Chris Matthews (gridiron football) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chris Matthews

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
Cleveland Browns (2011)* Iowa Barnstormers (2012) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2012–2013) Seattle Seahawks (2014–2015) Baltimore Ravens (2015–2017) Calgary Stampeders (2018) Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2019) Montreal Alouettes (2019)
Career highlights and awards
CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award (2012) Grey Cup champion (2018)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 16 Receiving yards: 176 Receiving touchdowns: 1
Career CFL statistics
Receptions: 33 Receiving yards: 571 Receiving touchdowns: 5
Career Arena statistics
Receptions: 36 Receiving touchdowns: 9 Total tackles: 4
Player stats at PFR
Player stats at CFL.ca
Player stats at ArenaFan.com

Chris Matthews, born on October 6, 1989, is a former American professional football player. He played as a wide receiver. After college, he joined the Cleveland Browns in 2011.

He then played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in Canada. He even won the award for the best rookie in the CFL! Later, he joined the Seattle Seahawks. He made a huge play in a big game, recovering an onside kick. He also had an amazing game in Super Bowl XLIX, catching four passes for 109 yards and a touchdown. Chris played college football at Los Angeles Harbor College and the University of Kentucky.

Chris Matthews: Early Life and College

Chris Matthews went to Susan Miller Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, California. He played American football there as a tight end and a defensive end. He wanted to play college football at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). However, his grades meant he couldn't play for a top-level college team right away.

So, he went to Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC), which is a junior college. There, Chris changed his position to wide receiver. In his second year at LAHC, he caught 80 passes for 1,235 yards. He also scored 11 touchdowns in just nine games.

In 2009, Chris moved to the University of Kentucky. He played for the Kentucky Wildcats football team. In 2009, he caught 32 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns. The next year, in 2010, he had an even better season. He caught 61 passes for 925 yards and nine touchdowns.

College Football Stats

Here are Chris Matthews' college football statistics:

Professional Football Career

Cleveland Browns

Chris Matthews was not chosen by any team in the 2011 NFL draft. But the Cleveland Browns signed him as a free agent. This means he joined the team without being drafted. However, he was released by the team before the regular season started.

Iowa Barnstormers

In 2012, Chris played for the Iowa Barnstormers. This team is part of the Arena Football League (AFL). He caught 36 passes for 472 yards and scored nine touchdowns for the Barnstormers.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (First Time)

Chris then signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the 2012 season. In his first year, he played in all 18 regular season games. He gained 1,192 yards on 81 catches and scored seven touchdowns. Because of his great performance, he won the 2012 CFL's Most Outstanding Rookie Award.

In the 2013 season, Chris had a serious foot injury called "turf toe." This injury made him miss most of the games. He only had 14 catches for 138 yards and one touchdown. The Blue Bombers later released him. During this time, he worked at a shoe store and as a security guard.

Seattle Seahawks

While working as a security guard, Chris got a call from the Seattle Seahawks. They invited him to try out for their team. On February 18, 2014, Chris signed a contract with the Seahawks. After playing in four preseason games, he was released. But the next day, he was signed to their practice squad. This is a group of players who practice with the team but aren't on the main roster.

On December 6, 2014, Chris was moved to the Seahawks' main team. He played in three regular season games but didn't catch any passes. He did make a tackle on a special teams play.

In the 2014 NFC Championship Game, Chris made a huge play. He recovered a very important onside kick against the Green Bay Packers. This play helped the Seahawks score and win the game in overtime.

In Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots, Chris caught his very first NFL pass. It was a 44-yard pass from Russell Wilson. He then caught an 11-yard pass for his first NFL touchdown, tying the game at halftime. Chris finished the game with four catches for 109 yards. He was tied for the most receiving yards in the game! Even though the Patriots won 28–24, Chris's performance was amazing.

On November 17, 2015, the Seahawks released Chris. They offered him a spot back on the practice squad. But Chris decided not to take it. He felt he had moved past that stage in his career.

Baltimore Ravens

After leaving the Seahawks, Chris joined the Baltimore Ravens practice squad on November 23, 2015. He was moved to the main team on December 12, 2015. He scored his only regular season NFL touchdown on December 27, 2015, against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He stayed with the Ravens for a while but was released in November 2017.

Calgary Stampeders

On October 2, 2018, Chris returned to the CFL. He signed with the Calgary Stampeders. He played a key role for the Stampeders, catching 12 passes for 252 yards in four games. In the playoffs, he had seven catches for 98 yards. The Calgary Stampeders went on to win the Grey Cup, which is like the Super Bowl of the CFL.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (Second Time)

On May 10, 2019, Chris signed a three-year contract to return to the Blue Bombers. He played in six games, catching 12 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown. He was released by the team on August 28, 2019.

Montreal Alouettes

Just two days after leaving Winnipeg, Chris signed with the Montreal Alouettes. He played in five games for them. He helped Montreal reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015. He caught nine passes for 139 yards and scored three touchdowns.

Personal Life

Chris Matthews's father, Darell, is from Holly Springs, Mississippi. He played college football at Lane College. He also works for the Los Angeles Police Department. Like his son, Darell also wore the number 13 when he played football. Chris has a younger sister named Jada. She goes to the University of Utah and plays college basketball for the Utah Utes women's basketball team. Chris Matthews is also a cousin of the famous football player Reggie White.

Images for kids

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  Matthews with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014