A Dominican-born former college basketball player who converted to offensive tackle just a few years ago and is now grinding out an NFL path.
Bayron Matos is an Indianapolis Colts offensive tackle with one of the more unusual roads to the NFL, from Dominican Republic baseball fields to American basketball courts to the football trenches. Selected for the NFL's International Player Pathway Program, he has spent his young pro career working through practice squads in Miami and now Indianapolis.
Path to the league
Matos was born in Los Mina, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and originally pursued baseball before switching to basketball as a teenager, moving to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to attend Hamilton Heights Christian Academy. He played college basketball at New Mexico and South Florida before walking onto South Florida's football team in 2022, converting from defensive line to offensive tackle. He entered the NFL through the International Player Pathway Program and signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2024.
Career highlights
At 6-foot-7 and over 300 pounds with a reported 4.92-second 40-yard dash, Matos stood out physically even with limited football experience, appearing in just two college games at South Florida in his lone season of action there. He spent the 2024 season on Miami's practice squad as part of the International Player Pathway Program.
2025 season recap
Matos participated in Miami's 2025 offseason program and training camp but suffered an injury during camp that required hospitalization. He later signed with the Indianapolis Colts, joining their practice squad in October 2025 before agreeing to a reserve/futures contract in January 2026.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Bayron Matos
- Indianapolis Colts: Bayron Matos
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Offensive Tackle
- Group
- offense
- College
- South Florida
- Hometown
- Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
