Carlos Mathews
Class of 2025
Carlos Mathews shares one surprising piece of history with Michael Jordan: both were cut from their high school junior varsity basketball teams.
While Jordan famously turned that disappointment into basketball greatness, Mathews discovered that his future lay on the track.
After being cut from the JV team at Huntsville High School, Mathews turned his attention to track and field under the guidance of legendary coach George Fletcher. With blazing speed and natural jumping ability, he quickly made his mark in the program’s record books.
One of his earliest standout moments came at what was billed as the first indoor meet in North Alabama, held in Priceville.
“We expected a wooden indoor track like the one in Montgomery,” Mathews recalls. “Instead we ran Jesse Owens style — on clay.”
The unusual surface didn’t slow him down. In that meet he set the Huntsville High record in the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.30 seconds. When the event was discontinued nationally in 1996, the record became permanent.
Mathews continued his career at Alabama A&M University, where he initially walked on to a highly competitive team filled with international athletes. With guidance from coaches Joe Henderson and Andrew Lee, he eventually earned a scholarship.
During his collegiate career, the Bulldogs won four consecutive SIAC Conference championships. Mathews posted Top-10 national marks in both sprints and jumps and qualified for the NCAA meet three times.
His favorite memory came during his senior season when Alabama A&M transitioned toward Division I competition.
“That team won on grit and determination,” he says.
Competition never stopped for Mathews. At age 30 he began competing in USATF Masters events, winning multiple national championships and ranking among the Top 25 in the world in his age group.
Mathews also gives back to the sport as a coach and organizer. He played a key role in bringing the 2025 USATF Masters National Championship meet to Huntsville.
A member of the Alabama A&M Athletic Hall of Fame and the youngest inductee at the time of his selection, Mathews continues to run — and inspire — decades after that first race on clay.
Disclaimer: This feature was prepared with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed for accuracy, but it may contain minor errors or omissions.
