GREEN BAY – In his third-floor office nestled inside the Lambeau Field Atrium, Dom Capers mapped out his vision for Clay Matthews during their very first meeting together.

In one of the most consequential trades in Packers history, former general manager Ted Thompson moved back into the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft to select the superbly talented pass-rusher out of USC.

It was the Packers' contention Matthews could be the cornerstone of the 3-4 defense Capers was bringing to Green Bay….and they were right.

"We talked about him being the defensive face of the franchise for the next 10 years," said Capers, the Packers' defensive coordinator from 2009-17. "Little did we know at that time Clay would help us go to eight straight playoffs, three (NFC) championship games and a Super Bowl win in Dallas."

Matthews soon became one of the most decorated defenders in team history, a catalyst to Green Bay's Super Bowl XLV victory who made six Pro Bowl appearances and finished atop the franchise's all-time list with 83½ career sacks.

On Thursday evening, Matthews took his place among the franchise's all-time greats when he was inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame with Capers serving as his presenter.

A member of the fabled Matthews family, Clay III came charging out of the gate in 2009 under the tutelage of position coach Kevin Greene, himself a Pro Football Hall of Fame pass-rusher.

After a 10-sack rookie campaign, Matthews finished second in NFL defensive player of the year balloting in 2010 when he recorded a career-high 13½ sacks with an interception returned for a touchdown. As Matthews' star soared, Capers continually found new ways to innovate with his prized pass-rusher - even developing a "Psycho" package with one down linemen to help disguise where Matthews was rushing from on any given play.

"They were obviously transitioning from a 4-3 to a 3-4 and bringing Dom in and they recognized that my best skillset is just moving forward," Matthews said. "We were just talking about how great K.G. was for me coming in … because naturally it's human nature to want people to back off when you have success, but he stayed on me and I truly believe that the success we had as a team and that I had was a direct result of the values and belief he instilled in us."

His sophomore season ended in dramatic fashion. During Green Bay's matchup with Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV, Greene delivered his famous "It is time" speech to Matthews after Charles Woodson exited the game with a broken collarbone.

His pupil responded, punching out the ball out of the arms of Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Packers promptly drove down and scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession en route to a 31-25 victory and the franchise's fourth Super Bowl title.

"You had a quarterback like Aaron Rodgers in the mix with a remarkable defense," Matthews said. "(We) went out there and forced three turnovers and were able to bring home a Lombardi Trophy. I think it was just the mix of coaching, players, great offense, great quarterback and that synergy."

Greene stepped down as outside linebackers coach in 2013 but Matthews and Capers continued to enjoy success together, albeit in a few different forms.

After getting gashed on the ground in a 44-23 loss to New Orleans midway through the 2014 season, Green Bay made the somewhat radical decision to move Matthews to inside linebacker during the team's bye week.

Matthews admittedly had some reservations but signed off on the switch because Capers believed it was in the best interest of the defense. In his first game rotating inside, Matthews had 11 tackles and a sack during a 55-14 drubbing of Chicago.

The Packers proceeded to win seven of their last eight regular-season games and Matthews was voted to his fifth Pro Bowl, this one a rare achievement at a new position.

"Everybody here knows that's not going to be a popular move, to move a guy who likes to rush the passer outside, (to) inside," Capers said. "We had a lot of discussion, Clay and me. He finally looked at me and said if you feel that's what's best for the team then I'm willing to do it."

Greene, who starred in many of Capers' defenses in the 1990s, passed away in 2020. His memory and lasting impact on both men were part of their speeches Thursday night.

For Matthews, returning to the place he spent 10 of his 11 NFL seasons was special. It was life coming full circle, especially seeing the No. 52 shirts and jerseys still in the Packers Pro Shop.

In retirement, Matthews has enjoyed watching his children begin to process everything dad accomplished in the NFL. Matthews smiles while recounting how his youngest has started copying his patented "Predator" sack celebration after seeing clips of dad on YouTube.

Having Capers present him for the Packers Hall of Fame on Thursday made for a fitting capstone to Matthews' playing career. Fifteen years ago, Capers relayed his plans for Matthews becoming the face of the Packers' defense and he lived up to every word he said.

"Everything he had said as far as bringing me up – 'You're gonna be the face of the defense and this is what we're gonna do for you,'" Matthews said of Capers. "He always had my best interests in mind, put me in a position to succeed, cared for my family equally as much as he did my gameplay."