DECATUR — Skip Mathieson is a retired college and high school football coach who likes to spend his golden years getting hammered.

And who can blame him, when his efforts produce such exquisite sterling silver earrings, necklaces and bracelets?

Hand-hammering the pieces toughens them and creates a dimpled surface that fractures reflected light and dazzles onlookers. He also decorates with stamped designs and various ornamental and polished finishes highlighted by precious stone accents. Mathieson calls his creations the “Skip Silver” jewelry line and it’s now scoring repeated touchdowns with discerning female customers.

The Hail Mary pass of this tale, however, is how a guy who spent his life plotting offense and defense, and getting in the face of sweaty quarterbacks to urge them to get back out there and give it 110 percent, winds up doing cool things with precious metals and rubies.

In the beginning, however, was the word, and that word was football. Mathieson enjoyed a 40-year career that included an 11-year stint at Millikin University, where he led Big Blue’s rather undersized team to a surprise conference title in 1968. He’s also worked everywhere from the University of Cincinnati (quarterbacks coach) to leading an Illiopolis High School team that managed a 10-2 record in 1998 and saw him named the Herald & Review’s Macon County Coach of the Year.

Source: Herald & Review