Matt Holtry had no inside knowledge or crystal ball when he made the decision. The football coach at Homedale (Idaho) High had multiple options when choosing which of Scott Matlock’s jersey numbers to retire this summer.
An offensive lineman, defensive lineman and tight end at the small high school in Western Idaho, the Chargers’ 2023 sixth-round draft pick commonly changed jerseys on the sideline between drives.
The number that would be honored as Homedale’s first retired jersey, Holtry decided, would be 44, the one Matlock wore primarily as a star tight end. Holtry placed the red and white jersey in a frame for a ceremony in July.
Less than two months later, Matlock was wearing the number again in the Chargers’ powder blue and gold.
The new jersey number is just a reminder of what Matlock’s always done. From Homedale to Boise State to the Chargers, Matlock has taken versatility to new heights.
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The Chargers’ fullback and defensive lineman is the NFL’s only two-way player, appearing in 36% of the team’s offensive snaps, 19.7% on defense and 57.8% on special teams.
“He’s an ol’ iron man,” Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said.
CBS announcers rarely miss a chance to point out the nearly 300-pound blocker when he crouches down in the backfield. Social media users marvel at how Matlock is “built different.”
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh gushed that Matlock is so well conditioned that he not only can play multiple positions in one game, but he also could play multiple games back to back.
Thrilled but unsurprised by his star pupil’s ascent, Holtry knows Matlock isn’t different just because of his on-field exploits.
“He has God-given talent,” Holtry said, this voice thick with emotion on the phone, “and he didn’t let his circumstances define him.”
It was the new Chargers defensive coaches who first noticed just how elite of an athlete Matlock was this offseason. The way the 6-foot-4, 296-pound defensive lineman could bend. How explosive he was. And, maybe most importantly, how smart.
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and defensive line coach Mike Elston recommended Matlock to the offensive staff that was looking for a fullback.
“You don’t have to ask us twice,” offensive coordinator Greg Roman said with a sly grin.
Matlock, who said he switched from No. 99 to No. 44 so he wouldn’t have to report as an eligible receiver 25 times a game, arrives at the Chargers facility early every morning. He starts with individual meetings with offensive coaches. He follows with defensive meetings, then loops back for an offensive walk-through. Then back to defense with time for special teams and treatment. The time-juggling feat wows even his older teammates.
“You gotta have the mental for that,” said defensive lineman Morgan Fox, who said he has not played offense and defense in the same game since possibly freshman year of high school. “That’s tough, just listening to half of the offensive play calls.”
As with older brother Steven, who played offensive line at Idaho, Matlock’s football IQ and understanding of the game always were beyond his years, Holtry said.
Boise State coach Spencer Danielson recalled Matlock was calling out opposing offensive plays before they happened, shouting to his teammates whether it was a pass or a run and identifying which direction the run was heading based on how opposing players lined up.
The calls weren’t just lucky guesses. The under-recruited two-star prospect from an Idaho town of about 3,000 people turned himself into a two-time All-Mountain West honoree with his relentless work ethic. Boise State began meetings at 6:55every morning. Matlock arrived by 5:45.
As he still does with the Chargers, Matlock arrived early to get extra treatment, recover in the hot tub and watch film. It didn’t matter if he was feeling sick or if that week’s opponent was a small-name school.
“He’s just that type of freak that does things nobody else wants to do,” Danielson said. “And that’s why he’s achieving results that everybody else wants.”
Matlock caught two touchdown passes at Boise State in the team’s Clydesdale package that features multiple defensive linemen on offense, and now he’s more than an occasional goal-line gimmick.
Matlock was the first NFL player since 2000 to play at least 40 snaps on offense and defense through three games. He is a key factor in the Chargers’ run-first offense, has one tackle on defense with a pass broken up and one reception, his first in the NFL.
After Matlock hauled in the short pass against the Kansas City Chiefs and turned upfield for five extra yards, CBS analyst Tony Romo gushed: “That’s a football player, through and through.”
“It’s awesome to see all these great things said about him and how physical [he is] and he’s a man-child,” Holtry said, “And he is. He’s those things, but man, he’s got one of the biggest hearts that you would ever see.”
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Originally from Boise, Matlock found himself in Holtry’s office at Homedale the summer before his freshman year. He came to the town near the Idaho-Oregon border 45 miles west of Boise after his mother died suddenly. Matlock, who lost his father to testicular cancer at 9 years old, was in foster care.
Holtry immediately could tell Matlock didn’t want to be there. He was in a farm town where “if you sneeze, everybody knows about it,” Matlock half-joked. It was a culture shock. Holtry, who is also the high school’s principal, hoped Matlock could give the school a chance.
Gradually, Matlock started opening up. He ate lunch weekly with the women working in the front office. He stopped by Holtry’s home to do yard work. A towering presence with fiery red hair, Matlock revealed himself to be “a big teddy bear,” Holtry said.
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“It was definitely the best thing that could happen to me,” said Matlock, who was adopted by his foster parents, Mike and Donna Marose. “Obviously with coach Holtry and that coaching staff and the teachers there, it was a blessing, for sure. I didn’t realize at the time, but I realize it now.”
When he arrived at the school, he was tall, still growing and uncoordinated. Coaches weren’t sure if he was an offensive lineman, a defensive tackle or a tight end. They were happy to settle on an answer that still applies with the Chargers.
All of the above.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
