Sam Mattingly never played on defense prior to last season.
But out of team need, and because Magnolia West coaches felt his size and physicality were misplaced, Mattingly was moved to interior linebacker.
“It was a brand new side of the ball,” the 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior said. “But I feel my instincts were turned on pretty well. I knew where the ball was going and had some jerk reactions that ended up being good plays. Having played running back and receiver no doubt helped, just the explosiveness and understanding formations and different aspects of plays, like pullers and stuff.”
Mattingly quickly helped shore up a linebacker spot that was a question mark for Magnolia West heading into the season. He went from playing outside receiver in 2021, mostly as a blocker in the Mustangs’ run-oriented scheme, to compiling 137 total tackles (76 solo), 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 2022.
Whew.
Because of that prolific production, as well as a 4.0 grade-point average that ranks seventh in his class, Mattingly verbally committed to Stanford in early June.
“That was one of the schools that if I got offered, I was going,” said Mattingly, who intends to study civil engineering and might pursue law afterward. “It was almost a no-brainer. You can’t find academics like that anywhere else at the Power Five level. The only one that really rivals them is M.I.T and Harvard, and the football there isn’t as great as the Power Five Pac-12 aspect at Stanford.”
Mattingly started playing football around five years old. He’s always been a big kid. He’s always loved to hit.
“There’s nothing like football,” he said. “It’s the only thing where you can put hands on another person and not get into trouble for it. I was always told not to do this or not to do that, or, ‘You’re too big to be doing that.’ But in football, you get a big hit, you get praised for it. I love that.”
He grew up watching Stanford during the Christian McCaffrey era from 2014-2016. Mattingly, at the time, also played running back.
“You think about Stanford and college football, you think about that time,” he said. “The Rose Bowl, how (McCaffrey) was dominating. Looking up to another white running back like myself, you didn’t see it too often. He’s a unicorn out there.”
Mattingly played receiver and some running back during his freshman and sophomore seasons at Magnolia West. Then came drastic change.
“It was a coaching decision, really,” he said. “They felt I could play linebacker better than I could play receiver, and I’m grateful. I trusted them and worked as hard as I could at it. It’s really the best position for me.”
One of Mattingly’s best friends is Tyler Harsch, a senior on last year’s team. Harsch played middle linebacker and mentored his good buddy on the ins and outs of defense.
“He made the transition really easy for me,” Mattingly said.
Mattingly already was a physical type. Aggressive and violent on the field. But he had to learn to be nasty.
That’s where Magnolia West defensive coordinator Kirk Botkin came in.
Botkin, a former All-SEC star at the University of Arkansas, played four years at tight end and long snapper in the NFL and was the defensive coordinator at South Carolina State and an assistant at Arkansas and South Carolina.
“The nasty aspect of the game, that was his job in the NFL,” Mattingly said. “He didn’t care about getting after people. He taught me to be tough and not worry about other people, just play my game. He fights for us. I’d run through a wall for him.”
Botkin was crucial in expediting Mattingly’s learning curve. He coached Mattingly on tips and tricks to abide by. Every week, before every game, Botkin gave Mattingly note cards of plays and calls to study.
“Me and the other linebackers, we’d stay after practice and we just worked,” Mattingly said. “Most of the time, we were the last ones off the field. And, of course, we watched a ton of film as a linebacker group.”
Mattingly holds 22 collegiate offers so far. A plethora of Ivy League schools dot the list. Arizona State and California as well.
But Stanford looks like home. Mattingly one day wants to go into the M.U.D (Municipal Utility District), a political subdivision of the state, and be a district lawyer. His dad owns an erosion construction business, and his sister is going to be a landscape architect.
The opportunity to play college football is a bonus. Mattingly plans to graduate early in December to head off to the west coast in January.
“It’s always been the dream,” he said. “You never know how realistic it is until it actually happens. After my junior year, I had pretty good stats and I was hopeful. But you never know what’s on the other side. I never would have expected Stanford or other Power Five schools to come into the picture. It was kind of an unreal feeling when it did.”
For now, though, there is still much to be excited about as a Mustang.
“I just want to enjoy playing the game with guys I’ve grown up with my whole life and prove to myself I am one of the best in the city and Texas,” Mattingly said. “I had somebody guiding me last year, and this year I’ll be a leader for the defense and be able to guide the guys playing next to me. That’s one of the biggest things I’m looking forward to. I hope that will transfer and help me become a better football player on my way to Stanford.”
