. ^ Downing, Garrett (September 2, 2017). "Ravens Make 15 Moves To Set 53-Man Roster Ahead Of 2017 Season". BaltimoreRavens.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018.
  29. ^ Mink, Ryan (September 4, 2017). "Ravens Put Maurice Canady on Injured Reserve, Bring Back Chris Matthews". BaltimoreRavens.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2017.
  30. ^ Mink, Ryan (November 3, 2017). "Ravens Activate Cornerback Maurice Canady, Waive a Wide Receiver". BaltimoreRavens.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018.
  31. ^ "Stamps sign former NFL WR Matthews". TSN.ca. October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  32. ^ Dunk, Justin (August 30, 2019). "Receiver Chris Matthews signs with the Alouettes". 3DownNation. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  33. ^ "West Division Final - Winnipeg Blue Bombers vs Calgary Stampeders". FootballDB.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  34. ^ "106th Grey Cup - Ottawa RedBlacks vs Calgary Stampeders". FootballDB.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  35. ^ "Wide receiver Chris Matthews returns to Winnipeg Blue Bombers". TSN.ca. May 10, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
  36. ^ "Bombers release WR Chris Matthews". CFL.ca. The Canadian Press. August 28, 2019. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  37. ^ "Days after release from Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Chris Matthews signs with Montreal Alouettes - TSN.ca". TSN. August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  38. ^ "Chris Matthews football statistics". StatsCrew.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  39. ^ Kewish, Ashley (February 2, 2015). "Seahawks star Chris Matthews' connection to Utah". KSL.com. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  40. ^ Campbell, Braden (February 1, 2015). "Who Was The No-Name Seahawks Receiver Who Broke Out Against The Patriots?". Boston.com. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
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