Cleveland Browns: Former linebacker one of the best NFL fathers
By Randy Gurzi
NFL Mocks released their five best father-son NFL combos ever and the Cleveland Browns Clay Matthews, Jr. and his son, Clay Matthews III came in at No. 3
On Father’s Day, our friends over at NFL Mocks decided to release an article ranking the top five father-son combos in the game’s history. Our own Cleveland Browns made the list, which really isn’t a shock considering the names involved.
Former linebacker Clay Matthews, Jr. is in the record books as the team’s all-time tackles leader with 1,430 in his career according to Pro Football Reference. And he’s not even the most popular member of his family.
Matthews son, Clay Matthews III, likely claims that spot. The Green Bay Packers linebacker has become a star and Super Bowl champion. He’s often seen in commercials and is one of the more easily recognizable players in the game today.
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The Packers pass rusher is a tough, throwback player. He’s gritty, hard working and one of the surest tacklers in the game.
It’s easy to see where he learned that from as his dad was one of the best in his day. That makes it unsurprising that they came in at No. 3 in the list written by Erik Lambert. While most fans don’t need to be reminded about how good the younger Matthews is, Lambert reminds us all how awesome his dad was:
"“He had 69.5 sacks for his career (though several more came before the stat became official) and made four Pro Bowls. Ready for this? Since he left Cleveland in 1994, the team has had exactly one trip to the playoffs since. Talk about losing impact.” — Lambert, NFL Mocks"
From 1978 through 1993 Matthews, Jr. was a joy for Browns fans to watch. He played three more seasons for the Atlanta Falcons before hanging it up.
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The family as a whole is simply NFL royalty. Clay, Jr.’s brother Bruce Matthews is a Hall of Fame offensive tackle who played for the Houston Oilers and Tennessee Titans from 1983-2001.