Yahoo Finance The Bachelorette 's Rodney on Being in the Franchise's Historic All-Black Final 4: 'Truly Amazing'
History was made during season 18 of The Bachelorette.
Current Bachelorette Michelle Young previously selected Joe Coleman, Brandon Jones, Rodney Mathews and Nayte Olukoya as her final four contenders. This was a historic milestone for the long-running franchise, marking the first time a lead has had a final four featuring all contestants of color.
For Mathews, being a part of that moment was a "truly amazing" experience.
"I just remember, obviously, my heart was racing that night. And that night in that moment, obviously I wasn't thinking about it too much," the 29-year-old said on Bachelor Happy Hour podcast Tuesday. "Once I kind of understood the gravity of that situation, it was really something that meant a lot to me. For us, and Michelle as well, to kind of talk about that and just us being a part of history with the Bachelor Nation franchise is really something that is so special to me and something I hold near and dear to my heart."
RELATED: Bachelorette Michelle Young Calls Out Jamie Skaar During Men Tell All Special: 'Words Do Matter'
Mathews said he's "so honored" to be included in the high "caliber of guys" featured in Young's final four.
"Each and every one of them, I'm so blessed to know them and even be in the same category with guys like that," he continued. "We were just so honored and happy to be there together."
abc
"We were just all so close and connected but we understood each other's connections with Michelle," he added. "We're just grateful for that moment. And I can't tell you how proud and happy I was to be a part of that."
Mathews was eliminated after Hometown dates.
With the finale quickly approaching, Young recently told PEOPLE how she feels about the conclusion of her journey.
Craig Sjodin/ABC via Getty
"I feel like I make the right decision in the end — it takes me a minute," she said, adding that she's "very happy with the experience" she endured.
Asked about her "deal breakers" for the men she dates, Young said honesty is of the utmost importance to her.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
"You have to be honest, you have to not get caught up in the drama," she said. "I don't like drama. I stay away from it. It seems kind of funny that I'd be on a reality TV show because I don't like drama, but what I will tell you, when you throw yourself into that position, you're going to have drama and I get to see how they handle themselves so you learn really quickly."
The Bachelorette airs Tuesdays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.
