Bio

Aubrey Matthews

Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (1980-81)
Moss Point, Miss.

Aubrey Matthews was a speedy receiver from Moss Point who played on the 1980 state championship team and went on to play 11 seasons in the NFL.

The Bulldogs went 11-1 for George Sekul in Matthews’ freshman season, and he made his presence known immediately. He caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from Gordon Fryfogle in a 33-17 in a season-opening win at Northwest Mississippi. He had a 44-yard reception in the second game of the season to set up a field goal, the only points in a 7-3 loss to Southwest Mississippi at Perk.

Matthews had a 38-yard touchdown reception in a 36-13 win at Jones on a sloppy field which would be a sneak peek at the eventual state championship game. Less than a month later, his 41-yard catch set up the first score in an 18-14 win over Jones in the state championship game in Pascagoula. It was the first state title since 1974.

Gulf Coast got off to a 4-0 start in 1981. Matthews had a 67-yard touchdown run in a 23-3 win over East Mississippi in Columbus to help move the Bulldogs to 3-0. Injuries started hitting the roster hard, and Matthews had a 58-yard TD from fourth-string quarterback Morris Hitt in a 28-23 loss to Jones in Biloxi.

Matthews had a two-touchdown game in a 29-21 win over Holmes at Perk. He caught passes of 57 and 90 yards. He wound up leading Gulf Coast with 22 passes for 468 yards and four touchdowns, earning All-State First Team honors. He also excelled in the classroom, winning the Dr. G.N. Guild Scholastic Award.

Matthews was a two-year letterman at Delta State from 1982-83, where he had 55 receptions for 947 yards and six touchdowns. He also had seven kickoff returns for touchdowns, plus another on a punt return, and still holds the record with six returns for touchdowns in a season (1982). His 100-yard kickoff return against Livingston in 1982 is tied for the longest in school history. He had 11 catches in a game, which is third most at DSU as is his 53 in a season.

He spent 11 years (1986-96) in the NFL with the Falcons, Packers and Lions. He had 160 catches for 2,112 yards and nine touchdowns. In 1987, he caught 32 passes for 537 yards and three scores for Atlanta. His biggest game as a pro came that season against St. Louis, which he caught seven passes for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Four of his Lions teams made it to the playoffs, and he caught 29 passes for 359 yards and three touchdowns in 1994.