Bob Matheson

This article is about the National Football League player. For other people, see Robert Matheson (disambiguation).

Bob Matheson

No. 56, 53
Position	Linebacker
Personal information
Born	(1944-11-25)November 25, 1944 Boone, North Carolina, U.S.
Died	September 5, 1994(1994-09-05) (aged 49) Durham, North Carolina, U.S.
Height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school	Appalachian (Boone, North Carolina)
College	Duke
NFL draft	1967: 1st round, 18th overall pick
Career history
Playing
Cleveland Browns (1967–1970) Miami Dolphins (1971–1979)
Coaching
Duke (1981–1982) (LB) Miami Dolphins (1983–1987) (LB/ST) Minnesota (1988–1991) (assistant)
Awards and highlights
2× Super Bowl champion (VII, VIII) First-team All-American (1966) 2× First-team All-ACC (1965, 1966)
Career NFL statistics
Interceptions 12 Interception yards 152 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Robert Matheson (November 25, 1944 – September 5, 1994) was an American professional football linebacker who played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played in three Super Bowls for the Miami Dolphins, including their 1972 and 1973 championships.

A linebacker at Duke University, he was drafted in 1967 by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the NFL Draft, was the first year of the common draft between the AFL and NFL. He was then acquired by the Dolphins prior to the 1971 season, after Miami defensive coordinator Bill Arnsparger requested head coach Don Shula to do so. Miami gave up their second round draft pick in 1972 in exchange.^[1] Matheson went to Miami one year after the Dolphins acquired Paul Warfield from Cleveland.

Matheson's versatility against both the run and pass was at the heart of the "53" defense, a scheme that was named for his jersey number and devised by Arnsparger. Depending on whether the situation was running or passing, he was a strong-side defensive end and a fourth linebacker respectively.^[2] The latter is also referred to as a 3–4 defense, with three linemen and four linebackers.^{[3][citation needed]}

After leaving the Dolphins in 1979, Matheson returned to Duke as an assistant coach. He later coached special teams and linebackers for five years with the Miami Dolphins. He then joined Duke alumni John Gutekunst as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. In 1993, he returned to Duke to work at its Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Matheson died on September 5, 1994, at Duke University Hospital from complications of Hodgkin's disease, which he had had for 13 years.^[4]

References

1. "Matheson Swells Linebacking Corp". The Miami News. Miami, Florida. September 2, 1971. p. 20. Retrieved October 10, 2018 – via Newspapers.com .
2. "Matheson Is Key to Miami '53 Defense,'" The New York Times, Sunday 13 January 1974. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
3. Neal, David J. "Former Miami Dolphins defensive icon Bill Arnsparger dies at 88," Miami Herald, Friday 17 July 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
4. "Bob Matheson; Football Player, 49". The New York Times. September 7, 1994. Retrieved November 9, 2007.