Ollie matson biography samples

He was the man. He had a full and productive life. He always had a smile and a handshake. He was a warm and very friendly person. Never, ever. Skip to main content Skip to primary sidebar Skip to footer Tuesday, January 28, It takes years of dedication and sacrifice to reach the highest levels of international sport. However, very few of them were as successful as Matson.

This is the story of the amazing life and career of Ollie Matson. During his final year of high school, Matson achieved several athletic accomplishments. Before suiting up for the Cards, however, Matson had some business to tend to. Co-Rookie of the Year Most mere mortals would be gassed after having competed in several high-profile sporting events within a few weeks.

Matson was not. He also had over combined punt and kick return yards and scored one touchdown each. That was followed up by a career-best rushing yards and five touchdowns in He also added kick return yards and was selected for his seventh, and final, All-Pro team. LA won nine games total during that period including only one victory in Matson had one decent season in when he had combined yards and five total touchdowns.

After the season, Matson retired. By the mids, Matson began suffering from complications of dementia. Pro Football History Staff. He originally enrolled to play basketball, but was soon drawn back to the gridiron. Matson was a star of the legendary undefeated and untied University of San Francisco football team. Matson led the nation that year with 1, yards rushing and 21 touchdowns.

They beat College of the Pacific 47—14 in a game that was supposed to send the winner to the Orange Bowl. Although Ollie Matson was not able to play in the Orange Bowl, the next year he won a silver medal in the 1,meter relay and a bronze medal in the meter race in the Summer Olympics in Helsinki. During his first season, Matson became the co-winner of rookie of the year honors in Matson held the record for the most total yards gained in a season: yards.

He also held the record for most rushing yards in a game— yards. In his fourteen years of playing pro football, Matson had the ability to break down barriers to become one of the best. In his senior year, he entered an open meet held at Kezar Stadium and ran the yd dash competitively for the first time, chasing Herb McKinley, the holder of the world record to a new record of Ollie finished second in 47 sec.

Races were held on cinder tracks in those times. While in school, Matson became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. In , Matson's senior year at USF, he led the nation in rushing yardage and touchdowns en route to leading the Dons to an undefeated season. He was selected as an All-American and finished ninth in Heisman Trophy balloting that year.

Despite its 9—0 record, the San Francisco team was not invited to a bowl game. It was later reported that the Orange, Sugar and Gator Bowls—all hosted in the Deep South —did not consider inviting any teams that had black players, and USF refused to play without its two African-American members. The Dons players unanimously refused to play if it required leaving their teammates behind, and did not participate in the Orange Bowl.

Matson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in Matson won a bronze medal in the meter run and a silver medal as part of the United States 4xmeter relay team. Matson missed the entire season while serving in the United States Army. During the season, Matson was used extensively as a wide receiver by Chicago Cardinals head coach Ray Richards.

New Cardinals head coach for Frank "Pop" Ivy took strong exception to such criticism of Matson lining up as a wide out, declaring:. That is absurd. He was sent out as flanker with the idea of throwing to him.

Ollie matson biography samples

But most opponents feared him so much that they doubled up on him. They watched him just as closely when he lines up as running back. They'd double team him if he were sitting up in the grandstand eating hot dogs, just to make sure. Matson finished the aforementioned campaign as the NFL's sixth most prolific running back, with yards gained in carries, for a 4.

Following the season, Matson was traded by the Cardinals to the league's then marquee franchise, the Los Angeles Rams , for nine players. When Matson retired in , his 12, career all-purpose yards were second only to Jim Brown. Matson was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Matson married his wife Mary, whom he met when both were San Francisco teenagers in the mids, in In his later years Matson had dementia he had been mostly bedridden for several years , which was linked to Chronic traumatic encephalopathy CTE , a progressive degenerative disease, diagnosed post-mortem in individuals with a history of multiple concussions and other forms of head injury.

According to his nephew, Matson had not spoken in the four years prior to his passing. On February 19, , Ollie Matson died of dementia complications respiratory failure surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles, California. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version.

In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. American football player and sprinter — American football player. Pro Football Hall of Fame. College Football Hall of Fame. More From encyclopedia. Matson's Ford, Pennsylvania. Matshoba, Mtutuzeli Matsen, Bradford Conway Matsen, Bradford Conway. Matsas, Nestoras. Matsas, Joseph. Matruchot, Louis.

Matrubhoomi—A Nation Without Women. Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. Matrix Service Company. Matson, Suzanne —. Matsuda, Mitsuhiro. Matsuda, Noriko —. Matsudaira, Tsuneo. Matsudaira, Yoriaki. Matsudaira, Yoritsune. Matsui, Keiko. Matsui, Yayori — Matsui, Yayori Matsukata, Masayoshi. Matsumoto, Naomi —. Matsumoto—Best, Saho Matsumur, Fuseo.