It’s all in the genes! However, for Jake Matthews and his siblings, it wasn’t a forceful commitment to football. It was because the Falcons OT’s father earlier stated, “It’s their choice. It’s their passion and what powers them to keep going,” on choosing football as a career.

Born on 11 February 1992 to mom Carrie Matthews and dad Bruce Matthews, Jake is the third-oldest son behind Steven and Kevin Matthews. Besides these three, Carrie and Bruce also share four more children, which sums up a total of seven kids – five boys and two girls. And for all of them, the couple has been a pillar of support in their respective careers. But the interesting fact here is that each son has played football “on 50 acres not far from Elkins, the Missouri City high school.” And the reason is Bruce’s football prowess.

Father Bruce was a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played 19 seasons to accomplish his dream of playing in the Super Bowl. He played college football for the USC Trojans and was drafted into the NFL in 1983. Similar to his son Jake, Bruce played offensive tackle. But that’s not all! He was a highly versatile offensive lineman, who played “guard, center, and snapper, for the Houston / Tennessee Oilers / Titans franchise from 1983 to 2001.” However, being such a significant player for his team in the league, Bruce never forced his sons to play football.

Instead, he said, “I said to them, ‘You don’t have to play football. If you feel like you should play football because that’s the way it’s been, you don’t have to. Basically, all the boys were like, ‘I want to play football. I love football.’…I don’t know if it’s just always being around the game their whole life or if it’s something innate, but they just love the game. They don’t care if they’re injured. They’re always out there.”

Nevertheless, being a father, Bruce is always worried about his children, hoping that they do not get stuck with any sort of injuries in the games. However, Bruce himself never missed a game during his NFL tenure because of an injury.

Anyways, for Carrie, it is a blissful life because of her children, as she earlier mentioned, “They’re why I breathe. It’s been a pleasure and an honor to be their mother. There’s nothing more important to me than being their mom.” For the couple, Carrie and Bruce, who married in May 1983 (just two weeks after their USC graduation), “faith, family and football are everything.”

Talking about Jake, specifically, his mom once highlighted the athlete’s characteristics, saying, “Jakey’s a great kid, always has been. He’s so intelligent that he really could’ve done anything he wanted to, but he was just so gifted athletically. He was also an incredible student, and he’ll probably get mad at me for pointing this out, but he was Mr. Elkins High School. Then he goes off to A&M, and his senior year he won the President’s Award. I’m just so proud of Jakey, as I am all my children.”

Besides this, together the couple have instilled a strong connection among their kids, and she is proud that all her children are very close to each other.

Jake Matthews’ family portrays football legacy

So, the football legacy in Matthews’ family started from Jake Matthews’ grandfather, Clay Matthews Sr. Clay joined the NFL in 1949 with the Rams, but surprisingly never played a game with them. However, his debut game started when he moved to San Francisco in 1950 and “played offensive tackle, defensive tackle, and defensive end.”

Nevertheless, after his retirement, his two sons – Clay Matthews Jr. and Bruce Matthews – carried their father’s football legacy. Having played in teams like the Browns and Falcons, Matthews Jr. was a linebacker, who played in “four Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro selection.” Besides him, his younger brother, Bruce was a 14-time Pro Bowl selection. So, being in two different teams, the brothers played against each other in the league.

Hence, when it was time for Jake Matthews to face off against his cousin brother, Clay Matthews III, both made sure that competitiveness didn’t affect their bond. In addition to that, another reason for the athletes being so close to each other is the roots their parents have instilled in them.

Talking about the same, Jake Matthews’ mom, Carrie Matthews said, “The kids have always been close. They were taught to stick together, stand up for each other, protect each other and love each other. They still hug each other and say ‘I love you.’” Indeed, the family continues to rise in football, thanks to Jake’s parents and grandfather for it!