Ned Mathews

{{Short description|American football player (1918–2002)}}

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

{{Infobox CFL biography

| name = Ned Mathews

| image = Ned Mathews 1948 (cropped).jpg

| alt =

| caption = Mathews, circa 1948

| birth_date = {{birth date|1918|8|11}}

| birth_place = Provo, Utah, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|2002|9|18|1918|8|11}}

| death_place =

| team =

| number =

| status =

| position1 = Running back

| height_ft =

| height_in =

| weight_lb =

| college = UCLA

| playing_years1 = 1941–1943

| playing_team1 = Detroit Lions

| playing_years2 = 1944

| playing_team2 = Hollywood Rangers

| playing_years3 = 1945

| playing_team3 = Boston Yanks

| playing_years4 = 1946

| playing_team4 = Chicago Rockets

| playing_years5 = 1947

| playing_team5 = San Francisco 49ers

| coaching_years1 = 1946

| coaching_team1 = Chicago Rockets

| coaching_years2 = 1948

| coaching_team2 = UCLA

| coaching_years3 = 1949–1951

| coaching_team3 = Arizona

| career_highlights =

}}

Ned Alfred Mathews (August 11, 1918 – September 18, 2002) was a professional American football player who played running back for four seasons in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions and Boston Yanks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MathNe20.htm|title = Ned Mathews Stats}} With the Lions, he led the league in kickoff returns and ranked second in interceptions thrown.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83720535/|title=Ex-UCLA Back, Coach Added To Arizona's Football Staff|newspaper=Arizona Daily Star|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 8, 1949|access-date=August 18, 2021}} He also played in the American Football League for the Hollywood Rangers, with whom he scored 18 touchdowns on 65 carries.{{cite news|last=Curnow|first=Jack|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83720311/|title=Rangers Clip Clippers, 27-6|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|via=Newspapers.com|date=November 6, 1944|access-date=August 18, 2021}} Mathews was a college football quarterback at UCLA.

In 1945, Mathews entered the United States Army and coached football, basketball, and baseball for Fort MacArthur. Upon his discharge a year later, he was a player-coach for the Chicago Rockets in the All-America Football Conference before joining the San Francisco 49ers.{{cite web|title=Ned Mathews|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/MathNe0.htm|website=Pro Football Reference|accessdate=5 May 2018}} He returned to UCLA as a backfield coach in 1948 and served in the same position at Arizona the following year.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83720345/|title=Former Bruin to Instruct Grid Backs|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 20, 1948|access-date=August 18, 2021}} He coached at Arizona for two years; after the 1951 season, amid turmoil involving incumbent head coach Bob Winslow, Mathews was suggested as his successor by the team's players, but the program instead hired Warren B. Woodson who did not retain Mathews. Mathews remained in Tucson as a businessman.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83720615/|title=Players Post 4 Proposals For Wildcats|agency=UP|newspaper=The Arizona Republic|via=Newspapers.com|date=December 13, 1951|access-date=August 18, 2021}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/83720664/|title=Woodson Keeps Odil Crowell As Line Coach|newspaper=The Arizona Republic|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 1, 1952|access-date=August 18, 2021}}