For the past five years, Browns legend Clay Matthews has made headlines across the NFL media landscape thanks to his daughter’s push to include him in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Although Matthews missed out on his first opportunity to join the exclusive group, his daughter Jennifer has lobbied for his inclusion through the senior player selection committee.
Matthews found out earlier this year he would not be selected for the 2025 Hall of Fame class.
Still, he and his family are celebrating a special day for the former linebacker on Saturday.
Cleveland’s social media account shared why March 15th is a special day for Matthews as the organization wished their legendary alum a happy birthday.
Wishing a very happy birthday to legendary Browns alum Clay Matthews! pic.twitter.com/UT7NiYyqkY
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) March 15, 2025
The former player turned 69 years old on Saturday.
Matthews had a legendary NFL career, playing 16 of his 19 years with Cleveland.
The linebacker played 232 games with the Browns, trailing only Lou Groza for the most games played in a Cleveland uniform.
He is the franchise’s leader in tackles, recording 1,430 total stops during his 16-year career with the Browns.
Matthews also ranks first with 24 fumbles forced during his stint with Cleveland.
He suited up for a total of 278 games during his career, finishing out his professional playing days with the Atlanta Falcons in 1996.
While quarterbacks have famously had success after turning 40 years old, defensive players staying in the league beyond that milestone birthday – like Matthews did – are exceedingly rare.
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