Recently, Ed McCaffrey revealed in a podcast that Christian McCaffrey wasn’t allowed to consume soda in high school, couldn’t squint at the sun, and had to go to bed early — all in a bid to keep him on track for their NFL dream. Luckily for Kyle and Clay Matthews III, sons of NFL legend Clay Matthews Sr., their childhood was much more relaxed. Even after growing up in a football family like the McCaffreys, Kyle Matthews barely watched football on TV.
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On the latest episode of the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, Kyle asserted that his father had always given him the freedom to choose the profession of his liking. Clay Sr. was clear that he didn’t want his son to become a football player just because he was.
For Kyle, who now runs a real estate agency, this was a dream scenario, as it allowed him to be barely involved in football despite being the eldest son of the house. As a result, Kyle didn’t play football until ninth grade, nor did he watch football regularly.
Even for the games his father played, Kyle didn’t make it a point to watch, as he only tuned in when the broadcast times aligned with his free time. And as far as college football was concerned, the CEO of Matthews Real Estate didn’t know what it was until he became a CFB player himself.
“My understanding of the McCaffrey family, which is very limited, but I have heard those stories. My father [however] was the total opposite… like I didn’t play football till ninth grade… He never once pushed football. We never watched a single football game, unless my dad was playing and even then, we may or may not watch it, depending on the broadcast schedule. I [also] never watched a college football game until I played in one.”
However, for his younger brother, Clay, things were a bit different. By the time the former Packers player was in the sixth grade, their father had already retired, giving him ample time to train his boys. This meant that the former NFL LB found himself lifting weights at Gold’s Gym from sixth grade onward.
At an age when his friends played Halo, training at the gym wasn’t something Matthews III enjoyed. He resented it a lot. But luckily for the Cheeseheads, he eventually developed a “natural love for the game” as he grew up.
Moreover, with puberty also helping him add much-needed physicality to his frame (6-foot-3 stature and 255-pound frame), Clay knew football would be the right choice—and it was. He went on to have a Super Bowl-winning career, along with six Pro Bowls and a first-team All-Pro nod to his name.
“I remember him taking me to the Gold’s Gym in like sixth grade and I was just such a bit*h. Like I didn’t want to lift, but he was putting the brown paper towel over the neck machine… I couldn’t even do… like a five on each side of the bench press. I was embarrassed, and I didn’t want to. I just wanted to play probably Halo at the time.”
Stories like these truly reinforce the belief that whatever happens, happens for the best. Be it Clay Matthews passing on his name to his younger son or training Clay III from a young age, this worked well in the long run for both brothers, as the younger one ended up winning the Super Bowl while Kyle is happy pursuing a career in real estate!
