He wasn't the Browns' only No. 12 pick, but the impact he made for more than a decade in a Cleveland Browns uniform stands among a select few.
Just a few moments after the Detroit Lions selected Luther Bradley, a cornerback from Notre Dame, the Browns tapped Clay Matthews, a linebacker from Southern Cal, as their first of two first-round picks in the 1978 NFL Draft. The other? None other than Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome, who went 11 spots later at No. 23.
Matthews worked his way into the rotation as a rookie under first-year coach Sam Rutigliano before he latched on as a starter in 1979. He went on to play in 232 games with the Browns (216 starts) and compiled 1,430 tackles and 62 sacks in a 16-year run that included four Pro Bowl appearances.
The brother of Hall of Fame offensive lineman Bruce Matthews and father of Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews III, Matthews logged three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons before his 19-year NFL career came to a close.
Check out the Inside the Cleveland Browns feature on Matthews before the Browns make the 12th overall pick in tonight's draft.
