Matthews raced to his prom after scoring spring TD
How does a Tennessee five-star freshman football player celebrate his first touchdown at Neyland Stadium?
For Mike Matthews, he went to his high school prom.
On Saturday, Matthews caught a 63yard TD pass from Gaston Moore on the final play of the first half of UT’s Orange and White spring game. Fittingly, he celebrated with a touchdown dance a few hours before this prom.
He also had a key block on Dayton Sneed’s 13-yard TD catch-and-run on a wide receiver screen.
Then late in the game, Matthews jogged off the field as some fans wondered why he was in such a hurry.
He wasn’t injured. But he didn’t show up at the postgame press conference despite requests by reporters.
Matthews had a valid excuse. If he hung around Knoxville too long, he might be late for his high school prom being held more than 200 miles away in Lilburn, Georgia.
Why Josh Heupel lets Tennessee freshmen go to prom
Matthews was one of the top wide receivers in the 2024 recruiting class. He was rated a five-star recruit and the No. 6 receiver nationally by 247Sports Composite.
And fortunately for UT, Matthews graduated early from high school and enrolled in January, giving him a chance to compete in spring practice. He has impressed coaches so far.
But Matthews still has some unfinished business back home, namely his prom at Parkview High in Lilburn. He could also attend his high school graduation ceremony and other senior class events if he wants.
That’s a common agreement for early enrollees on UT’s football team.
If they can enroll in January and get a headstart on practice, coach Josh Heupel allows them to return home for the high school events that they otherwise would miss.
It just happened that Matthews’ prom came on the same day as UT’s spring game. Thankfully, he made enough big plays to call it a day early.