Hall of Fame
Mathews, a Picher native, earned All-State honors in football, basketball and track as a senior in 1965. He signed with NEO A&M College as a member of Coach Red Robertson’s 1966 Golden Norsemen and played flanker, cornerback and kick return specialist. As a freshman, he helped the Golden Norsemen tie for the Oklahoma Junior College Football Conference title. NEO finished with an 8-1-1 season with Mathews scoring 19 touchdowns for 119 total points.
As a sophomore he helped lead Coach Chuck Bowman’s team to the 1967 NJCAA National Championship with a 9-1 overall record. During the championship game, Mathews had a 76 yard punt return for a touchdown while rushing for 97 yards on 22 carries and catching six passes for 48 yards. Mathews earned the distinction of Offensive Player of the Game and was named NJCAA All American.
