Nov. 15, 2012
Gaby Moran, Texas Media Relations
Entering the last few games of his senior season, tight end Barrett Matthews has a lot to reminisce about regarding his time as a Texas football player.
Coming into Texas in 2009, Matthews witnessed the team at its prime heading to the national championship game against Alabama. Then, entering his sophomore year, the Longhorns finished 5-7 and missed a chance to go to a bowl game.
“(The past four years) have been memorable with some ups and downs,” Matthews said. “I just want to finish where Texas started my freshman year.”
Being one of the few seniors this year, Matthews has made it his role to keep the team motivated. Whether it’s picking up a fellow teammate or pushing himself to be a good example for others, Matthews makes sure everyone is being the best they can be.
“When somebody is feeling down in practice or they feel like they aren’t getting any better, it’s always for me to say something and try to keep them to be the best they can be,” Matthews said.
With just a few more games left in his collegiate career, Matthews will soon have more time to put forth in his other pastimes.
As a young boy, Matthews’ mother always wanted him to find something else besides football to spend his time doing. Something creative that Matthews would be able to do when he can no longer play football.
Back in kindergarten, Matthews had the opportunity to participate in a class skit. Each kindergartener had to write a poem and this stimulated Matthews who has been writing poems ever since.
“I thought it was cool, and I enjoy making stuff rhyme,” Matthews said.
For one of Matthews’ college courses, an assignment was to write a poem about his childhood. His professor insisted on Matthews entering his poem in a University of Texas contest and in doing so, he ended up receiving an award.
“(My mom) always told me to find something else besides football and something creative that you can do,” Matthews said. “You should never sit on just one thing.”
Matthews, who is majoring in education but hopes to pursue a career in advertising, also became a passionate gardener starting at a young age.
After summers of eating oranges on their back porch, Matthews and his brothers would casually toss all the peels and oranges at the mound of dirt next to the porch. As time went on, the mound of dirt had an orange tree sticking out. The Matthews brothers then started planting strawberries, watermelons, and a few other types of fruits as well.
“It was pretty hard to do,” Matthews said. “The struggle was just keeping all the birds and other animals away from it.”
And from the labor and exertion it took to maintain his garden, Matthews learned how to use that experience to help himself develop as a Texas Football player as well as helping other teammates “grow” into the best they can be.
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