Matthews not afraid to speak up
Izzy Matthews has something to say.
The way Colorado State football coach Mike Bobo describes Matthews, it started early and has never relented for the junior running back from Redding, Calif. Don’t get Bobo wrong — because nobody is suggesting the young man is a loose cannon — but it did catch some folks off guard. Especially from a freshman. “Izzy’s a guy that’s always talked a lot since he’s been here. He’s been very opinionated and would rub some people the wrong way, especially when he first got here,” Bobo said. “He’s extremely smart, and he’s usually right when he talks. Sometimes you’ve just got to tell someone to know when to be quiet, and he’d rub coach (Will) Friend the wrong way a lot, because he always had an answer for everything.”
Basically in offensive meetings, when Friend would grill the players on the system and was looking for the players to answer, Matthews would. A lot. And not always after raising his hand, maybe just blurting out the answer.
The current version of Bobo thinks a younger him might have been irritated by it, but not so much now. As he explains, he was raised in the South, with a different expectation.
“I was ‘yes, sir’ until called upon growing up, because if I didn’t, I’d get hit upside the head,” Bobo said. “He’s just vocal, so I let him talk.”
It makes Matthews smile, and he’s sincere when he says he’s not trying to be disrespectful at all; it’s just kind of who he’s always been. He will not deny he was that kid in class growing up. When he knew the answer, darn it, he knew the answer.
It’s also clear he can charm folks too, which has proved helpful.
“I can’t say no. I mean, yeah, I got in trouble for it a little bit in middle school,” Matthews said. “I was close to a lot of my high school teachers, so they kind of let me speak when I needed to. When I’m wrong, I tend not to speak.”
He calls them impulses. When he’s passionate about a subject, he needs to express himself.
Matthews is just as verbal with his actions. As much as he wants to be heard when he’s right, he will listen when he’s in the wrong.
Early in preseason camp, Bobo and running backs coach Bryan Applewhite were not pleased with the way he was practicing. Bobo said they came at him bluntly too.
“Sometimes guys will think well, hey, I’ve rushed for this, I’ve scored . ... He took that criticism, took that challenge,” Bobo said.
His whole career, he’s split time with Dalyn Dawkins, and Bobo notes Matthews never complains. He led the Rams in touchdowns last year with 13, but started just one game. Not a peep.
He has fewer carries than Dawkins this season, and hasn’t brought it up. He had a great game in the Rams’ road win over Hawaii, but pointed out Dawkins’ effort.
“At the end of the day, you look at the bigpicture thing. We beat Hawaii by 30 points. If you’re going to be upset about that because you got (only) nine touches, you’re crazy,” Matthews said.
He’s not just saying the right things, either. Those around the team see it. In addition to his 290 yards and 5.2 yards per carry this season, he plays on three special teams. He has joked with defensive coordinator Marty English that he is ready to fill in at linebacker too.