1926–1953 Boxing 1941 Track and Field Children Clay Matthews, Sr. 1926–1930 Track and Field Spouse Elsa Matthews | 1937–1938 Baseball Role Baseball player 1926–1930 Baseball Name H. Matthews | |
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Sport(s) Boxing, Baseball, Track Born February 14, 1889Jeffersonville, Ohio ( 1889-02-14 ) Great grandchildren Clay Matthews III, Casey Matthews | ||
Howard Lynn Matthews (February 14, 1889 – February 27, 1975), usually known as Matty Matthews or H. L. Matthews, was a minor league baseball player and boxing, baseball, and track and field coach at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. His son became head of a long family line of standout National Football League players.
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Early life
Matthews was born in Jeffersonville, Ohio on February 14, 1889. He played baseball for several minor league teams from 1912 through 1915, primarily in the South Atlantic League. With the onset of World War I, he joined the army where he began boxing. After the war, he returned to baseball for the 1922 season, while also pursuing a career as a stock market telegrapher. Matthews gave up all of these activities to coach at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina in the 1925–26 school year.
Coaching career
Matty became boxing, baseball, and track and field coach at The Citadel beginning in 1926. Matthews was part of the inaugural class of inductees into The Citadel Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977. He was also inducted in the Carolinas Boxing Hall of Fame in 2005.
Baseball
Matthews's record as head coach of The Citadel baseball team is incomplete. Only two seasons have complete records, one each during his two stints as coach of the baseball team.
Track and field
No records are available for Matthews' tenure as track and field coach at The Citadel.
Family tree
The Matthews football dynasty family tree: