Bruce Matthews was born on August 8, 1961, in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is the son of Clay Matthews Sr., a former NFL player. The Matthews family is known as the “NFL’s First Family” . Bruce attended Arcadia High School in California, where he excelled in football and wrestling.
He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC), earning consensus All-American honors in 1982.
Matthews was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played 19 seasons with the Oilers, later known as the Tennessee Titans. Matthews played every position on the offensive line during his career. He started 293 games, the most by any player in franchise history.
Matthews was selected to 14 Pro Bowls and named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007. After retiring as a player, Matthews served as an offensive assistant coach for the Houston Texans and as the offensive line coach for the Tennessee Titans.
Matthews’ number 74 jersey was retired by the Titans, and he was honored in the team’s Ring of Honor. He is part of a football legacy that includes his brother Clay Matthews Jr., his sons Kevin and Jake Matthews, and his nephews Clay Matthews III and Casey Matthews.
A native of Arcadia, Calif., Matthews attended Arcadia High School.
The Houston Oilers selected Bruce Matthews with the 9th overall pick in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft.
