The 49ers of San Francisco William Clay Matthews Sr. Matthews played with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League for four seasons, the first of which was in 1950. He died at the age of 52 on September 18, 1958 after suffering a heart attack while working as a security guard.
During his career, Matthews set a NFL record by recording 15 sacks in a single game. He also returned interceptions for touchdowns on three occasions. His son, Bill Jr., would go on to have a successful career of his own.
Matthews was drafted by the 49ers in the ninth round of the 1950 NFL Draft. He began his career with them by playing in 46 games over four seasons, recording 45 tackles and nine sacks. He was then traded to the Green Bay Packers for their third-round pick in the 1953 NFL Draft. There, he played in 22 games over two seasons before finishing his career with one more season in San Francisco. In total, Matthews played in 79 games over six seasons, tallying 105 tackles and 21 sacks. He died before he could play in any more games.
Clay Matthews III is the only child of Bill and Charlotte Matthews. He was born on February 16, 1952 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
NFL.com has player statistics. William Clay Matthews Sr. (August 1, 1928–March 23, 2017) was a football lineman and the father of the Matthews football family. Matthews spent four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League, the first of which was in 1950. He played at the end position on offense and on defense as a linebacker.
He died on March 23, 2017 at the age of 87 after suffering a heart attack at his home in Palm Desert, California.
Matthews was one of eight children born to John Henry "Jack" Matthews and Ora Lee Clapp. He had 13 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
After retiring from football, Matthews went into real estate investment banking with his son Bill Jr., who now runs the family business. The firm is called World Holdings LLC and it is based in Las Vegas, Nevada.
They also have an annual golf tournament called the William Clay Matthews Trophy that is held in their hometown of Lutz, Florida. The first event was held in 1997 by their mother Ora Lee Clapp to honor her husband Jack who died in 1995. It was then renamed in 1998 to coincide with the arrival of the first of three granddaughters.
Clay Matthews Jr. was picked by the Browns in 1978 and played with them until 1993. Matthews Jr. later played with the Atlanta Falcons from 1994 to 1996. He finished his career with the San Diego Chargers in 1997.
In addition to playing football, Clay Matthews Jr. has had a successful career in sports broadcasting. He is best known for his work with ESPN, where he currently serves as an analyst for Monday Night Football. He also works as an analyst for NFL Network's coverage of the NFL Draft.
Before joining ESPN in 2007, Matthews Jr. worked for Westwood One as an announcer for NCAA basketball tournament games. From 1998 to 2001, he served as an analyst for Fox Sports' coverage of National Football League games.
He graduated from East High School in Salt Lake City and then attended Utah State University, where he played defensive end for the Aggies. After graduating from USU with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1977, Matthews joined the Cleveland Browns as their starting left outside linebacker. He spent three seasons with the team before moving to Atlanta to join the Falcons. In 1994, Matthews returned to Cleveland when the Falcons hired him as a free agent. He stayed with the team until 1997 when he ended his career with the San Diego Chargers.
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