Apr 27, 2024, 10:20 p.m. ET
The offensive lineman reached an agreement with the Dolphins as a free agent after going undrafted during the 2024 Draft
Dominican offensive lineman Bayron Matos fulfilled his dream of reaching the NFL.
This Saturday Bayron Matos reached an agreement with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent after not being taken by any team during the seven rounds of the 2024 Draft.
Despite his limited experience in American football, Bayron Matos became the first Dominican-born player in history to sign an NFL deal.
Despite not being drafted in the draft, Bayron Matos fulfilled his dream of reaching the NFL. EFE/NFL
Bayron Matos came to the United States thanks to a student scholarship that allowed him to travel for his basketball skills, but his future was in another sport.
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In 2021 he was recruited by South Florida and eventually earned a spot in the NFL’s 2024 International Player Pathway Program.
“I played basketball, but I played the ball for my mother, she liked it, I didn’t like it,” confessed Bayron Matos in an interview with Dominican journalist Jatnna Rodríguez.
During his pro day with South Florida, Bayron Matos, 6 feet 7 inches tall and 313 pounds, surprised with a time of 4.90 and 4.96 seconds in the 40-yard dash, and also had 17 repetitions in the bench press , he recorded a broad jump of 9 feet, 5 inches and his vertical jump was 28 inches.
813 ➡️ 305 🐬@Big_Matos07 is headed to the @MiamiDolphins!#ComeToTheBay | #StayInTheBay#ProBulls pic.twitter.com/3JOWPZZdXz
— USF Football (@USFFootball) April 28, 2024
In the past, two players of Dominican descent reached the NFL, Luis Castillo in 2005 with the then San Diego Chargers and Cesar Ruiz with the New Orleans Saints in 2021, both drafted in the first round of their respective drafts.
Information from Eugenio Miranda and EFE was used in the writing of this note.
2024-04-28 02:20:00
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