Ollie Matson
Teams
Chicago Cardinals (1952-1958)
Los Angeles Rams (1959-1962)
Detroit Lions (1963)
Philadelphia Eagles (1964-1966)
Playoffs
Appearances - 0
Conf Champ Games - 0
Champ Games - 0
Championships - 0
Awards and Honors
All-Pro First Team - 5 (1952,1954,1955,1956,1957)
Pro Bowl - 6 (1952,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958)
Hall of Fame - 1972
All-Time Ranks
Yards per Rush - #64
Yards per Touch - #72
League Leads
Rushing Yards (#2-1956, #3-1959, #6-1957, #10-1954,1958)
Rushing Touchdowns (#3-1957, #7-1959, #9-1956, #10-1952,1958)
Yards per Rush (#3-1959, #5-1956, #7-1954, #8-1957)
Rushing Yards per Game (#2-1956, #3-1959, #7-1957)
Yards per Reception (#6-1961, #10-1954)
Total Touchdowns (#3-1957, #4-1958, #5-1954, #6-1952, #8-1956)
Scrimmage Yards (#3-1957, #4-1954, #5-1956, #8-1958, #9-1959)
Yards per Touch (#2-1954, #3-1957, #6-1956, #7-1964, #8-1959, #9-1955,1958)
As a senior at the University of San Francisco, Ollie Matson led the entire nation in rushing yards and touchdowns, and led the Dons to an undefeated season, and he was then drafted #3 overall by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1952 NFL Draft. Before joining the Cardinals, Matson represented the USA in the Olympics, winning a silver and bronze medal in track events.
During his time with the Cardinals, Matson moved around between running back, wide receiver, and kick returner, and his play in all of these areas combined earned him 5 straight All-Pro First Team spots. He missed his entire second season due to serving in the Army, but didn't miss a beat when he returned.
In 1954,1956, and 1957, he gained over 1000 yards from scrimmage, and he gained at least 1200 all-purpose yards in each of his first 7 seasons. He led the league in kick return touchdowns 3 times, and punt return touchdowns twice, but he was also a very solid running back at the same time.
The 1954 season was his best, with 506 yards on the ground, 611 through the air (a career-best), and 449 on kick returns. He tied with Otto Graham for second in the MVP voting that year, behind Joe Perry of the 49ers. After 6 seasons with the Cardinals, Matson was traded to the Rams for 9 players.
He had one of his best seasons in that first year in Los Angeles. He gained 863 yards on the ground and scored 6 touchdowns, averaging 5.4 yards per carry, but failed to make the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. He played 3 more seasons with the Rams, but was used less and less as he entered his thirties. He later finished his career with one season in Detroit and 3 with the Eagles.
When Matson retired, he was #2 on the all-time list for all-purpose yardage, behind only Jim Brown. He had gained over 5000 yards rushing, and over 3000 each receiving and returning kicks. He never made the playoffs in his career, despite playing 14 seasons, but was named to 6 Pro Bowls and 5 All-Pro Teams, and needs to be remembered as one of the greatest of all time.
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