Linebacker Clay Matthews has always had compassion for kids who want his autograph, but when he heard of a little boy with cystic fibrosis, he knew he had to do something more.

Matthews grew up with a childhood friend who had cystic fibrosis. Melissa Stone was lively and fun, but the chronic lung disease made her frail. She had to take a lot of medication for CF and breathe with lungs that didn't work well.

"It was a constant battle," said Matthews. "It's a terrible disease."

A few months ago, Clay's older brother, Kyle, met a boy from New York named Logan McGovern. The boy happens to be a New England Patriots fan. And a major fan of Green Bay's Clay Matthews. Logan is also a distant cousin of Kyle's wife.

"Does that make us cousins?" Logan asked Kyle.

"I think so," said Kyle Matthews.

"More importantly, does that make me cousins with Clay Matthews?" asked Logan.

Kyle told Clay about the meeting, and the two began plotting. First, they went to the Packers Pro Shop this summer and bought a No. 52 jersey. Clay autographed it: "To my cousin, Logan - Clay Matthews."

But they wanted to create a memory for the child that he would cherish and share with friends.

So for the boy's 11th birthday, which was Saturday, Clay Matthews arranged for a sideline pass for Logan and his father for the Packers-New York Jets game Sunday at the New Meadowlands Stadium. Before the Packers beat the Jets, 9-0, Matthews met Logan and urged him to become to a Packers fan.

"The real reward is to get to see the kid's eyes light up and to make his day," said Kyle. "That's all Clay. Contrary to public perception with the hair and the scowl, and the sacks and the intensity, Clay has a heart bigger than his biceps."

Logan himself plays all kinds of sports, which actually helps keep his lungs clear.

"That's something special, to make this kid's birthday memorable," said Clay. "To actually get to meet him, to have him come on the field - I'd like to think this is his first NFL game - I wanted it to be something special."