Chris Matthews (gridiron football) facts for kids
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Matthews with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014
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| No. 13, 19, 81, 84 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | October 6, 1989 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 228 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Susan Miller Dorsey (Los Angeles, California) |
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| College: | Kentucky | ||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2011 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career CFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Career Arena statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
| Player stats at CFL.ca | |||||||||
| Player stats at ArenaFan.com | |||||||||
Christopher Douglas Matthews (born October 6, 1989) is a former professional wide receiver in American football. He played for several teams, including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL and the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL. Chris is especially remembered for his amazing plays in the 2014 NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XLIX.
Contents
- Chris Matthews' Early Life and College Football Journey
- Chris Matthews' Professional Football Career
- Chris Matthews' Family Life
Chris Matthews' Early Life and College Football Journey
Chris Matthews grew up in Los Angeles, California. He went to Susan Miller Dorsey High School. There, he played American football as a tight end and a defensive end.
Playing at Junior College
Chris wanted to play college football at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). However, he couldn't join a Division I school right away. So, he went to Los Angeles Harbor College (LAHC), which is a junior college. At LAHC, Chris changed his position to wide receiver. In his second year, he caught 80 passes for 1,235 yards and scored 11 touchdowns in just nine games.
Playing for the Kentucky Wildcats
In 2009, Chris transferred to the University of Kentucky. He joined the Kentucky Wildcats football team for his junior year. That year, he caught 32 passes for 354 yards and scored three touchdowns. In 2010, Chris had an even better season. He caught 61 passes for 925 yards and scored nine touchdowns.
Chris Matthews' Professional Football Career
Chris Matthews was not chosen by any team in the 2011 NFL draft. However, he still got a chance to play professionally.
Starting with the Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns signed Chris as a free agent in 2011. This means they signed him even though he wasn't drafted. But he was released from the team before the regular season began.
Playing in the Arena Football League
In 2012, Chris played for the Iowa Barnstormers in the Arena Football League (AFL). He caught 36 passes for 472 yards and scored nine touchdowns for the team.
First Time with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Chris then signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the 2012 season. This was his first time playing in the CFL. He had a fantastic rookie year! He played in all 18 regular season games. He gained 1,192 yards from 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 tough time. He got a serious injury called "turf toe." This injury made him miss most of the games. He only played in four games that season. After the season, the Blue Bombers released him. During this time, Chris worked at a shoe store and as a security guard.
Joining the Seattle Seahawks
While working as a security guard, Chris got an exciting 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. He played in four preseason games, catching four passes for 53 yards.
The Seahawks released him on August 30, 2014, but signed him to their practice squad the next day. A practice squad is where players train with the team but aren't on the main roster. On December 6, 2014, he was moved to the Seahawks' main 53-man roster. He played in three regular season games but didn't catch any passes. He did make a tackle on a special teams play.
Big Plays in the Playoffs
Chris became famous during the 2014–15 NFL playoffs. In the 2014 NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers, he made a very important play. He recovered a crucial onside kick. This play gave the Seahawks a chance to score and eventually win the game in overtime!
In Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots, Chris made his first ever NFL catch. It was a 44-yard pass from quarterback Russell Wilson. Later, he caught an 11-yard pass for his first NFL touchdown, tying the game 14–14 at halftime. Chris finished the Super Bowl with four catches for 109 yards. He was tied with the Patriots' Julian Edelman as the top receiver in the game. Even though the Patriots won 28–24, Chris's performance was amazing. People even thought he might win the Super Bowl MVP award!
On November 17, 2015, the Seahawks released Chris. He decided not to go back to the practice squad, feeling he had moved past that stage.
Playing for the 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. Chris stayed with the Ravens for a while, but was released in November 2017.
Returning to the CFL with Calgary
On October 2, 2018, Chris went back to the CFL and signed with the Calgary Stampeders. He was a key player for them. He made 12 catches for 252 yards in four regular season games. In the playoffs, he had seven catches for 98 yards. The Calgary Stampeders won the Grey Cup that year, and Chris was a champion!
Second Time with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
On May 10, 2019, Chris signed a three-year contract to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers again. He played in six games, catching 12 passes for 180 yards and one touchdown. He was released by the team on August 28, 2019.
Finishing with the Montreal Alouettes
Just two days after leaving Winnipeg, Chris signed with the Montreal Alouettes. He played in five games for them in the second half of the season. He helped Montreal reach the playoffs for the first time since 2015. He caught nine passes for 139 yards and scored three touchdowns.
Chris Matthews' Family 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 Chris, his father also wore the uniform 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 is also a cousin of the famous football player Reggie White.
