Ricky Elmore knew that if he was going to make it in the NFL, it would be at outside linebacker and not defensive end.
So he went to one of the best names in the business: Matthews.
Clay Matthews Jr., the father of Green Bay outside linebacker Clay Matthews III, knows a thing or two about the position, having played 19 years in the NFL.
And Clay Jr. - or "Big Clay" as he's known - was already training his other son, Oregon linebacker Casey Matthews, when Elmore asked for the guidance. Big Clay agreed to help Elmore as well.
The three trained together for five weeks leading up to the combine, and Elmore hopes the effort pays off so that he can make the Packers roster as a sixth-round rookie draft pick out of Arizona.
"He just really tried to get me ready, so I'm not just going in there not knowing anything," said Elmore.
Going to the Matthews family for guidance made all the sense in the world.
Elmore lives in Simi Valley, Calif., just 20 minutes from the Matthews family. He played high school ball in California against Casey Matthews. And, of course, Clay Matthews III is off to a ferocious start in the NFL.
Under the elder Matthews' guidance, Elmore found himself with long workout days at Proactive Sports Performance, a training facility in Westlake Village, Calif. Clay Matthews III practically lives there in the off-season; Big Clay is available on a consultant basis before the combine, and Casey Matthews works out there as well.
Big Clay put both Casey and Elmore, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound collegiate defensive end out of the 4-3 defensive system, to work.
They started on the different movement patterns first, said Proactive's owner and executive director, Ryan Capretta, since Elmore has to get used to Green Bay's 3-4 defense a step back from the defensive line.
"In college, Ricky was just used to coming off the edge," said Capretta. "It was a little unnatural at first and that's where Big Clay was great. He was able to give a lot of points very specific to that position. Clay spent a lot of time teaching him movement pattern and how to react, where to place the weight of his body when he's moving. He's a technician. You talk to anyone who knows him, NFL coach or anyone, they'll tell you he's at the top of his game. He's very sharp."
Elmore also had to learn how to move more efficiently whether he was dropping or accelerating.
"Great work ethic, really great work ethic, very coachable," said Capretta. "He really excels in the weight room. Strong kid. He just needs to keep continuing to progress on the field with his movement. That's one area he needs to get better at and he knows that. And he's going to work on it."
At the draft, Green Bay linebackers coach Kevin Greene really raved about Elmore's work ethic even if his 40-yard dash time (4.78) wasn't in line with other Green Bay linebackers.
"I'd much rather have people with heart with a little less athletic ability or athletic talent," said Greene, "as opposed to having a whole room full of sheer athleticism, but they don't have passion for the game and don't have a heart."
A starter for the last three years at Arizona, Elmore led the Pac-10 Conference in sacks as a senior with 11. Still, he was often in the shadow of Brooks Reed, another defensive end for the Wildcats who was drafted in the second round by Houston. The two pushed each other in college.
"He's probably one of my best friends on the team," said Elmore. "It always was a friendly rivalry. I think that's helped us be successful over the last few years. It was always a healthy competition. We pushed each other in practice and the games and I think when you have something like that, that's what gets your game to excel to a higher level."
They both worked out for Green Bay's staff for about 45 minutes on the pro day.
"They just wanted to see if we could rush standing up," said Elmore. "They said, 'Don't really worry about dropping back right now. We'll work with you on that.' They wanted to see if we could be explosive standing up out of a two-point stance."
But Elmore took the initiative to work with Clay Matthew Jr. to get a head start. With so much production - 25.5 college sacks total, 21.5 in the last two years - Elmore believes he has the explosiveness for the NFL.
"It's the difference between getting a sack and not getting a sack," said Elmore. "If you can't be explosive off the line, that offensive tackle is going to beat you back and you're already one step behind. The more explosive you are, the quicker you are off the ball. So being explosive is probably the No. 1 most important thing to play outside linebacker."
Funny enough, Elmore has yet to meet Green Bay's Matthews. Elmore did most of his training with Clay Matthew Jr. in January and February leading up to the combine and his pro day. Clay Matthews III was in a win-or-go-home playoff hunt that ended with a Super Bowl victory in Dallas. By the time Clay Matthews III took a little time off and returned to Proactive to begin his workouts, Elmore was on to the draft.
But Elmore is expected to return to Proactive for his workouts - even more so as this NFL lockout drags on - to resume his workouts there with Casey. And he'll find Clay Matthews III eventually.
Clay Matthews III trains at Proactive 11 times a week - twice a day Monday through Friday and once on Saturday.