Clay Matthews Ready to Dominate
June 29, 2010, by Rob Reischel
~The 2009 NFL season still hadn’t ended, but Clay Matthews could already see what his future held.
Matthews, a standout linebacker who made the Pro Bowl during a terrific rookie season with the Green Bay Packers, was handled by one blocker most of last season. During Green Bay’s postseason loss to Arizona, though, that changed. Dramatically.
"He brings a skill set to the table that's unique and he's extremely coachable," Packer outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene said of Matthews. "You tell him to do something one time and he does it. He has done nothing but listen and grow and really come into his own."
Running backs. Tight ends. Fullbacks. Extra linemen.
When it came to slowing Matthews down, the Cardinals decided it was all hands on deck. Despite constant double-teams, though, Matthews had Green Bay’s lone sack of Kurt Warner, forced a fumble and recovered one, as well.
Late in the game, with Packer defenders fading in the desert heat, Matthews was still fighting off double-teams and making Warner sweat.
“That game kind of showed me what things might be like now,” Matthews said recently during Green Bay’s ongoing organized team activities. “So the mind-set you need to have is two guys still can’t block me, bring on three guys. That’s what separates the great players from the average ones. You have to be physically dominant, but most of it’s a mind-set.
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PackersInsider.com