Ray Nitschke vs Dick Butkus
The all-time sack leader for the Green Bay Packers and a six-time Pro Bowl linebacker.
William Clay Matthews III (born May 14, 1986) is an American former professional football linebacker who played in the National Football League for 10 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Matthews is the all-time sack leader for the Packers (with 83.5), as well as a six-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All-Pro. He was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame in 2024.
Quick Facts
- Ray nitschke team
- Green Bay Packers
- Dick butkus team
- Chicago Bears
- Position
- Linebacker
- Division rivalry
- NFL Central; NFC Central
- Era overlap
- Late 1960s to Early 1970s
Lore & Background
Matthews was a walk-on at USC under head coach Pete Carroll, winning three consecutive Special Teams Player of the Year awards from 2006 to 2008. He was selected by the Packers in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft (26th overall) after the team traded up. As a rookie, he recorded 10 sacks, and in 2010 he had 13.5 sacks, helping the Packers to a Super Bowl XLV victory. He played both inside and outside linebacker during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Reader's Guide
Matthews wore number 52 for the Packers. He is the son of former NFL linebacker Clay Matthews Jr., the brother of former NFL linebacker Casey Matthews, and the nephew of Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews. His grandfather was Clay Matthews Sr. His older brothers Kyle and Brian were members of National Championship teams at USC. His sister Jennifer is often featured on NFL Network discussing fantasy football.
More in Great Rivalries & Feuds
Elsewhere in Green Bay Packers
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced