Bayron Matos

Last updated

Bayron Matos
No. 79 – Miami Dolphins
Position: Offensive tackle
Personal information
Born: (2000-12-08) December 8, 2000 (age 23)
Los Mina, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Height:6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Weight:290 lb (132 kg)
Career information
High school: Hamilton Heights Christian (Chattanooga, Tennessee)
College: New Mexico (2019–2021)
South Florida (2021–2022)
Undrafted: 2024
Career history
Roster status:Active

Bayron Matos (born December 8, 2000) [1] [2] is a Dominican American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). After growing up in the Dominican Republic, he moved to the U.S. in high school and played basketball. He played college basketball for the New Mexico Lobos and South Florida Bulls from 2019–20 to 2021–22, before switching to football in 2022. He is a participant in the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP).

Contents

Early life

Matos was born in Los Mina, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. [3] [2] He grew up playing baseball, the country's most popular sport, and was considered a talented pitcher and outfielder, being able to throw at speeds in the low 90s. [4] He liked basketball, however, and so he gave up baseball and moved to the United States at age 16 to pursue a professional basketball career. [2] [5]

Matos moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, and began attending Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, but initially spoke no English, learning some phrases through Google Translate. [6] He noted that for a time, the only English he knew was "I'm hungry": he said, "If somebody asked how I was doing, I said, 'I'm hungry.'" [6] He was a top player at the academy, being the state leader in double-doubles and rebounds while helping them win a state championship. [1] He had 16 athletic scholarship offers coming out of high school and was ranked a three-star recruit, the third-best player in the state and the 16th-best nationally. [1] He initially committed to play college basketball for the Mississippi State Bulldogs but later flipped to the New Mexico Lobos. [1]

Matos redshirted at New Mexico in the 2019–20 season and debuted in the 2020–21 season, in which he played 20 games and started 15, totaling an average of 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. [4] He entered the NCAA transfer portal after the season. [7] He ultimately transferred to the South Florida Bulls. [8] Matos appeared in 28 games, four as a starter, for the Bulls in the 2021–22 season, averaging 10.6 minutes per game while posting 1.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. [1]

Football career

Matos joined the South Florida Bulls football team as a walk-on in 2022. [9] Initially a defensive lineman and special teams player, he was later moved to offensive tackle. [10] He briefly played on special teams and defensive end during the 2022 season. [11]

In January 2024, Matos was announced as one of 16 players selected for the National Football League's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), designed to give opportunities in the league to foreign players. [12] He trained at IMG Academy and has been praised by NFL analyst Scott Pioli for his skills and size. [10] [13] Despite being 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 m) and 290 pounds (130 kg), he ran a 4.88 40-yard dash at his pro day, which would have been the best among all linemen at the NFL Scouting Combine. [10] [13] He was eligible to be selected at the 2024 NFL draft and was considered a potential late-round pick. [10] [13] He ultimately was not selected in the draft, but afterwards was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artis Gilmore</span> American basketball player (born 1949)

Artis Gilmore Sr. is an American former professional basketball player who played in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA). Gilmore was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on August 12, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Casares</span> American football player (1931–2013)

Richard Jose Casares was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for twelve seasons during the 1950s and 1960s. Casares played college football for the University of Florida, where he was standout fullback and kicker. Casares played professionally for the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins of the NFL, and was a member of the expansion Miami Dolphins of the AFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Taseff</span> American football player and coach (1928–2005)

Carl N. "Gaucho" Taseff was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL). Taseff had an 11-year playing career, primarily with the Baltimore Colts, where he was a member of the 1958 and 1959 NFL Championship winning teams. Taseff then coached for 27 seasons, winning Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII as part of the Miami Dolphins coaching staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Sellers</span> American football player (born 1947)

Ronald "Jingle Joints" Sellers is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, twice earning All-American honors. Despite being limited to a total of 30 games of regular season eligibility, Sellers still holds Florida State career record for most 200-yard receiving games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988. He played pro ball for the AFL's Boston Patriots in 1969, when he was an AFL All-Star, then for the NFL's Patriots, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.

Eric Palmer Kumerow is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for three seasons for the Miami Dolphins and one season with the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). He played 42 games in his NFL career.

Carlos Alberto Morban Rivera is a professional basketball player from the Dominican Republic. He is a 6 ft 2 in and 190 lb (93 kg) guard who last played professionally for Mexican team Lobos Grises UAD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nate Allen (safety)</span> American football player (born 1987)

Nathaniel Ray Allen is a former American football safety. He was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Florida. He also played for the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Cameron</span> American football player (born 1988)

Jordan Cravens Cameron is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. Cameron also played for the Miami Dolphins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Snell (basketball)</span> American basketball player (born 1991)

Tony Rena Snell Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the New Mexico Lobos. He was drafted with the 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls.

The International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) is a program run by the National Football League (NFL) to increase the number of players from outside the United States or Canada in the NFL. The program was formed as part of the NFL's strategy to grow globally as it provides athletes with the opportunity to play in the league which will increase the pool of talent and ultimately drive fan growth globally.

Jean Claudio Montero Berroa is a Dominican professional basketball player for MoraBanc Andorra of the Liga ACB. He has previously played for CB Gran Canaria.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammis Reyes</span> Chilean-born basketball and American football player (born 1995)

Sammis Daniel Reyes Martel is a Chilean-born American football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He was the first player from Chile to play in the NFL. Reyes grew up playing basketball as a youth member of the Chile national team before moving to the United States on an athletic scholarship at 14. He played college basketball at Hawaii, Palm Beach State, Tulane, and Loyola–New Orleans, graduating with a Master of Business Administration degree with the latter.

Aaron Donkor is a German-French professional American football linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for Arkansas State and was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as part of the International Player Pathway Program in 2021.

Alfredo Gutiérrez Urías is a Mexican professional American football offensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and joined the 49ers in 2021 as a part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPPP).

Kehinde Oginni Hassan is a Nigerian-born American football defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was originally signed by the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2022 as part of the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP).

Héctor Andrés Zepeda Hernández is a Mexican gridiron football offensive lineman for the Galgos de Tijuana of the Liga de Fútbol Americano Profesional (LFA). He played college football at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM), where he won two national championships with the Borregos Salvajes Monterrey. He was selected to participate in the National Football League (NFL)'s International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) in 2022 and 2023. Zepeda was also drafted by the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in the first round of the 2022 CFL Global Draft.

Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi is a Nigerian professional American football defensive tackle for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He joined the NFL through the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) and has been a member of the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, and the United Football League's (UFL) San Antonio Brahmas.

Basil Chijioke "C. J." Okoye is a Nigerian professional American football defensive end for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). From Nkwerre, Nigeria, he joined the Chargers through the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) in 2023.

Thomas Ayodele Odukoya is a Dutch professional American football tight end for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). From the Netherlands, he played college football at West Hills–Coalinga, Garden City and Eastern Michigan and joined the Titans as part of the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP) in 2022.

Travis Clayton is an English professional American football offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played rugby union in England and joined the NFL as part of the International Player Pathway Program (IPPP), being selected by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL draft.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Bayron Matos". South Florida Bulls.
  2. 1 2 3 "Bayron Matos, el dominicano que sueña con llegar a la NFL". El Día (in Spanish). March 17, 2024.
  3. ↑ Guillermo Vazquez, Luis (January 18, 2024). "Bayron Matos, un dominicano que sueña con jugar en la NFL". Diario AS (in Spanish).
  4. 1 2 Malchow, Alex (January 22, 2024). "2024 NFL International Player Pathway spotlight: Bayron Matos, OL, Dominican Republic". American Football International.
  5. ↑ Jones, Paul (July 10, 2019). "Bayron Matos: From MLB Prospect to Bulldog Basketball Commit" . 247Sports .
  6. 1 2 Johnston, Joey (November 12, 2021). "Bored on the baseball diamond, Matos found his calling on the hardwood". South Florida Bulls.
  7. ↑ Grammer, Geoff (April 14, 2021). "Lobo notes: Looking to move on, Matos no longer a part of workouts". Albuquerque Journal .
  8. ↑ Wood, Russ (April 27, 2021). "South Florida Bulls land forward transfer Bayron Matos". Rivals.com .
  9. ↑ Barie, Sean (August 24, 2022). "USF's Matos trades basketball court for gridiron glory". WTVT.
  10. 1 2 3 4 López Yes, Ricardo (March 21, 2024). "Nacidos para jugar: Bayron Matos, el atleta dominicano que da pasos sólidos rumbo a la NFL". National Football League.
  11. ↑ "Could one of these international NFL Draft prospects be the next Jordan Mailata?".
  12. ↑ "NFL announces International Pathway Program Class of 2024". National Football League. January 18, 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 Pioli, Scott (March 18, 2024). "Three prospects to watch at International Player Pathway program workout". National Football League.
  14. ↑ Furones, David (April 27, 2024). "Dolphins reach agreements with undrafted rookies after draft, including prospect who never played a college snap". Sun Sentinel .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.