Meet the Rutgers football walk-on close to breaking out

PISCATAWAY – After he is done picking up the clutter in the family room of the apartment he shares with three of his Rutgers football teammates, Vance Matthews will wash the dishes and walk the dog.

Taking care of those chores – Matthews is lovingly known as the father figure within the small group – are indications that Matthews can be relied upon. Here are some others on a rapidly growing list:

“If you look in the lifts, if you look in the runs, he’s always first,” defensive end Julian Pinnix-Odrick said. “He’s always working. He talks to motivate, but he doesn’t talk trash. Every time you turn around in practice, he is getting a long catch. He is everywhere. You never hear his name for not doing things.”

The list of teammates talking up Matthews this preseason as a leader and potential breakout player includes Pinnix-Odrick, Leonte Carroo, Darius Hamilton, Anthony Cioffi and Derrick Nelson.

Why all the buzz?

“I don’t think it was anything I did,” Matthews said, nearly blushing. “I put it in my head last year that I want to play. I got to play on special teams and that was my foot in the door.

“I was like, ‘I’m not going to be denied.’ In the spring, I kept my head on the right track every day, working toward a goal. In the summer program, I kept at it.”

Four years ago, Matthews, whose recruitment began late because he prioritized basketball, nearly went to Delaware.

Instead a well-connected assistant coach at Lower Cape May High School sent tape of Matthews to ex-Rutgers offensive coordinator Dave Brock, who ironically now is Delaware’s head coach.

Matthews was offered a spot as a walk-on, a title he still holds entering his redshirt junior season.

“I said I’m a good competitor and I want to go play at the highest level I can, so I came here – and unfortunately Dave Brock went to Delaware,” Matthews said. “I stuck around. I loved the school. I love our program. And I kept on working hard. Now, I’m trying to help this team win.”

While Matthews is not one of the five listed wide receivers on the preseason two-deep, he has injected himself into the conversation at one of the deepest positions on the roster after just three practices.

“Vance is an extremely hard worker,” coach Kyle Flood said. “He’s an extremely dedicated football player. He’s very well-respected by his peers. I think what you’re hearing is the fruits of his labor. He’s come out here and he’s made plays so far in training camp and people have noticed. As a coaching staff, we’ve noticed.”

The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Matthews made his debut and collected four tackles in 10 games last season.

“It’s the closest I ever felt,” Matthews said of his current opportunity to break through. “But it’s a long season, a long training camp. One day at a time. I’m just chipping away at it.”

It’s not the first time that Matthews has made an impression on Flood. With Rutgers short-handed at cornerback last season, Matthews asked Flood if he could switch positions for the good of the team.

Though he soon moved back to receiver, the move epitomized the walk-on mentality that led to other Rutgers success stories such as Shaun O’Hara, Gary Brackett, Michael Burton and Paul James.

“If I can be another one of those guys, I look forward do it,” Matthews said. “You always have to work a little extra hard to get in that spotlight and make it. P.J. set the pace and I just followed through. Walk-ons are always hard-workers because we don’t have money and that’s what we come from.”

Matthews also came from a family where “the house has never really been dirty.” Thus, his role.

“I’m the guy who if the family room gets a little too dirty, I’m like, ‘I can’t take this anymore. I’m going to clean the house up,’” Matthews said. “I cook a lot, so the dishes are mine.”

But how did he wind up responsible for the 9-month-old pit bull that Hamilton brought home?

“She’s a great dog,” Matthews said. “I kind of fell into taking care of her. I have no problem. I have a heart. She’ll be my best friend, and then when we graduate he can have her.”

Until then, the dog – and maybe soon the football – will be in good hands.

“If you live with Vance, he is the guy who is always on top of stuff,” said Pinnix-Odrick, who shares living quarters with Hamilton, Nelson and Matthews. “Oh, what happened, Vance? I washed the dishes. I walked the dog. I already took care of it. He is a reliable guy and someone we can really trust out there.”

Staff Writer Ryan Dunleavy: rdunleavy@gannettnj.com