Ex-NFL star Clay Matthews discusses responsible gun ownership as a father, raising sons to be hunters

Ever since he retired, Clay Matthews has spent plenty of time on the field – just not the gridiron.

The Green Bay Packers legend is not only part of a legendary football family, but he was raised a hunter and is doing the same for his children as well.

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Matthews was one of four ex-NFL players nominated for Colt’s Safety Impact Award, designed to elevate and amplify nonprofit organizations that are pushing the envelope in firearm safety and education.

Matthews has backed Project ChildSafe, a charity that he says hits close to home as a father of three children all under the age of 10.

“This was a natural fit to work with Colt to come together on something that means a great deal to me, to give back and promote this education of firearm safety,” Matthews said in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

“[Project ChildSafe does] such an amazing job at this comprehensive education, from providing free locks for firearms to actual safes, working with local law enforcement, it was just a no-brainer… Project Child safe just really designated with me.”

Fans can vote for their favorite player until Friday on safetyimpactaward.com, and for every vote cast, Colt will donate $1 (up to $10,000) to the winner. Plus, if a safety happens in Super Bowl LIX, fans will have a chance to win $100,000.

“This is a competition after all, so I’m asking you to vote for my charity,” Matthews quipped, as he is up against Fletcher Cox, Joe Thomas and Adam Vinatieri.

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Matthews said his soon-to-be 10-year-old son wants to go deer hunting soon, while his 5 year old “wants to sit in the blind for turkey hunting season this upcoming year.” The kids also get dressed up in “camo and blaze orange” quite often, he admits.

“People can guess what type of family we are,” he joked.

However, with that comes a lot of responsibility, and Matthews gave advice to his fellow firearm owners on how to keep everyone safe.

“First is have them locked up at all times. My kids from a young age have been brought up around firearms, whether it be hunting, recreational shooting, clinking, whatever it may be, but they understand dad’s in charge of that. You don’t have free rein. They’re completely locked up. I’m in charge of that,” Matthews said. 

“And just the attention to safety, really, knowing where the barrel is pointed, finger off the trigger, stuff that seems easy for most gun owners, but when you’re raising children to be in that lifestyle to shoot firearms, you’ve just gotta teach and ingrain at a young age. 

“My father did a fantastic job with me. I know I was the kid, ‘Dad, can I see this? Can I see that?’ ‘No, no, no.’ But when I got out there, there was a responsibility that I felt I had growing up in that environment, and hopefully my kids will have the same.”

Ahead of their deer hunting day, Matthews said he will be taking his oldest son out for practice – likely after a flag-football game.

“I was raised in Southern California, so I didn’t have the opportunities to be out in the field all the time, but I’ve always had this drive to the outdoors and firearms,” he said. “So for me, I love sharing this with them.”

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