Grady ‘The Professor’ Mathews Passes Away

While many of you may not know who Grady Mathews is, I personally go back a very long way with Grady.

I met Grady in 1980 at Q-Master's Billiards in Virginia Beach. Unfortunately I received word today my old friend has passed away from a battle with cancer.

Let me tell you a little bit about Grady. I was just a kid when I walked into that Pool Room. Little did I know I'd meet some of the greatest pool players God ever gave me the pleasure of meeting and Grady was of of them. Luther Lassiter, Whimpy, Steve Mizerak, Cisero Murphy, Mike Sigel, Nick Varner, Dave Bowman, Minnesota Fats, Ron The Bus Driver, Buddy Hall, Willie Mosconi, Jimmy Pretty Face Mataya, Jimmy Fusco, Earl The Pearl Strickland,I can go on and on with names most of you probably never heard of.

Gamblers, hustlers, professionals, it all depended on who they are but one thing is for sure, these guys could shoot pool. On any given day you just never knew who could beat whom but one thing is for sure, Grady, "I've never gotten a bye" Mathews was a class act. He so loved the game of pool and it really didn't matter what game you wanted to play, Grady was ready to go at it.

Back in something like 1985 I was playing in the U.S. Open 9-Ball World Championship. Grady was playing on the table next to me. His girlfriend, (at the time) was in the bleachers with a nasty cold and every time Grady would go to take a shot she'd start coughing like mad. Grady never flinched and never asked her to leave. He just kept right at it and won his match. Me, on the other hand, I was playing a guy named Dennis Hatch, (the hatchet) and it was absolutely his day. Mike Sigel and Nick Varner were sitting there watching my match wondering just who this guy was.

When all was said and done Mike came over to me and said, no one in the world could have ever beaten that guy, who the hell is he. Dennis went on to come in 2nd place against Buddy Hall. A year later I was in Chicago for a Straight Pool Championship where Grady was in his element. The place that held the tournament was like an old theater with 2nd floor balcony seating, very breathtaking. On one day of the tournament Mike Sigel was playing on a table next to Grady Mathews. Of all things, Mike actually called a ball on the break, (something NEVER done in straight pool) and sank the ball. That got Grady's attention.

The next thing we knew, Grady and his opponent were sitting down not playing their match because Mike Sigel actually ran 500 balls in a row and OUT. It was a new World Record, something never done before. Since Straight Pool was one of Grady's favorite games, (aside from One Pocket) he congratulated Mike because Grady also ran 500 balls and out once but not from the break.

I have been very fortunate and blessed to have known this wonderful man and am truly saddened by his passing. It's a part of my past my Wife wasn't a part of but in all reality the most rewarding times of my life. I parted my ways from professional pool many years ago but for those people who know me well enough they have seen my Billiard Room loaded with past pictures and hundreds of autographs.

Grady was one of those people that you could always walk up to and start a conversation with. To my dear old friend Grady Mathews, rest in peace my friend. From VA Beach to New Carrollton, to Cleveland to Chicago, to Los Vegas, to Reno, to California, to NYC, to Atlantic City, thank you for your friendship, your many lessons of how to be humble when getting beat and keeping me away from other players you knew could kick my a$$ and saving me the big bucks.

Today is a bummer of a day.