played two years of football in high school before attending college. After trying out for
the Green Bay Packers in 1997, Matthews made the team as a wide receiver and
eventually won a Super Bowl ring. Now retired from the NFL, Matthews encourages
teenagers to strive for unimaginable success. –a.r.
After your glory years in the NFL, why was it important for you
to give back to your community?
We have a lot of families in need right now. At the
beginning of 2010, I will kick off the E Matt Foundation. Once I finished
playing in the NFL, I was down a little bit. But my former high school track
coach called me when he retired and I took over his position. I enjoyed
mentoring and teaching kids. I will soon open a youth center on the south side
of Atlanta. Without youth programs, we will lose our kids. Between the hours of
3 p.m. and 6 p.m., kids get in the most trouble because they don’t have anywhere to
go. It’s up to us to give them a place to go.
What do you tell kids about the importance of getting an
education?
It starts with kids in middle and high school preparing
themselves for college. A lot of kids dream of making it to the NFL, but
everyone will not make it. You need an education because you can’t count on
football. My parents made sure that education was a part of my life, so I tell
kids that they must keep their grades up if they want to play sports.
What are your doing for the holidays to help the
community?
I will be hosting Toys for Tots at the 191 Club on Dec. 4.
We are partnering up with Hosea Feed the Homeless and Hosea’s daughter, Elizabeth Omilami. We will
also team up with the B.E.S.T Academy to give them some money to help buy
school supplies.
