When he was splicing together a VHS tape of his McNair High highlights in 1999, Robert Mathis had no idea that it would take him to the top of the professional football world.
As a smallish defensive end, Mathis envisioned himself playing in the NFL and needed to drum up interest from the college ranks. Only Alabama A&M offered him a scholarship after receiving his tape.
It’s been a long journey since, one that has taken Mathis to Pro Bowls and Super Bowls and through the death of his beloved mother, a suspension and the recovery from 10 surgeries from a ruptured tendon.
He has persevered and at age 34, is set to return home to face the Falcons at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome in an improbable homecoming.
“It’s a blessing to be back,” said Mathis, who missed all of the 2014 season. “I’m thankful for every practice, every day that I’m back with the squad. It was kind of shaky for a moment, but I’m happy to be back.”
Mathis’ inspiration was his mother, Emma, who died from cancer. He was dealing with a suspension for a fertility drug that he was taking for family reasons when he ruptured his left Achilles tendon.
The doctors had to keep performing surgeries to help clean out an infection.
“It was extremely tough,” Mathis said. “There were a lot of things on top of football that were going on. My mother, then dealing with her and her ailments. Then having all of those surgeries and setbacks. Then just the future being uncertain. It was a lot to handle.”
Mathis thought his career was over.
“Every day there were a lot of doubts,” Mathis said. “I’m not going to sit here and say that I never doubted it for one second. Every day, I was worried and concerned. I didn’t know if my body would respond the way I wanted it to.”
Mathis credited his wife, Brandi, for helping him through that deep valley.
“She just kind of took the bull by the horns and made sure that I was all right by staying on top of the doctors,” Mathis said. “She was doing all of the little things that I wouldn’t think to do or couldn’t do. Our kids, I teach them not to give up, so I couldn’t give up and set a bad example.”
After the Colts selected Mathis in the fifth round of the 2003 draft, he blossomed into a pass-rushing star.
Mathis, a five-time Pro Bowler, and Dwight Freeney terrorized offenses for 10 seasons together. They combined for 186 sacks and 73 forced fumbles.
Mathis has 115 career sacks, and in 2013 he had 19.5 sacks after being switched to outside linebacker before his life started to go haywire.
The Colts have eased him back into the defense this season, and he leads the team with four sacks.
“It’s been great getting him back,” Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano said. “We are ramping up his playing time. He looks like the old Rob. … Obviously, he’s still got the talent and skills to wreck games.”
The Falcons are aware that Mathis is rounding back into form.
“I’ve always had a lot of respect for him,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “It’s the speed that he plays with. Back in the day he was used to just playing on the left side. Now, he’s showed, like most good players, he can play on either side.”
Quinn has coached some of the game’s top pass rushers, such as Jason Taylor.
“I always felt like the competitor was good,” Quinn said. “He’d grind. He’d finish. He’d spin. He’d dive. He’d heel-click the guy and make the big play. He’s someone that I’ve always had a big regard for.”
The Mathises have four kids. The youngest are twins, Mason and Jason. Mathis wants to keep playing until they’ll remember that he was an NFL player.
“They say that the age you remember is from the age of four on up,” Mathis said. “I still have some work to do, they are only three. I am going to try to keep this thing going.”
Mathis’ resume stacks up with the better defensive ends of his era. He doesn’t now if the career that began with that VHS tape will land him a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but it’s been one heck of a football journey.
“God, that would be such an honor,” Mathis said. “I feel like that’s kind of a long shot. That’s kind of a way out there. There’s some ground I’d have to make up. If it happens, great. It’s not something where I’m going to wrap my life around that.”
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