Professional approach helps Mike Matthews emerge as No. 1-ranked safety
LILBURN, Ga. (BVM) —Growing up, Mike Matthews played the game of football without much thought on how far it could take him. That was until he arrived at Parkview High School.
Being a part of a program that consistently pumps out four and five–star talent, Matthews saw his surrounding peers and realized he could be a member of the next wave.
“When I got to high school, I saw all the stars on our team,” Matthews said. “That’s when I was like, ‘I could actually make something happen with this.’”
Two of the stars that Matthews looked up to as a freshman were Jared and Cody Brown, who are now at Coastal Carolina and Virginia respectively.
“They were real cool off the field,” Matthews said. “But when it was practice or game time, they would lock in and be so focused.”
Now as a sophomore, Matthews has emerged as a guy for the rest of the Panther team to look up to.
Despite only being halfway through his high school career, Matthews is already a coveted recruit, ranking as a top 10 player in the country for the 2024 class and the No. 1 safety according to 247 Sports.
While Matthews is appreciative of the high praise, he knows that nothing is a given, regardless of already having 20 Power 5 offers.
“It means a lot at such an early time,” Matthews said. “But I just have to keep on working, so I can stay like that.”
While Matthews excels as a member of the Parkview secondary, he is also arguably their best weapon on the offensive side of the ball as a wideout. He finished his sophomore season with 48 receptions, 764 yards and seven touchdowns.
With Matthews attracting college coaches every time he touches the field on Friday nights, he has the same down-to-earth attitude that he had before he received a single offer.
“I don’t let it get to my head,” Matthews said. “I’ve always been humble enough to know what’s what and not to let it get in my head.”
This type of professional approach is something Matthews has been able to mimic from his father, Lee, who had a 13-year pro basketball career in Europe. Despite being two different sports, the drive and work ethic applies.
“It’s just no excuses,” Matthews said. “Every day he’s always in the gym working.”
Before his professional career, Lee played college basketball at Siena, so he has been able to guide Mike throughout his journey so far of being a student athlete and what is to come.
“He always stays on me about my grades,” Matthews said. “At the next level, you can be the best player, but without grades, you’re pretty much nothing. He just makes sure I have that right before everything.”
With Mike still having two more seasons of high school football, he would love to be a part of the next Parkview championship team. Beyond that, Matthews will measure his success on how much work he puts in, rather than how far he goes.
“I just want to put everything I have onto the field with no regrets,” Matthews said.
