Former USF football and basketball player Bayron Matos was taken by helicopter to a hospital Wednesday morning after suffering an injury at a Miami Dolphins practice.
The exact injury was undisclosed but the Dolphins said Matos is in stable condition.
Second-year offensive tackle Bayron Matos was transported via helicopter to a local hospital where he's in stable condition. https://t.co/K9yiQoboxh pic.twitter.com/JdAgaMcQra
— The Dolphins Wire (@thedolphinswire) July 23, 2025
Matos is from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
He transferred to USF from New Mexico in 2021 to play basketball. He played in 28 games and made four starts for the Bulls in the 2021-22 season, averaging 1.5 ppg and 2.7 rpg while playing 10.6 minutes per game.
Although he had never played football or had even worn a helmet or football pads, he walked onto the team during spring practice in 2022. He is 6-foot-9, so the Bulls tried him at defensive and as a specialty kick blocker on special teams.
He appeared in two games that season, including the opening game against BYU.
While growing up in the D.R., Matos was considered one of the island’s top pitchers. His fastball was in the 90s, he had a good changeup
In a 2021 profile for GoUSFBulls.com, now-suspended Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco said, "Oh, I remember him. He was a beast.''
For that story, Matos explained why he quit baseball.
"Baseball is too boring,'' Matos said. "I like the energy of basketball.''
In April 2024, Matos signed a free-agent contract with the Dolphins after participating in the NFL's International Player Pathway Program. He spent time on the team’s practice squad.