Caden Matson paying his dues at Iowa State

Former Humboldt standout enduring life of a football walk-on

By PHIL MONSON

Caden Matson was one of the most dynamic Humboldt High School football players in modern times.

Matson, a four-sport standout for the Wildcats, is finding out how difficult life can be for a walk-on at a NCAA Division I-A football program as he prepares for his second season at Iowa State University in Ames.

There were times when he felt like walking away. It would have been easy. But the 2022 graduate of Humboldt High School is more determined than ever to make the best of the opportunity.

“Yeah, it’s not for everybody, that’s for sure. It takes a special person to do this and do what all of the walk-ons here do,” Matson said. “We are really lucky to be at Iowa State, where they actually value us just as much as they do anybody else.”

“As a walk-on, you have a different mentality going into it because when you show up here, they know who you are, but because they aren’t offering you a scholarship, you have to go out and earn it,” Matson said. “Earn the respect of not only the coaches, but the players here too.”

“It’s a different experience compared to going someplace where the players are getting paid to be there. It takes a special person to be a non-scholarship player at a large university,” Matson said.

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