The countdown to USC’s 2025 football season is officially on! The Trojans kick off their new campaign 60 days from today. You need something to help you while away the days and hours in the spring and summer. This is one way to do so. In this new series, countdown to kickoff, we will be counting down the days by highlighting a notable Trojan who wore each number. Today, we look at former USC linebacker Clay Matthews Jr.
Position: Linebacker
Years played at USC: 1974-1977
Career highlights: Matthews played at USC from 1974 through 1977. As a freshman, he was part of legendary head coach John McKay’s fourth and final Trojans national championship team. In both his junior and senior years, Matthews was named first-team All-Pac-8.
After USC: The Cleveland Browns selected Matthews with the 12th overall pick in the 1978 NFL Draft. He would go on to play 16 of his 19 NFL seasons with Cleveland, before spending the last three with the Atlanta Falcons. During his career, Matthew was named to four Pro Bowls and led the league in combined tackles four times.
Matthews is a part of a legendary family of Trojans. His younger brother Bruce played offensive line for the Trojans, where he was an All-American in 1982, before going on to have a Hall of Fame NFL career. His son, Clay Matthews’s III, was a standout linebacker for the Trojans during the 2000s, and made six Pro Bowls during his time with the Green Bay Packers.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football countdown to kickoff—Clay Matthews Jr. in focus
Reporting by Adam Bradford, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
