On the field, senior Michael Matthews may have the tough position of linebacker. He is responsible for the  brutal tackling of athletes on the opposing team, but off the field, one can sense his maturity and his quiet determination. He is a respectful, quiet, and thoughtful young man.

There is little doubt Matthews will do great things, and he says football gave him the drive to realize all that he could do. But for him, football is his hobby; who he is as a person, and what he is going to be when he’s out of college are his priorities. Matthews plans to play “college football to help keep me focused on getting a degree”, but his future life goals are to “be a dad of a great family” and football gave him the ability to “stay positive through the ups and downs…no matter what.”

Matthews career began because his friends played, too. “We decided to all play football together.” They have played together ever since. Friends are a huge part of his success because they motivate him to keep grinding and stay on top of his game during the offseason. His friends are his ambition to keep playing. They make the “practice and games very enjoyable.” Matthews loves football not only because of all the people he’s met because of it but also because of everything he learned from playing with his great teammates. Matthews says, “I’ve grown a lot as a person and become more of a leader.”

It’s that leadership that Matthews hopes to continue building in college. Five schools are actively recruiting Matthews, all Division 1 schools, including Eastern Washington, and Montana, Matthews hopes to make a decision by winter. He says Montana has a good chance because he hopes to get out of Washington for college.