HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - Even now, five years later, children in Uganda are asking about Jordan Matthews, the young man they met on a mission trip. He remains linked to them by necklaces they made for him that he continues to wear.

It might not really resonate with Vida and Catherine, two of the orphans with whom he developed a special bond, that he has become the most prolific receiver in Southeastern Conference history. Or that Vanderbilt, a perpetual underdog, is going to its third consecutive bowl game, much to the credit of Matthews. What they will remember, though, is a warm, big-hearted, ever-smiling young man who unselfishly gave of his time to travel to their country, to minister to them and interact with them.

Quite simply, "He's the whole package of what you want in a student athlete," says his Vanderbilt coach James Franklin.

For achievements on and off the field, Jordan Matthews has been named the third annual Huntsville Times Sports Person of the Year.

Matthews, a graduate of Madison Academy, follows Atlanta Braves reliever Craig Kimbrel and former Huntsville Stars' first baseman Hunter Morris, the 2012 Southern League MVP, as winners of this award.

Jordan is the son of Rod and Brenda Matthews and is the younger brother of Justin Matthews, a Mississippi State graduate and former Madison Academy star in his own right.

Matthews, who'll be playing against Houston in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham on Saturday, was an All-SEC selection and third-team All-Amerca by the Associated Press after catching a league record 107 passes for 1,334 yards and five touchdowns as a senior. He was seventh in the nation in receiving yardage, fourth in the nation in catches per game.

Going into his final collegiate game, he already owns SEC records with 257 career receptions for 3,616 yards.

"The accomplishments and statistics are through the roof," Franklin says. "You're talking about the SEC, which most people will agree is a pretty darn good conference, and you're talking about a guy that owns about every receiving record there is.

"He helped up turn around the program. You're talking about a program that had been in four bowl games in 122 years and he leaves here with three bowl games. He's been the foundation for a lot of things we've accomplished."

"I just keep moving forward," Matthews says. "I don't reflect too much. I've got to keep working, push forward."

"He's always been a very confident kid," says Andy Blackston, his former basketball coach at Madison Academy. "I think that's the secret. He got other people to believe in themselves. He showed up at Vanderbilt and obviously Franklin has energized that program, but it's been Franklin and Matthews together. He's always working. His motor runs every day."

Says Franklin, "He practices the way you want your whole team to practice. We talked about ... how to leave a legacy of how to practice and how to work. He's been a great example. What an unbelievable situation as a coach when one of your best players is one of the hardest workers."

Matthews is expected to be a high-round NFL draft pick this spring. Says Georgia coach Mark Richt, "He's going to play, if he stays healthy, a lot of years in the NFL."

Along with the football success, Matthews completed work on his economics degree in 3 1/2 years.

"He's a great kid from a great family," says Bob Burton, president of Madison Academy. "You see that in him. The maturity level, the character level. We're so proud having Jordan as an alumnus of Madison Academy. "

Burton annually leads the trip to Ghana, where the school helps support some 50 orphaned children. Prior to his senior year at Madison Academy, Jordan made the trip with his father.

"It meant a lot to me," he says. "It put everything in perspective for me. It helped me not take so much for granted. We went over trying to be a blessing to the kids and it became more a blessing for us."

Last week, when Matthews was home for Christmas, he attended The Huntsville Times Classic to watch Madison Academy's first round game. He then went to Blackston's home, along with several other former players, and watched old video.

"Some highlights and some lowlights," Matthews says. There were few of the latter. The Mustangs won one state title and reached two other finals when Matthews on the team.

"Once I started football, I started lifting weights and my shot got worse," he says. "They kept moving me closer to the basket. I started out as a two guard and ended up a power forward."

"For a while, his first love was basketball," Blackston says. "But as he developed he saw his brightest future was football. He was a good basketball player, but he was a great football player. He made the right decision."

Not to be immodest, we'd like to believe we've done the same with our Sports Person of the Year.

Here's are other stories on Jordan Matthews from this season: