Bruce Matthews - Definition and Overview

Bruce Rankin Matthews is an American former NFL offensive lineman. Born August 8, 1961 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Bruce was the son of Clay Matthews, Sr. who played in the NFL in the 1950s. His brother, also named Clay Matthews, played 18 seasons in the NFL. Matthews later moved to Los Angeles, where he was a standout playing on both the offensive and defensive line in high school. He was also an all-league wrestler. He attended the University of Southern California, where he played all offensive line positions at various times, earning All-America honours in his senior year.

Matthews was drafted ninth in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft, where he would eventually replace the legendary Elvin Bethea. He was selected to fourteen Pro Bowls, a league record. His entire career was spent with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans. An extremely durable player, Matthews recorded the longest playing streak at any position. He holds the league record for most games (296) and seasons (19) played by an offensive lineman. Matthews retired after the 2001 season.