Grant Mattos

Last updated

Grant Mattos
Date of birth (1981-03-12) March 12, 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth Mountain View, California, U.S.
Career information
Position(s) WR
Height6 ft 2 [1]  in (188 cm)
Weight225 [1]  lb (102 kg)
US college Southern California
High school Saint Francis
(Mountain View, California)
Career history
As player
2003 San Diego Chargers
2004-2005 Denver Broncos*
2005 Detroit Lions*
2006 Tennessee Titans*
*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career stats

Grant Logan Mattos (born March 12, 1981) is an American former professional National Football League (NFL) wide receiver and special teams player who played for three teams over a four-year career, and as a contestant on Survivor: Redemption Island , the 22nd season of U.S. Survivor, where he finished in eighth place.

Contents

High school and college career

Mattos went to Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California. He then played college football at the University of Southern California after transferring from Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, California and graduated in 2003. [2] In 2003, he was part of the team's Orange Bowl triumph. [3] During his time at USC, he received high praise from teammate Carson Palmer, a future NFL star QB who said of Mattos: "Having a guy like Grant Mattos come in has been great, he's really gonna set the tone for the receivers. He's out there working harder than anyone on this team and he'll catch any ball, his hands are unbelievable. He's big and physical too so we can put him at tight end or receiver and he's strong enough to do both. It's gonna be exciting to see what he does this year. His story of how he got here is amazing, I'm not surprised at all that Coach Chow went out and found some guy from some place and brought him in with a chance to start" [4] "He has awesome hands and he doesn't drop anything. He's a lot like (ex-USC receiver) Matt Nickels. Only he has more potential. He's bigger and stronger and capable of more." [5]

NFL career

After his college career, Mattos played for the San Diego Chargers. [6] He earned a spot on the Chargers roster in 2003 with his impressive performances in training camp, despite having not even been initially recruited by a major college. [7] He also was not selected in any round in the NFL draft. He lasted two years with the Chargers, and four years in the League overall, also being signed by the Denver Broncos, and later the Tennessee Titans. Knee problems limited his effectiveness and chances of game action in later years. [8] [9]

Survivor

Grant Mattos appeared on Survivor: Redemption Island , the 22nd season of the reality TV show Survivor . On the Ometepe tribe, Mattos quickly formed a close friendship and strong alliance with the eventual winner Rob Mariano. He was part of the majority alliance of 6 formed early with Rob Mariano, Ashley Underwood, Matthew Elrod/Wyatt Nash, Andrea Boehlke, and Natalie Tenerelli; with Phillip Sheppard then replacing Matt Elrod in the alliance of 6 after Matt Elrod's Day 5 blindside. This alliance became commonly known as both the "Ometepe 6" and also as "Stealth R Us", a term coined by the eccentric Sheppard. Mattos also established himself as one of the physically strongest players in the game, dominating many of the pre-merge challenges to help Ometepe hit the merge with the numbers advantage over the opposing Zapatera tribe. When the tribes merged, the former Ometepe members used their majority to systematically eliminate those outside their alliance. Grant Mattos also won a few individual immunities and a cake reward that he chose to share with Andrea Boehlke and Rob Mariano, his 2 closest allies within the alliance. Mattos was nearly voted out in the first tribal council e merge, but survived 6 votes to 5 against Elrod, fooling Matthew Elrod to vote for proposed target Steve Wright. [10] On Day 35 after intended target Ashley Underwood won the Immunity/Reward Challenge, Grant Mattos was blindsided and voted out, as he was deemed by Mariano and the other tribe mates to be the largest threat of all the games remaining players to win the jury's vote at the end. Rob Mariano would be the deciding vote to eliminate Mattos, electing to vote him out instead of Natalie Tenerelli, another close ally, but one considered far less of a jury or immunity challenge threat. [11] Mattos was then officially eliminated by coming last in the final Redemption Island duel, behind Andrea Boehlke, Mike Chiesl, and Matthew Elrod, dropping his final finish in the game down to 8th.

Mattos holds the distinction of having dropped the most places in Survivor history through the Redemption Island twist (5th to 8th), which was a new twist added in seasons 22 and also used in seasons 23 and 27. Until ex-NFL player Brad Culpepper in Season 34 Survivor: Game Changers taking 2nd place, Mattos had held the record for the most days lasted in a season among all former major league pro athletes by lasting 35 days consecutively on the main island (36 when counting his official elimination after losing in the final Redemption Island duel a day later).

Personal life

During the Survivor: Redemption Island reunion, Mattos confirmed that following his return from competing in the game, he married actress Christina Cox. They were married by eloping. The date of their elopement and marriage was October 1, 2010, only about a week after returning from the airing of that season's Survivor. [12] They now have one daughter, born in December 2013.

Before and in the years after Survivor, Mattos worked as full-time yoga instructor at City Yoga LA. [13] [14] He then became a yoga instructor at Moda Yoga International in Los Angeles, California from mid 2013 onwards, [15] until late April 2015, when he moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[ citation needed ] He moved to New York City in September 2015 and works at Moda Yoga NYC. [16]

Mattos is a member of Team Gleason, [17] a team that is headed by his friend and ex-NFL player and ALS sufferer Steve Gleason. In February and March 2016 he ran a fundraising campaign for the Steve Gleason team, which was one of many efforts by various team members to raise awareness and money to help research for the ALS disease, and also medical care for the many who suffer with it. [18] As the climax of the campaign Mattos participated in the 10 km fundraising run in New Orleans on March 26, 2016. [19] [20] He was the 2nd highest fundraiser of the large team, raising $1750, and the team collectively went well beyond their $20,000 goal by raising more than $66,000. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXIX</span> 1995 edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXIX was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion San Diego Chargers and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1994 season. The 49ers defeated the Chargers by the score of 49–26, becoming the first team to win five Super Bowl championships. The game was played on January 29, 1995, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lance Alworth</span> American football player (born 1940)

Lance Dwight Alworth, nicknamed "Bambi", is an American former professional football wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL), and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL. Often considered one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, he played for 11 seasons, from 1962 through 1972, and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978. He was the first player inducted whose playing career was principally in the AFL. Alworth is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. His teammates called him Bambi because he had a baby face and could run like a deer.

<i>Survivor: All-Stars</i> Season of television series

Survivor: All-Stars is the eighth season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It was filmed from November 3, 2003, through December 11, 2003, and premiered on February 1, 2004, after Super Bowl XXXVIII. It was filmed on the Pearl Islands of Panama, also the location of the previous season. Hosted by Jeff Probst, it consisted of the usual 39 days of gameplay with, for the first time, 18 returning competitors from the seven previous seasons instead of the usual 16 new contestants, and three tribes instead of the usual two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christina Cox</span> Canadian actress

Christina Cox is a Canadian film and television actress and stuntwoman.

Amber Mariano is an American television personality and winner of Survivor: All-Stars with its $1,000,000 prize, after appearing as a contestant on one of its predecessors, Survivor: The Australian Outback, where she placed 6th. Later, she was a participant in the 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War, where she placed 20th, being the second voted out and the first member of the jury. She is married to fellow Survivor contestant of Survivor: Marquesas, Survivor: All-Stars, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, Survivor: Winners at War and winner of Survivor: Redemption Island, Rob Mariano, with whom she appeared on The Amazing Race twice, where they placed 2nd and 8th. The two have four daughters together.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob Mariano</span> American television personality (born 1975)

Robert Carlo Mariano, known by the nickname Boston Rob, is an American television personality, known for appearing in the CBS reality show Survivor. He placed tenth in the show's fourth season Survivor: Marquesas, finished as the runner-up to his eventual wife Amber Brkich in the show's eighth season Survivor: All-Stars, came in 13th place in the show's 20th season Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, won the show's 22nd season Survivor: Redemption Island, returned for the show's 39th season Survivor: Island of the Idols as a mentor for the new players alongside Sandra Diaz-Twine, and came in 17th place in the show's 40th season Survivor: Winners at War. Mariano is the first contestant to appear on Survivor six times, and play five times. He also competed on The Amazing Race twice alongside his wife, where they placed second and eighth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Joiner</span> American football player and coach (born 1947)

Charles B. Joiner Jr. is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons. He played 11 seasons with the San Diego Chargers, with whom he earned all three of his Pro Bowl selections, and was named first-team All-Pro by the Associated Press in 1980. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Dwight</span> American football player (born 1975)

Timothy John Dwight Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and was a two-time All-American. He was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL draft, and he played professionally for the Falcons, San Diego Chargers, New England Patriots, New York Jets and Oakland Raiders of the NFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lionel James</span> American football player (1962–2022)

Lionel "Little Train" James was an American professional football player who was a running back for the San Diego Chargers in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers. Undersized at 5 feet 6 inches (1.68 m) and 171 pounds (78 kg), he spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Chargers from 1984 to 1988. His best year as a pro came during the 1985 season, when he set then-NFL season records for receiving yards by a running back and all-purpose yardage. He also led the American Football Conference (AFC) in receptions that year.

John Broward "Brad" Culpepper is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) from 1992 to 2000. Culpepper was as an All-American when he played college football for the Florida Gators. Selected late in the tenth round of the 1992 NFL draft, he became a consistent starter for the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Chicago Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ozzy Lusth</span> American reality show contestant (born 1981)

Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth is a Mexican reality show contestant who has appeared on several shows, including Survivor: Cook Islands; Survivor: Micronesia;Survivor: South Pacific; andSurvivor: Game Changers. He also competed on the second season of American Ninja Warrior. and the Playboy reality series, Foursome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Diego Chargers</span> American football team (1961–2017)

The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating back to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now known as the Los Angeles Chargers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Weddle</span> American football player (born 1985)

Eric Steven Weddle is an American former professional football safety who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football for the Utah Utes, where he earned consensus All-American honors in 2006, and was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. During his nine seasons with the Chargers, Weddle received three Pro Bowl and two first-team All-Pro selections. Weddle spent his next three seasons as a member of the Baltimore Ravens, earning Pro Bowl honors in each and extending his total selections to six. He retired after playing for the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, but returned two years later to join the Rams on their playoff run, which culminated with a victory in Super Bowl LVI. Following the championship, he retired a second time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parvati Shallow</span> American television personality (born 1982)

Parvati Shallow is an American television personality and was the $1 million winner of the reality television series Survivor: Micronesia — Fans vs. Favorites. She had previously competed in Survivor: Cook Islands in which she placed sixth, and later was the runner-up in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. In 2020, she competed on the show's 40th season, Survivor: Winners at War, in which she placed 15th.

Russell Dennis Hantz is an American television personality, best known for his appearances on the U.S. reality show, Survivor. He was the runner-up on Survivor: Samoa, and the second runner-up on Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains. He also competed on Survivor: Redemption Island and Australian Survivor: Champions vs. Contenders, where he was the second player to be eliminated both times.

<i>Survivor: Redemption Island</i> Season of television series

Survivor: Redemption Island is the twenty-second season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor. It premiered on February 16, 2011. Applications were due in January 2010, and filming lasted from August to September 2010. The season was filmed near San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, the same location as the previous season. The show featured returning players Russell Hantz and Rob Mariano and 16 new players to Survivor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keenan Allen</span> American football player (born 1992)

Keenan Alexander Allen is an American professional football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears before leaving after his junior year. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyreek Hill</span> American football player (born 1994)

Tyreek Hill is an American professional football wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). Hill was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft. He played college football at Garden City, Oklahoma State, and West Alabama.

Matthew Wyatt Elrod, better known as Wyatt Nash, is an American television personality and actor. Under his birth name, he was a contestant on the 22nd season of the American competitive reality television series Survivor where he placed seventh. Following his appearance on Survivor: Redemption Island, he chose to adopt the name Wyatt Nash as his stage name. Nash has appeared as Nigel Wright on the ABC Family series Pretty Little Liars and the Lifetime television adaptation of V. C. Andrews's Petals on the Wind. As of 2019, he portrays the character of Charles Smith on Riverdale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Herbert</span> American football player (born 1998)

Justin Patrick Herbert is an American professional football quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, where he won the 2019 Pac-12 Championship, and was selected by the Chargers as the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

References

  1. 1 2 "Grant Mattos Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. January 1, 1970. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  2. ↑ "He Was Taken for Granted - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. October 17, 2001. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  3. ↑ "Orange Bowl - USC vs Iowa Box Score, January 2, 2003". College Football at Sports-Reference.com.
  4. ↑ Shane Mielke (August 10, 2001). "Carson Palmer Article - The Alumni Section - Santa Margarita Eagles Football". Eaglesfootball.com. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Grant Mattos Bio - University of Southern California Official Athletic Site". Usctrojans.com. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  6. ↑ Trotter, Jim (November 6, 2003). |+Chargers+receiver+not+as+fast+as+Viking&pqatl=google Mattos to make like Moss on scout team [ dead link ], San Diego Union Tribune
  7. ↑ "San Diego Chargers NFL Football Front Page". Scout.com. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Grant Mattos - Tennessee Titans - 2016 Player Profile". Rotoworld.com. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Grant Mattos, WR, Free Agent". Kffl.com. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  10. ↑ "'Survivor' eliminates Sarita White and votes off Matt Elrod again". Reality TV World. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  11. ↑ Reiher, Andrea (May 11, 2011). "'Survivor: Redemption Island': Grant Mattos or Natalie Tenerelli? Who will Boston Rob turn on?". Zap2It. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Christina Cox on Twitter: "It's a #SentimentalSaturday for @GrantMattos & I â?¤ď¸? because 6 years ago today we #eloped Best decision ever & it just keeps getting better". Twitter.com. October 1, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Happy New Year to the incredible City Yoga Community". Myemail.constantcontact.com. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Basics - Vinyasa / good 4 beginners | Mindful.Yoga.Health". Mindful.Yoga.Health. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  15. ↑ Matthew Case (September 30, 2014). "The Transition from NFL Player to Yogi: Grant Mattos Tells it Like it is". Purpose 2 Play. Archived from the original on January 14, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Grant Mattos". Grant Mattos. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Steve Gleason | ALS Disease | Official Site". Teamgleason.org. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  18. ↑ Grant Mattos (March 26, 2016). "Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic 10k". FirstGiving. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  19. ↑ "Crescent City Classic". FirstGiving. March 26, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  20. ↑ "2016 Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic 10k Registration, Sat, Mar 26, 2016 at 8:00 AM". Eventbrite. March 26, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic 10k". FirstGiving. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.