Lynn Matthews

Lynn Otto Matthews (born 1944) is an American former college football player who was recognized as an All-American. Matthews later became a newspaper publishing executive.

Lynn Matthews
Florida Gators – No. 84
PositionDefensive end
ClassGraduate (B.A. 1966)
Personal information
Born:1944
Tampa, Florida
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight214 lb (97 kg)
Career history
CollegeFlorida (1963–1965)
High schoolChamberlain High School
Career highlights and awards

Early years

Matthews was born in Tampa, Florida.[1] He attended Chamberlain High School in Tampa, and he played high school football for the Chamberlain Chiefs.[2]

All-American college football career

Matthews accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played defensive end for coach Ray Graves' Florida Gators football team from 1963 to 1965.[2] he initially played both ways, at tight end and defensive end, but played defense exclusively after his sophomore year.[2] He was a three-year letterman and was the defensive hero for the Gators in a 14–0 win over the Auburn Tigers in 1964.[3] He was selected as a second-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 1964 and 1965, and a first-team All-American in 1965.[4][5] He was known as a big-play maker and is regarded as one of the finest defensive ends for the Gators, and helped lead the Gators to their first New Year's Day bowl game, the 1966 Sugar Bowl.[4] Matthews graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in 1966, and was later inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great."[6] In 1999, he was chosen as a second-team selection to the University of Florida's All-Century Team, and the Gators' All-Time Team in 1983.

Newspaper publisher

At different times during his career, Matthews served as the publisher of the Ocala Star-Banner (Ocala, Florida), The Ledger (Lakeland, Florida), The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, California) and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Sarasota, Florida). In 1999, he was promoted to be the president and chief operating officer of the Times Regional Newspaper Group, then consisting of twenty-one Times newspapers located mostly in the southeastern United States, including the Herald-Tribune and The Ledger.[7] Matthews retired from the Times Regional Newspaper Group at the end of 2002, after nearly thirty years with the company.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Tampa native named Sarasota publisher," Archived June 16, 2020, at the Wayback Machine St. Petersburg Times, p. 4B (July 6, 1991). Retrieved August 10, 2010.
  2. Tom McEwen, "Matthews has come a long way from shining shoes," Archived February 25, 2018, at the Wayback Machine The Tampa Tribune, p. S3 (July 2, 2000).
  3. Carlson, Norm (October 11, 2006). "Rivalries and Series: Florida-Auburn". GatorZone.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2009. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  4. 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 87, 90, 96, 183 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  5. Murray Olderman, "Super Running Backs Head NEA All-America Teams," Humboldt Standard, p. 17 (November 26, 1965). Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  6. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  7. Stephen G. Reed, "N.Y. Times Group Moving To Tampa," The Ledger, p. E1 (November 17, 1999). Retrieved August 10. 2010.
  8. "Former publisher to head regional newspapers," Times Daily , p. 4D (September 29, 200). Retrieved August 10, 2010.

Bibliography
  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
  • Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.
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