Early Life
Matthews was born in the Northridge section of Los Angeles, the son of Leslie and Clay Matthews Jr., a professional football player. The family has a history of professional football players. Matthews' grandfather was Clay Matthews Sr., his brother is linebacker Casey Matthews, and his uncle is Bruce Matthews. Matthews also has cousins involved in football: Kevin Matthews, Jake Matthews, and Mike Matthews. His two older brothers, Kyle and Brian, both members of National Championship teams during their time with USC Trojans football, work in the commercial real estate business in Tennessee and online sports gambling business in Ohio, respectively. His younger brother, Casey, played college football with Oregon Ducks football, making an appearance in a national championship game in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. Casey played professionally for several seasons. His sister, Jennifer, is often featured on NFL Network where she discusses fantasy football.
Career
After attending Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, California, Matthews was a walk-on student athlete at the University of Southern California for the USC Trojans football team under head coach Pete Carroll. At USC, Matthews was a standout special teams player, winning three consecutive Special Teams Player of the Year awards from 2006 to 2008. He also played reserve outside linebacker during those years before moving into a starting role his senior season. During his college career, Matthews was a part of three Pac-10 Championship teams.
Matthews was considered a top prospect for the 2009 NFL draft. He was ultimately selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the draft (26th overall) after the team traded up to make the selection. As a rookie, Matthews recorded 10 sacks while playing outside linebacker. He topped that total in 2010 with 13.5 sacks, helping the Packers to their Super Bowl XLV victory. Matthews continued his role as a leading pass rusher, recording at least six sacks in the first nine seasons he played. Matthews also showed his athleticism and abilities by playing both inside and outside linebacker during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
A member of the Matthews family of football players, he is the brother of former NFL linebacker Casey Matthews, the son of former NFL linebacker Clay Matthews Jr., and the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews.
Sources
Last updated: 2026-09-05