Satisfied Stamps catch yet another great talent
U.S. product Matthews joins squad to help injury-plagued receiver corps
The rich just got richer in the CFL. On Tuesday, the Calgary Stampeders signed American receiver Chris Matthews, who has enjoyed success in both three- and four-down professional football.
The 6-foot-5, 228-pound receiver from Long Beach, Calif., comes to a Calgary squad decimated by injuries at the receiver position. “Chris is a talented, big-bodied receiver with experience both in the CFL and the NFL,” said Stampeders president/general manager John Hufnagel.
“With our current situation at the receiver position, we were pleased to be able to sign someone with Chris’ experience.”
He has that in spades, along with some pretty solid accolades and memories in gridiron action. Matthews, 28, was the CFL’s Most Outstanding Rookie in 2012 as he led the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with 81 catches, 1,192 receiving yards and seven touchdowns.
After playing four games for the Blue Bombers during an injury abbreviated 2013 campaign, Matthews went to the National Football League and played a total of 25 regular-season and playoff games for the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens from 2014-17. Matthews played a key role for the Seahawks in the NFL playoffs following the 2014 season as his onside kick recovery allowed the Seattle squad to complete a comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game.
Then he had four catches for 109 yards and a touchdown the Seahawks’ Super Bowl XLIX victory, 43-8 over the Denver Broncos in East Rutherford, N.J. Before turning pro, Matthews played two seasons with the NCAA’s Kentucky Wildcats, making a total of 93 catches for 1,279 yards and 12 touchdowns. As a senior in 2010, he had 61 receptions for 925 yards and a team-leading nine scores. Prior to transferring to Kentucky, Matthews attended Los Angeles Harbor College for two seasons. In his sophomore season in junior college, he had 80 catches for 1,235 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games. He signed with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and played for the Arena Football League’s Iowa Barnstormers in 2012.
SHORT YARDAGE
The CFL has confirmed that a win or a tie for the Stampeders on Thanksgiving Monday against the host Montreal Alouettes secures them a home playoff date. A combination of the Blue Bombers, the B.C. Lions and the Edmonton Eskimos losing and that will also give the Stamps a post-season tilt at McMahon Stadium.
The Als on the other hand are clinging onto a slim chance to make the playoffs and can be eliminated this week should they lose to the Stamps.