Robert Mathis - Defensive End

6-2, 245 Alabama A&M 7 years in the NFL D5a-03 DOB: 02/26/1981

Pick was obtained from Houston for D4-04 choice.

2009:  Started nine of 14 games at LDE…was active but did not play at Buffalo 1/3…was inactive vs. NY Jets 12/27…had 39 tackles, 29 solo, 9.5 sacks, 23 QB pressures, five FFs and one pass defensed…finished t-3rd in NFL with 5 forced fumbles…recorded four tackles, three solo, had one QB pressure and one pass defensed vs. Jacksonville 9/13…recorded two tackles, one sack and one FF at Miami 9/21…recorded four tackles, one sack and six QB pressures at Arizona 9/27…recorded six tackles, 2.5 sacks, two FF and one QB pressure vs. Seattle 10/4…was 14th multiple-sack game of career…two FFs give him 33 for career, second-most in NFL since 2002 (36, Dwight Freeney)…third career game with multiple FF…recorded three tackles and two QB pressures at Tennessee 10/11…recorded three tackles, 0.5 sack and two QB pressures at St. Louis 10/25…recorded four tackles, one sack and two QB pressures as reserve DE vs. San Francisco 11/1…recorded four tackles, 0.5 sack and two QB pressures vs. Houston 11/8…recorded four tackles, two sacks, three QB pressures and one FF vs. New England 11/15…was 15th multiple-sack game of career…recorded two tackles and one QB pressure as reserve at Baltimore 11/22…recorded two tackles, had one QB pressure, one sack and one FF at Houston 11/29…named AFC Defensive Player-of-the-Month for November after recording 4.5 sacks, 2 FFs and 16 tackles…recorded one QB pressure vs. Tennessee 12/6…recorded one tackle vs. Denver 12/13…recorded one QB hurry at Jacksonville 12/17.  POST-SEASON: Started two games at LDE…recorded four tackles vs. Baltimore 1/16 in Divisional Playoffs…recorded four tackles and one QB pressure vs. NY Jets 1/24 in AFC Championship Game.

2008:  Started two of 15 games at LDE…started vs. Chicago 9/7 and vs. Jacksonville 9/21…was inactive vs. Tennessee 12/28…earned first career Pro Bowl selection…had 56 tackles, 42 solo, a team-leading 11.5 sacks (for 66.5 yards), five FF and three FR, 16 pressures and two passes defensed…had four multiple-sack games, including three consecutive at San Diego 11/23, at Cleveland 11/30 and vs. Cincinnati 12/7…seasonal sack total tied career-high (2005) and was third career 10+-sack season (2004)…53.5 career sacks rank 2nd in club history…totaled six tackles, one sack and one FF vs. Chicago…had six tackles, four solo, and one pass defensed vs. Jacksonville…had one tackle, one sack, one FF and one FR at Houston 10/5…sack-fumble led to game-winning TD drive in 31-27 comeback victory…had nine tackles, eight solo, three sacks, one FF and one FR vs. Baltimore 10/12…was 10th career multiple-sack game and second career 3+-sack game…had five solo tackles, two sacks and one FF at San Diego…was 11th career multiple-sack game…recorded two sacks and one FR for 37t at Cleveland 11/30…37t FR was game’s only TD in 10-6 victory…passed Duane Bickett (50) for second place on club’s career sacks list…was named AFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week…had nine tackles, six solo, 2.5 sacks and one FF vs. Cincinnati…was third consecutive multiple-sack game and 13th of career.  POST-SEASON: Was reserve DE in Wild Card Playoffs at San Diego 1/3 and had four tackles, three solo, two sacks and three pressures.

2007:  Started 12 of 13 games at DE…started 10 games at LDE and two games at RDE…was reserve at San Diego 11/11 as team opened up in rush package…was inactive final three games with injury…had 63 tackles, 45 solo, 7.0 sacks, 17 pressures, four FF and one FR…led team in sacks and tied for lead in FF…was second in pressures…had six tackles, one sack, one FF and one FR vs. New Orleans 9/6…had four tackles and one sack at Houston 9/23…had nine tackles, six solo, at Carolina 10/28…had seven solo tackles and two sacks vs. New England 11/4…had five tackles, four solo, and one sack at San Diego 11/11…had seven tackles, four solo, one sack and one FF vs. Kansas City 11/18…marked third consecutive game with sack…had five tackles, four solo, at Atlanta 11/22…had eight tackles, seven solo, one sack and one FF vs. Jacksonville 12/2…had two stops and one FF at Baltimore 12/9.  POST-SEASON:  Was reserve DE vs. San Diego in Divisional Playoffs.

2006:  Started 16 games at LDE in first full season as starter…had 90 tackles, 76 solo, 9.5 sacks, 22 QB pressures, four FF, two FR, one batted pass and one pass defensed...led team in sacks, while tackles total ranked 4th and solo stops ranked 2nd…had multiple tackles in 15 games…had four multiple-sack games…had five stops and one FR at NYG 9/10…had seven stops, two sacks and one FF vs. Houston 9/17…had 10 tackles and 0.5 sack vs. Jacksonville 9/24…had seven stops and one FF at NYJ 10/1…had eight stops vs. Tennessee 10/8 and 10 tackles vs. Washington 10/22…had nine tackles at New England 11/5…had three tackles and two sacks vs. Buffalo 11/12…had three tackles, two sacks, two FF and one FR vs. Philadelphia 11/26…had seven tackles at Tennessee 12/3…had four tackles and one sack at Jacksonville 12/10…had seven tackles at Houston 12/24.  POST-SEASON:  Started four games at LDE and had 13 tackles, eight solo, 1.5 sacks, three pressures, three FF and one FR…had six solo special teams tackles…had four tackles, 0.5 sack and one FF vs. Kansas City in Wild Card Playoffs 1/6…had three stops, one sack, one FF and one FR at Baltimore 1/13 in Divisional Playoffs…had three special teams tackles…had four tackles vs. New England 1/21 in AFC Championship Game…had two tackles and one FF vs. Chicago in Super Bowl XLI 2/4.

2005:  Third-year player who continued to emerge as one of NFL’s top pass rushers…appeared in first 13 games while providing dynamic presence on line and special teams…was inactive for final three games…had 40 tackles, 35 solo, 11.5 sacks (110 yards), 13 QB pressures, eight FF and 29 special teams stops, 23 solo…all totals marked career-highs, while sacks, FF and special teams stops led team…defensive totals came with an average of approximately 20 plays per game…along with DE-Dwight Freeney (11 sacks), produced 11th and 12th double-digit sack seasons in club history (16, Freeney, 2004; 13, Freeney, 2002; 12, DE-Chad Bratzke, 1999; 11.5, LB-Johnie Cooks, 1984; 11.5, DE-Robert Mathis, 2005; 11, LB-Vernon Maxwell, 1983; 11, Freeney, 2003; 11, Freeney, 2005; 10.5, LB-Tony Bennett, 1995; 10.5, DE-Dan Footman, 1997; 10.5, Mathis, 2004; 10, DE-Jon Hand, 1989)…line produced 42 of team’s 46 sacks…had stops in every outing…opened season with sack in eight consecutive games, setting club mark and tied for third-longest streak for consecutive games with a sack in NFL history (10, Simon Fletcher; 9, Bruce Smith; 9, Kevin Greene)…had one of season’s best performances with five solo stops, two sacks and one FF at San Francisco 10/9...registered sack and FF in five consecutive games (G5-9) at San Francisco, vs. St. Louis 10/17, at Houston 10/23, at New England 11/7 and vs. Houston 11/13, while tying seasonal-best with five tackles vs. St. Louis and at New England…also had sack and FF at Baltimore 9/11 and vs. Jacksonville 9/18…had one sack at Cincinnati 11/20, 0.5 sack vs. Pittsburgh 11/28 and one sack vs. Tennessee 12/4…had FF at Jacksonville 12/11…had special teams stops in every outing…had season-high four specialty stops, three solo, vs. St. Louis…had three special teams stops at San Francisco, vs. Houston, at Cincinnati and vs. Pittsburgh…had two specialty stops at Baltimore, vs. Jacksonville, at New England, vs. Tennessee and at Jacksonville.  POST-SEASON:  Saw action as reserve DE and special teamer vs. Pittsburgh 1/15…had one tackle, one pass defensed and two special teams stops.

2004: Second-year player who started one of 16 appearances…opened at LDE vs. Jacksonville 10/24…provided dynamic presence on line and special teams…had 35 tackles, 27 solo, 10.5 sacks (90 yards), 17 QB pressures, six FF and three FR, while also having 18 special teams tackles, 15 solo…had defensive stops in 13 games…had six tackles vs. Minnesota 11/8…had four tackles at Jacksonville 10/3 and vs. Houston 11/14…had sacks in eight games…had three sacks (33 yards) and three FF vs. Houston…had two sacks vs. Oakland 10/10 and had solo efforts vs. Green Bay 9/26, at Jacksonville, vs. Jacksonville, at Chicago 11/21 and at Houston 12/12, plus 0.5 sacks at Detroit 11/25…had FF at Jacksonville, vs. Oakland and at Chicago…had FR at Tennessee 9/19, at Chicago and at Detroit…had special teams tackles in 11 games…had three stops vs. Oakland and two at New England 9/9, vs. Houston, at Detroit, vs. Baltimore 12/19 and vs. San Diego 12/26…has 14 sacks, nine FF and four FR in two seasons. POST-SEASON: Was reserve DE and special teamer vs. Denver 1/9…had two solo defensive tackles, two solo special teams tackles and two QB pressures vs. Denver before knee injury…was inactive at New England 1/16.

2003: Played in 16 games as reserve DE and special teamer…provided consistent outside speed pass rush…had eleven tackles, seven solo, 3.5 sacks, nine QB pressures, three FF, two passes defensed, two batted passes and one FR…had one tackle at Cleveland 9/7…had two tackles, two sacks and one FF vs. Tennessee 9/14…had two passes defensed at New Orleans…had half sack vs. NYJ 11/16…had FF and FR at Tennessee 12/7…had one sack vs. Atlanta 12/14…had defensive tackles in nine outings…had 17 special teams tackles, 12 solo…had special teams tackles in 12 games, including five multiple-tackle outings. POST-SEASON: Was reserve 1/4 vs. Denver, 1/11 at Kansas City and 1/18 at New England…had three tackles, two solo, five special teams tackles, four solo, and one batted pass…had two defensive tackles at Kansas City and one stop at New England.

2003: PFW/PFWA NFL All-Rookie Team.  2005:  AFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week (10/23 at Houston).  2008:  Pro Bowl…AFC Defensive Player-of-the-Week (11/30 at Cleveland)…PFW/PFWA All-AFC Team.

Four-year player who started 39 games at DE…had 221 career tackles, 44 sacks, 20 FF and five FR…as senior started 12 games and registered NCAA 1-AA record with 20 sacks…had 58 tackles, 10 FF, eight passes defensed, 30 tackles for losses and seven QB pressures…had five sacks against Prairie View A&M and four sacks against Southern…as junior was preseason All-SWAC pick…played in eight games…had 37 tackles, 15 tackles for losses…led conference with nine sacks…started 12 games as sophomore…had 67 tackles, 32 tackles for losses…led conference with 13 sacks and had six FF…played in 10 games as freshman…had 59 tackles and two sacks…physical education major.

Full name is Robert Nathan Mathis…born in Atlanta, Ga.…attended McNair High School...assisted Indianapolis Public Schools Foundation with annual “Food 4 Thought” fundraiser...hosted fundraiser for Boys and Girls Club of Huntsville, Ala. and has contributed over $7,000 to college and high school sports programs...member of Omega Psi Phi…single…resides in Atlanta, Ga.

HEADLINES

12/31/09 - COLTS NOTEBOOK

12/30/09 - MOVING FORWARD

12/30/09 - A HUMBLING HONOR

12/29/09 - THE WAIT IS OVER

12/29/09 - THE POLIAN CORNER