Chris Matthews Went From Footlocker Employee To Nearly Super Bowl MVP

It would've been the greatest sports story of the year.

Undrafted, free agent receiver Chris Matthews hadn't caught a pass all season until he nearly willed Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl win with 109 receiving yards and a pivotal touchdown before the half.

Unfortunately for him, the Seahawks lost and he didn't get to taste that glory.

If it weren't for a mental lapse by the coaching staff with just seconds left in the game, Chris Matthews could've been the X-factor behind the team's win and the game's unforeseen MVP.

But, for him, the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage of them all might be enough.

That's because the 25-year-old's journey to get to where he is in the NFL came with tons of adversity.

The Kentucky product spent time in both the Arena Football League and Canadian Football League before getting a call to tryout with the Seahawks while working at a job at Foot Locker and even doing some security on the side.

In fact, Matthews nearly missed out on his chance when he had to tell his employer he'd be trying our for an NFL team.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, he said,

I don't get off of work until 9 pm I don't know if I'll make it.

At 6'5" and 218 pounds, Matthews flew under the radar and was a perfect option for Russell Wilson, who was dealing with one of the stiffest secondaries in the league.

His performance in the Super Bowl is something legendary that will, unfortunately, be undermined because of the loss.

CHRIS MATTHEWS DURING #SB49 3 Catches 100 Yards 1 TD CHRIS MATTHEWS EVERY OTHER NFL GAME COMBINED 0 Catches 0 Yards 0 TD — NFL (@nfl) February 2, 2015

For him to show up the way he did and give his team the opportunity to compete is exactly what working hard is all about.

Still, Chris Matthews feels there is more he could've done to get the job done.

According to the New York Post, he said,

It was great for me. This is huge for me right now, just being able to finish the game and do what I did. I didn't have a perfect game. Who knows? Maybe if I hadn't messed up on a couple routes and been in the right place at the right time we probably would have had a whole different outcome.

It's safe to say Chris Matthews secured a job for the 2015 season.