Houstonist Legends: Bruce Matthews

Houstonist proudly names 2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, Bruce Matthews, the first of a series of great Houston athletes to be honored. Matthews, who was drafted ninth overall in the 1983 NFL draft, could possibly be the last of the Houston Oilers to be inducted.

Matthews was a rare specimen. He played 19 seasons with one franchise which included 296 games, a NFL record for lineman and sixth best in NFL history. While playing for the Oilers franchise, Matthews was also a staple in the annual all-star game. He was elected to 14 Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL All-Pro team nine times. He was also honored by the NFL by being named to the 1990's All-Decade team.

When the Oilers packed their bags and headed to Tennessee after the '96 season, Matthews always had Houston on his mind. In the 1999 season, Matthews and his Tennessee Titans clinched a Super Bowl birth, a bitter-sweet chapter for the long-time Oiler. Amongst all the craze in Tennessee, Matthews put it in perspective, "They talk about it being loud at [Tennessee's home stadium] Adelphia. But man, back in the '90s when we were on our run, the [Astro] Dome was a wreck to play in if you had to play against us there. I'm thinking well, maybe my hearing is impaired because I'm older. But in the Dome when it was loud, you could feel it in your spine."

Matthews will be inducted later today in Canton, Ohio by his long-time friend and teammate, Mike Munchak, who's giving his induction speech. The ceremony will be aired on the NFL Network and ESPN starting at 5 p.m. Texas Standard Time.

Notes: Matthews is the fifth Houston Oiler Hall of Famer joining Earl Campbell, Elvin Bethea, Warren Moon and Mike Munchak.