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Timberlane’s Matthews selects Bryant

The reason Timberlane Regional’s Nick Matthews decided to continue his football career at Bryant University? More than anything else it was a business decision.

Matthews, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound offensive and defensive lineman, committed to Bryant last weekend. He said the academics at Bryant were a major factor in his decision.

“I’m leaning toward majoring in business, and Bryant has an outstanding business program,” Matthews said. “So that was definitely a big draw for me.

“I also wanted to play at the highest level I could. I felt it was the best opportunity for me.”

Matthews, a Plaistow resident, recently completed his senior season at Timberlane, where he was a three-year starter at offensive tackle. He also played on the defensive line during his junior and senior seasons.

Matthews also received a scholarship offer from Marist and drew interest from several Division III schools inlcuding Middlebury and Wesleyan. Matthews said he wanted to play college football at the highest level he could.

“He had a little bit of interest from UNH and he talked to guys at Columbia,” Timberlane coach Kevin Fitzgerald said. “Bryant likes him on the offensive line. He was comfortable with them and I think he wanted the decision off his plate.

“His size alone was going to get him some attention, but his intangibles are very good. He’s a very good student. Very smart, and a student of the game. He’s a film junkie.

“He’s worked really hard to improve his athleticism and his strength. I think his upside is really good. I can see him being a good player for them down the road.”

Matthews said since the NCAA has granted college football players an extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19, he may not enroll at Bryant until the spring of 2022.

“The campus is the perfect size for me,” he said. “It’s what I wanted. From everything I saw it looked like a great place to go.”

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