Houstonist Legends: Bruce Matthews

[ryan17wagner]

Houstonist proudly names 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Bruce Matthews, the first of a series of great Houston athletes to be honored. Matthews, who was drafted ninth overall in the 1983 NFL draft, could possibly be the last of the Houston Oilers to be inducted.

Matthews was a rare specimen. He played 19 seasons with one franchise which included 296 games, a NFL record for lineman and sixth best in NFL history. While playing for the Oilers franchise, Matthews was also a staple in the annual all-star game. He was elected to 14 Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL All-Pro team nine times. He was also honored by the NFL by being named to the 1990's All-Decade team.

When the Oilers packed their bags and headed to Tennessee after the '96 season, Matthews always had Houston on his mind. In the 1999 season, Matthews and his Tennessee Titans clinched a Super Bowl birth, a bitter-sweet chapter for the long-time Oiler. Amongst all the craze in Tennessee, Matthews put it in perspective, "They talk about it being loud at [Tennessee's home stadium] Adelphia. But man, back in the '90s when we were on our run, the [Astro] Dome was a wreck to play in if you had to play against us there. I'm thinking well, maybe my hearing is impaired because I'm older. But in the Dome when it was loud, you could feel it in your spine."

Matthews will be inducted later today in Canton, Ohio by his long-time friend and teammate, Mike Munchak, who's giving his induction speech. The ceremony will be aired on the NFL Network and ESPN starting at 5 p.m. Texas Standard Time.

Notes: Matthews is the fifth Houston Oiler Hall of Famer joining Earl Campbell, Elvin Bethea, Warren Moon and Mike Munchak.

http://houstonist.com/2007/08/04/houstonist_lege.php

[Blatz]

Bruce Matthews: The Last Oiler Part One

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Bruce Matthews: The Last Oiler Part Two

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Bruce Matthews: The Last Oiler Part Three

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[redgoose]

So how does it work when you go into the HOF playing for only 1 franchise your whole career, but that franchise has 2 locations and names. It said he was going in as probably the last Oiler, but could he have chosen to be inducted as a Titan instead? Which jersey goes up, both?

Anyone think there will ever be another lineman to play 19 seasons, let alone make 14 Pro Bowls! :eek: The guy was an absolute freak of nature, and in a good way. Allot of people like him would of eventually became cocky, he always seemed down to Earth.

[SamFisher]

So how does it work when you go into the HOF playing for only 1 franchise your whole career, but that franchise has 2 locations and names. It said he was going in as probably the last Oiler, but could he have chosen to be inducted as a Titan instead? Which jersey goes up, both?


There's no jersey, the NFL doesn't really do the "going in as __" that baseball people seem to obsess about. At the HOF just a somewhat generic painting of the player in action alng with the bust. Anyway the teams unis are fairly simlar looking so iif they wanted to they could make it look like it could be either.

[ryan17wagner]

So how does it work when you go into the HOF playing for only 1 franchise your whole career, but that franchise has 2 locations and names. It said he was going in as probably the last Oiler, but could he have chosen to be inducted as a Titan instead? Which jersey goes up, both?

Anyone think there will ever be another lineman to play 19 seasons, let alone make 14 Pro Bowls! :eek: The guy was an absolute freak of nature, and in a good way. Allot of people like him would of eventually became cocky, he always seemed down to Earth.

Warren Moon was honore in Tennessee last year when he was inducted. I read about on-line. It was weird.

[rimrocker]

Bud Adams sucks. He sucked from the beginning. He sucked during Bum's years. He sucks now. He will forever suck. He is the old man of suck.

[A_3PO]

Matthews was incredible and for such a long time. I only remember one game, against the Vikings, where he got manhandled.

[SwoLy-D]

Where does stupid John McCrappy get this CRAP about "Last Houston Oiler" crap :mad: ??!?!?!? I love Mr. Matthews for being such a menace protecting Warren Moon and McNair along with Munchak, and what not, but they shouldn't do this stupid shiznit: Brad Hopkins was the last Oiler. Look it up.

By the way, I hate John McClain... he has the face for RADIO and the raspy silly voice for NEWSPAPER. :mad:

EDIT: one last thing... I hate John McClain.

[SamFisher]

Where does stupid John McCrappy get this CRAP about "Last Houston Oiler" crap :mad: ??!?!?!? I love Mr. Matthews for being such a menace protecting Warren Moon and McNair along with Munchak, and what not, but they shouldn't do this stupid shiznit: Brad Hopkins was the last Oiler. Look it up.

By the way, I hate John McClain... he has the face for RADIO and the raspy silly voice for NEWSPAPER. :mad:

EDIT: one last thing... I hate John McClain.

Steve McNair is the last Houston Oiler still on an active roster, at least I think.

[ryan17wagner]

Where does stupid John McCrappy get this CRAP about "Last Houston Oiler" crap :mad: ??!?!?!? I love Mr. Matthews for being such a menace protecting Warren Moon and McNair along with Munchak, and what not, but they shouldn't do this stupid shiznit: Brad Hopkins was the last Oiler. Look it up.

By the way, I hate John McClain... he has the face for RADIO and the raspy silly voice for NEWSPAPER. :mad:

EDIT: one last thing... I hate John McClain.


Uhhhh, he was talking about the possiblility of Matthews being the last Oiler to be inducted to the HOF. Calm down buddy.

[DaDakota]

The Last Oiler part 4.

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I really miss the Oilers...

:(

DD

[msn]

I really miss the Oilers...
Me, too.

[SwoLy-D]

Uhhhh, he was talking about the possiblility of Matthews being the last Oiler to be inducted to the HOF. Calm down buddy.Not even. Watch the HOF induction.

[ryan17wagner]

I did. Bruce Matthews IS the last Oiler. He told me so. Even Mike Munchak agreed. He we are partying in Cancun at my frat brother's wedding. We're now texting buddies:

http://i54.photobucket.com/albums/g90/ignacio713/oilers.jpg