The Book of Matthews isn't closed for Browns
Browns pass on Clay III in 2009, can draft younger son of former star Clay
By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports columnist
Published on Wednesday, Mar 02, 2011
INDIANAPOLIS: Frequently when he's recognized, Casey Matthews finds himself talking to a fan who hopes the Browns won't be fooled again.
In the 2009 draft, the Browns traded down three times in the first round, passing on Matthews' brother, Clay III, at every stop. It seemed to make no difference that Matthews' father, Clay Jr., had played linebacker for the Browns for 16 of his 19 seasons in the NFL.
Browns coach Eric Mangini selected California center Alex Mack at No. 21, and Southern Cal's Matthews went 26th to the Green Bay Packers. Now he's one of the most dynamic pass rushers in the game, a two-time Pro Bowler who finished second in the 2010 Associated Press
defensive player of the year voting for the newly crowned Super Bowl champions.
The Browns will get another chance to right that wrong on April 29-30. Oregon inside linebacker Casey Matthews is projected as a fourth- or fifth-round selection and could be considered by the Browns as they make the conversion to a 4-3 defense.
Casey would love to join his father's former team.
''I hope. If they want me, I'll go,'' Matthews said Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. ''I've heard that. A lot of people will come up to me and say, 'We missed on your brother; hopefully we'll get you.' ''
Matthews lives in Southern California, but he has found that Browns fans are everywhere.
''Wherever I go, it just seems that people who are familiar with who I am, who Clay is, and my dad playing there, they'll bring it up,'' Casey said.
The Matthews family is one of only two families to have three generations play in the NFL. Clay Sr. was a defensive end for four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers in the 1950s. They join the Pynes (George Jr., George III and Jim, an offensive lineman for the expansion Browns).
Browns General Manager Tom Heckert won't overlook Casey Matthews' background.
''Obviously he comes from pretty good bloodlines,'' Heckert said Saturday. ''He's a tough kid; he can run. To say he's anywhere like his brother, probably not the greatest thing to say right now, to put that pressure on him. But he's got a chance to be a good football player.''
Casey is not the only player in this draft with NFL roots. Ohio State defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is the son of the late fullback Craig ''Ironhead'' Heyward, and Alabama running back Mark Ingram Jr. is the son of former wide receiver Mark Ingram Sr. Heckert worked for the Miami Dolphins when the elder Ingram played there, and Browns coach Pat Shurmur was a teammate of Ingram's at Michigan State. LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson is a cousin of NFL cornerback Bryant McFadden and related to receivers Santana and Sinorice Moss.
Asked the importance of bloodlines, Heckert said: ''It's not a negative if you don't have it. But it's a very positive thing if you came from a football family. Not only if your father played, but if your father was a coach, if you've been around the game your whole life.''
Casey Matthews had hoped to attend Southern Cal like his father and brother, but the Trojans didn't recruit him. So he picked the closest school and enjoyed playing against Clay III twice and at home in Los Angeles once a year.
He seems to have coped well with the pressure of being a Matthews.
''I put a lot of pressure on myself, just seeing the success my dad had, my brother is having,'' Casey said. ''Friends will ask me, 'Do you feel pressure?' I don't really see it as that. It's not necessarily that I have to live up to the name, though it would be nice playing at their level.''
Oregon's co-most outstanding player and leading tackler last season, Casey helped Oregon reach the BCS championship against Auburn. In the title game, his strip of quarterback Cam Newton set up a touchdown that tied the score 19-19 before Auburn prevailed, 22-19.
Casey, 6-foot-1 and 232 pounds, knows he's not as fast as Clay III. But he thinks he might have one advantage over his brother.
''My instincts,'' Casey said. ''He's more of an explosive athlete. We're different positions. I think my position requires a little more of the instinctual side and getting to the ball quicker. I feel that's a part of my game that Clay doesn't necessarily [do] as well.''
He also sports the same long hair as his brother, which earned Clay III an endorsement with Suave shampoo.
Asked if the flowing locks give them more power, Casey said: ''I like to think so, but no. It's just the look of it coming out the back of the helmet. It's one of our trademarks.''
NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock likes Casey and thought he helped his draft stock ''immensely'' during Senior Bowl week. But Mayock knows the team that selects the next Matthews will be going off more than just his combine and pro day workouts.
''He won't test like his brother; he's not explosive like his brother,'' Mayock said Sunday. ''He's an inside player instead of an outside player. But I believe there's something about bloodlines. He's always around the football. He makes plays, he's smart, he's instinctive, and he will play better than his measurables would suggest.''
As for Super Bowl week, Casey said watching the Packers defeat the Steelers was a ''special moment'' for the Matthews family.
''It felt like I was a part of the team, too,'' Casey said. ''All the emotions [Clay III] was feeling, I was feeling as well. Same with the whole family. My dad played 19 years and didn't get to the Super Bowl. My brother is in two and wins it.
''My dad was very happy. I guess the Matthews' curse of not winning the Super Bowl is lifted.''
That might make longtime Browns backers happy, too. But they still long for another Matthews to help Cleveland get over its Super Bowl hump.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.ohio.com/sports/browns/117220648.html
