Michael Matthews (American football)
Encyclopedia
Michael Lee Matthews is an American football
tight end
for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
at Georgia Tech
.
Matthews earned a Super Bowl ring
with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII
. He has also been a member of the New England Patriots
, Detroit Lions
, Buffalo Bills
, and Virginia Destroyers.
in Cincinnati, Ohio
and was a student and a letterman in football
, basketball
, and baseball
. In football, he was named as a first team All-City selection, a second team All-District selection, and a first team All-Conference selection. Michael Matthews graduated from Sycamore High School in 2002.
for the Georgia Tech football team
and Kevin Boss
, in which he was an important contributor to the team's rushing attack with his strong blocking. Matthews' playing time increased after Shockey suffered a season-ending injury in Week 15. Matthews went on to win Super Bowl XLII
with the Giants; he started the game with Boss in a double tight end formation.
After Shockey was traded in the offseason, Matthews returned to the Giants to serve as the backup tight end behind Kevin Boss in 2008. Matthews is typically used as a blocking tight end, with Boss being the receiving tight end.
pick. He was waived on October 20; the condition for the trade was not met, meaning the Patriots did not surrender a draft choice.
on December 15, 2009. He was waived on April 20, 2010.
on April 21, 2010. He was waived on August 23.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
Matthews earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
. He has also been a member of the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Virginia Destroyers.
Early years
Matthews attended Sycamore High SchoolSycamore High School (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Sycamore High School is a four-year public high school in the north-east suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Sycamore Community School District. The current building was built in 1974 in a very modern architectural style employing the progressive and experimental open...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and was a student and a letterman in football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. In football, he was named as a first team All-City selection, a second team All-District selection, and a first team All-Conference selection. Michael Matthews graduated from Sycamore High School in 2002.
College years
Matthews played collegiatelyCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the Georgia Tech football team
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
New York Giants
Matthews was signed by the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2007. Matthews played in every game for the Giants in the 2007 season as a backup tight end behind Jeremy ShockeyJeremy Shockey
Jeremy Charles Shockey is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Giants 14th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft...
and Kevin Boss
Kevin Boss
Kevin Boss is an American football tight end for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League...
, in which he was an important contributor to the team's rushing attack with his strong blocking. Matthews' playing time increased after Shockey suffered a season-ending injury in Week 15. Matthews went on to win Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game on February 3, 2008 that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
with the Giants; he started the game with Boss in a double tight end formation.
After Shockey was traded in the offseason, Matthews returned to the Giants to serve as the backup tight end behind Kevin Boss in 2008. Matthews is typically used as a blocking tight end, with Boss being the receiving tight end.
New England Patriots
Matthews was traded to the New England Patriots on September 5, 2009, in exhange for a conditional 2011 draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
pick. He was waived on October 20; the condition for the trade was not met, meaning the Patriots did not surrender a draft choice.
Detroit Lions
Matthews was signed by the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
on December 15, 2009. He was waived on April 20, 2010.
Buffalo Bills
Matthews signed with the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on April 21, 2010. He was waived on August 23.