"This is Home," Jordan Matthews Returns to Vanderbilt with Purpose
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NASHVILLE—-The second Jordan Matthews left Vanderbilt in 2014 to pursue an NFL career, he knew that it was more of a see you later than a true goodbye and that at some point he’d be back. Matthews’ career has taken him to Philadelphia twice, Buffalo, Carolina and the tight end position, but he’s never wavered on the thought he had as a college student.
Regardless of the product Vanderbilt put on the field, Matthews was behind it and was impatiently waiting for the opportunity to be involved with it. The persistence that allowed Matthews to put together one of Vanderbilt football’s most successful careers to date was on display in 2020–when Matthews says he lived eight minutes down the street from Vanderbilt–as he contacted then head coach Derek Mason about joining the Vanderbilt coaching staff while he waited on an NFL contract. The former Vanderbilt receiver says that he and Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea have been talking about the possibility that he’d be a part of what Lea is building for around four years.
Now he’s back in an official capacity as an offensive advisor, a role that he said he’s been unofficially filling since well beyond the October 7 announcement that he’d taken the role.
Why?
“This is home,” Matthews told Vandy on SI. “I knew whenever there would be stints where I wouldn’t be in [the NFL] I wanted to be back at my school. This is the only school that I had an offer to, I had nothing but Vanderbilt. This is the only place that I see. If I’m not playing in the league, the first thing I’m doing is coming back to my school and I’m trying to give whatever knowledge I have back to the players here to make their experience better.”
The former Vanderbilt receiver always told Lea that “when I get done, I’m coming,” so when he was released by the Carolina Panthers in May, he embraced “digging in” and working to help Lea’s program in a physical capacity.
Matthews says that he lives by making sure four questions are answered correctly in his life. “Do I have a community? Do I have a routine? Do I have a place where I feel appreciated? Do I have a purpose?” As he stands on the track surrounding Vanderbilt's indoor practice facility, he says that the answer to all of those questions is yes.
“Maybe most importantly to me is that he loves Vanderbilt,” Lea said. “And you just can’t put a price on that. He’s a guy that’s lived it in his career, but he comes back because he believes in what this place can be. There’s so many ways that that can have a positive impact on what we’re doing and where we’re going, so I’m grateful to have him.”
The former Vanderbilt receiver says that the normal “wandering” that NFL players often have to do to find themselves while they’re not employed or in the practice facility isn’t something he’s had to worry about to this point. Life is “small” for the former Vanderbilt receiver, he says. Matthews’ three sons and wife–who he met at Vanderbilt–enjoy Nashville, he enjoys the way he gets to invest in Vanderbilt’s players. He isn’t looking to go anywhere.
Matthews says he wants to go into coaching and that the grass gives him life, but tells other colleges “don’t even call” about a coaching job. The former says he’s “so happy” in his current situation, as evidenced by a nearly tangible joy that he carries with him as he walks around Vanderbilt’s facility with a nearly unwipeable smile.
“I love coming to work here,” Matthews said. “There’s not a thing I need in Nashville that I can’t go get or a relationship that I need that I don’t already have. That’s a beautiful thing. My parents live right down the road, we’ve got businesses set up, I’ve got real estate. We’re in a good situation, so it’s like ‘why would I not go back here to try and bless the young people that are walking the same halls as me?’”
As Matthews wraps up his first interview since officially taking on his offensive consultant role, he jogs over to Linus Zunk in the end zone of Vanderbilt’s turf practice field to catch up. It’s a posture that the former Vanderbilt receiver is used to taking at this point.
Matthews is happy to help Vanderbilt’s receivers with X’s and O’s, how to win against leverage, how to attack an edge, how to frame over a ball, how to win over press coverage and how to find voids in the zone, but he doesn’t appear to believe that his greatest purpose is one that is limited to Vanderbilt’s core of wide receivers. He says most programs can provide good coaching from 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M., but he believes he’s called to more than that.
As a result, he wants to do this long term.
“Probably my title will be coach, but I look at myself more as a mentor,” Matthews said. “I want to be a guy that the second practice is over you can be like ‘coach, I’m gonna come by your house and we’re gonna chop it up’ or ‘hey, what recovery spot do I need to hit up so I can feel good?’ I’m doing all of that for you. Or ‘hey coach, where should I invest? Hey coach, is this the right time to buy a property? Hey, is this the right girl to marry?’ I’m there to answer all of those questions for my guys.”
Matthews won’t pick a favorite player, but says he sees a lot of himself in Junior Sherrill–who he says he’s known since Sherrill was at Lipscomb Academy due to his sons going there–and his “high care factor.” The former Vanderbilt receiver remembers being like Sherrill and desperately wanting to go out and make a difference out on a Saturday.
The former Vanderbilt receiver doesn’t have a similar story to Vanderbilt receiver Richie Hoskins, but says he is drawn to his story and “his grind.” Matthews–who holds nearly every Vanderbilt receiving record–has naturally spent more time with Vanderbilt’s receivers than other players and calls his answer “a cop out,” but true.
"There's a lot to learn from a guy like Jordan, he's a tremendous leader," Hoskins said in the fall. "We could talk X's and O's all day, but he is a tremendous leader. He's telling us a lot about his experience off the field and that's something that everybody is taking to heart."
Matthews likes what Hoskins and Sherrill have done throughout the early portions of their careers, but he’s looking to be a factor in elevating their play to the next level. In Sherrill’s case, it’s an assist towards allowing the Vanderbilt junior to become more of a complete receiver, for Hoskins it’s in regard to how to channel his unique skillset into production. Perhaps for some others, Matthews’ best use comes as a result of his experience standing on the sideline and watching.
“God put me through a lot of things that I feel like make me relatable and able to impact a lot of different departments,” Matthews says. The trials include injury, being released and difficulties in performance. Now he’s sharing the wisdom he assembled as a result of what he went though himself.
"He's been fantastic," Vanderbilt offensive coordinator Tim Beck said during fall camp. "He did a great presentation the other day on recovery, on how to take care of your body, how to eat right and how to do all the things you need to and be a pro. That's what we're wanting our guys to act like, you want to act like pros and we want them to treat their bodies and take care of themselves like pros so that gives them the best opportunity to be successful out there."
The crowd starts to fill in, the noise level in Bryant Denny Stadium slowly starts to increase and the players jog to the locker room to regroup one last time. By the time most of them are cleared out, Matthews is still there running up and down the turf with a smile getting his workout in.
Matthews still hasn’t stopped working out and knows that a call could come any time from an NFL team that needs his services.
“I appreciate the fact that when I pull in to do my little workout in the weight room, he’s out on the field running routes still,” Lea said. “That’s just who he is. He’s got an infectious spirit, he cares about the development of young people, he’s a good person and he loves football. Loves the game. He’s dedicated his life to it.”
Matthews says that if a team calls and signs him out of his consultant role, “there’s a lot of ways” in which it could be a positive for Vanderbilt and its exposure. He also says he isn’t itching for a phone call. If it comes, it comes. If it doesn’t, then he’s content with how things panned out for him.
If a call did come, Matthews wouldn’t change all that much.
“What I do day-to-day, how I care for these guys, I would never stop doing that,” Matthews said. “I don’t care what I was offered, I don’t care if the president calls me. I’ve still got to watch film from practice, send in some plays I think would be good for our guys. I need to make sure they’re healthy, on top of that recovery. I’m not going to rule out anything but I will say that when I’m here, I’m 100,000% here.”
Matthews says that “God willing,” Lea will have him on his staff for “a long time” and that while any NFL player that’s not officially retired would listen to calls that offer them an opportunity to provide their services, he’s not waiting up at night for their calls.
The Vanderbilt consultant is “moving on” at the end of the year, he says. He’s come to peace with that.
“I know that after this season, once we get into January, I would officially retire from my playing career,” Matthews said. “I’m moving on.”
Who knows what happens between now and January. For now, Matthews is home, running sprints on Saturdays and is finding fulfillment through this role. His situation is complicated in some ways, but he’s not treating it as such.
“I’ve learned that I’m at peace,” Matthews said.
_(1)-b3e453dfe426b2dd4b83a12540ebdb37.jpeg "Joey Dwyer")
Joey Dwyer is the lead writer on Vanderbilt Commodores On SI. He found his first love in college sports at nearby Lipscomb University and decided to make a career of telling its best stories. He got his start doing a Notre Dame basketball podcast from his basement as a 14-year-old during COVID and has since aimed to make that 14-year-old proud. Dwyer has covered Vanderbilt sports for three years and previously worked for 247 Sports and Rivals. He contributes to Seth Davis' Hoops HQ, Southeastern 16 and Mainstreet Nashville.
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