USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans LB Clay Matthews III

With 47 days to go, today we look at former USC linebacker Clay Matthews III.

Position: Linebacker

Years played at USC: 2004-2008

Career highlights: Despite being a member of the legendary Matthews family, Matthews was not heavily recruited out of high school, and arrived at USC as an unheralded walk-on in 2004. As a true freshman, he was offered opportunities for garbage time playing time during the Trojans‘ national championship season, but declined in order to preserve his redshirt status. (This was prior to the modern rule that players can play in up to four regular season games and still redshirt the season.) The decision paid off, as Matthews earned a scholarship in 2006 and finally became a starter as a redshirt senior in 2008.

During the 2008 season, Matthews teamed up with fellow seniors Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, and Kaluka Maiava to form one of the greatest linebacker rooms in college football history. Matthews finished the 2008 campaign with 54 total tackles, four sacks, and a forced fumble. That year, USC’s historic defense held its opponent to 10 points or fewer in 10 of 13 games, as the Trojans went 12-1 with a Pac-10 title and a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State.

After USC: The Green Bay Packers selected Matthews with the 26th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He would play ten seasons in Green Bay, before returning to Southern California in 2019 to play his final season with the Los Angeles Rams. During his 11-year NFL career, Matthews was named to six Pro Bowls, being named first-team All-Pro in 2010 and second-team All-Pro in 2012. He is the all-time sacks leader in Green Bay Packers history, and a member of the franchises’s hall of fame.

Contact/Follow @TrojansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of USC Trojans news, notes and opinion.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC countdown to kickoff: Recalling Trojans LB Clay Matthews III