:Allama Matthews

{{Short description|American football player (born 1961)}}

{{Use American English|date=June 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Allama Matthews

| number = 49

| position = Tight end
Running back

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|8|24}}

| birth_place = Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lb = 230

| high_school = Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville)

| college = Vanderbilt

| draftyear = 1983

| draftround = 12

| draftpick = 322

| pastteams =

• Atlanta Falcons ({{NFL Year|1983|1985}})

| highlights =

• First-team All-American (1982)
• First-team All-SEC (1982)

| statlabel1 = Receptions

| statvalue1 = 11

| statlabel2 = Receiving yards

| statvalue2 = 101

| statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns

| statvalue3 = 1

| pfr = MattAl00

}}

Allama Uzair Matthews (born August 24, 1961) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end and h-back in the National Football League (NFL).

Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Matthews played scholastically at Andrew Jackson High School.{{cite web| url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MattAl00.htm |title=Allama Matthews Stats |website=Pro Football Reference |access-date=June 2, 2024}} He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores,{{cite web| url=https://www.nfl.com/players/allama-matthews/ |title=Allama Matthews Stats |website=NFL.com |access-date=June 2, 2024}} where, as a senior, he was honored by The Football News as a first-team All-American.{{cite news |title=Football News All-America Team |newspaper=The Gazette (Cedar Rapids (IA) |date=November 19, 1982 |page=2C |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-gazette-1982-football-news-all-ameri/147793176/ |access-date=June 2, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

Early in his Vanderbilt career, coaches tried Matthews at safety and receiver. Once all parties settled on tight end, Matthews put together one of the finest receiving campaigns ever, helping spark the team's run to the Hall of Fame Bowl. In 1982, Matthews was named first-team All-America by Football News after posting 61 receptions for 797 yards and 14 TDs, most ever by a Commodore. Later that season, Matthews was also named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club. Matthews also earned First-team All-SEC honors by the Associated Press and United Press International in 1982. He concluded his Vanderbilt career with 18 touchdowns.[https://vucommodores.com/allama-matthews]/

Matthews was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the twelfth-round of the 1983 NFL draft.{{Cite web |title=1983 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1983/draft.htm |access-date=June 2, 2024 |website=Pro Football Reference}} He spent three seasons with the Falcons, appearing in 37 games, with 11 receptions and 1 touchdown.{{Cite web |url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerm/matt01400.html |title=Allama Matthews Stats |website=Pro Football Archives |access-date=June 2, 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423102906/https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerm/matt01400.html |archive-date=April 23, 2023}}