By: Doug Lesmerises (Cleveland Plain Dealer) –
LOS ANGELES — Casey Matthews is the third son of former Browns legend Clay buy antibiotics online Matthews to play college football. Well, at least he is when he’s still his dad’s son.

Coached by his father in both Pop Warner football and at Oaks Christian High School in Southern California, Casey said on good football days his father claimed him and on other days, he called him his mother’s son.

“It was mostly after practices,” Matthews said during Rose Bowl preparations this week. “I wouldn’t even think I had a tough practice. He was tougher on me than he was most kids, and I respect that. I am his kid, and he wants the most out of me. It was tough at first having him go harder on me than on other people, but I learned from it and I’m glad it happened that way.”

Casey was 5 when his father’s career ended with Browns, after 16 seasons, four Pro Bowl selections and a franchise-record 232 fame, but he still remembers wearing Cleveland jerseys for both his father and his other favorite player, Eric Metcalf.

While he follows the Browns and maintains that connection, Casey didn’t stick with his family when it came to college. His father, uncle and two older brothers all went to USC. Clay, now a rookie with the Green Bay Packers, sent a high standard there for dealing with Ohio State, contributing to the Trojans’ 35-3 blowout of the Buckeyes in 2008.

Back home in the L.A. area this week, Casey, a starting inside linebacker for Oregon, is glad he went north.

“Oregon looked at me a lot harder than USC did,” Matthews said. “I took a visit up there and fell in love with it. People said, ‘Oh, you’re branching out,’ but really I just wanted to start my own legacy. My whole family was at SC and had their little thing, but I wanted to start something new.”

He’s done that as a run-stopper, taking over as a starter midway through last season. This year he was Oregon’s third-leading tackler and was named second-team All-Pac-10.

“Casey has never changed,” Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti said. “I don’t think he’s ever shown any pressure or stress [of being a Matthews]. We loved Casey in recruiting. He didn’t run as fast as we would like, and I’m sure that’s what everyone else saw. But we saw a good football player. And we knew what type of kid Casey was and with the bloodlines he came from, he would do quite well.”

Even well enough to stay Clay’s son.

“He’s kind of eased up a little bit,” Casey said. “He still gives me certain pointers here and there. I still talk to him about what I can do right. So it’s nice to have a 19-year NFL veteran as a dad.”

In the nickel: Not surprisingly, Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Heacock said the Buckeyes should play mostly a nickel defense against Oregon, which should mean less time on the field for senior linebacker Austin Spitler and more time with safeties Kurt Coleman, Anderson Russell and Jermale Hines out there together.

Hines, who spent more time on the sidelines at the end of the year while battling an elbow injury, wore a large brace and wrap on the elbow during practice this week, but Heacock said the junior had been dealing with that without problem.

“He’s beat up a little, but everyone is at the end of the season,” Heacock said. “The brace is more preventative right now. There’s no limitations on him.”

Heacock also said defensive tackle Dexter Larimore has had a good bowl practice despite battling the flu recently. Larimore will be 100 percent for the first time in months after fighting a knee injury.

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