INDIANAPOLIS — Despite a six-year National Football League career in which he has recorded 51 career sacks, forced 29 fumbles and recovered 10 fumbles, Indianapolis Colts defensive end Robert Mathis has yet to garner a lot of league-wide attention.
Sure, Mathis was named as the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in last Sunday’s 10-6 win over Cleveland — a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery, which he returned 37 yards for the game’s only touchdown. But, for the most part, the honors have remained few and far between.
He has been one of the Colts’ premier special teams performers, a steady pass rusher, and a big-play producer. When teamed with fellow defensive end Dwight Freeney, Mathis gives Indianapolis one of the best 1-2 sack tandems in the NFL.
This season alone, the pair have combined for 17 sacks (Mathis 9, Freeney 8), 35 quarterback pressures (Freeney 23, Mathis 12), eight forced fumbles (four apiece) and three fumble recoveries (all by Mathis).
That being said, the fleet-footed 6-foot-2, 245-pound Atlanta native has never been selected to play in the Pro Bowl. Freeney, on the other hand, has made it to the post-season all-star game three times.
But that’s OK. Mathis isn’t fretting the lack of national attention. He just continues to go on about his business, quiet and unassuming off the field and in the locker room. Of course, that persona changes quite a bit once he gets into a game.
From reticent to raucous. Laid-back to highly charged. Need a big play in a crucial situation? Chances are Mathis will be there to get the job done.
From his sack and forced fumble that helped the Colts rally on the road against Houston earlier this season to his sack and forced fumble at San Diego two weeks ago. Offense not scoring any points? No problem, as evidenced by his fumble recovery (that was forced by Freeney) and run into the end zone in the win over Cleveland last week.
“That was my first touchdown at any level. Pee-wee, high school, college,” Mathis quietly noted in the Indianapolis lockerroom after the Browns game. “I wanted to do it right. I wanted to honor all my [Omega Psi Phi] fraternity brothers once I got into the end zone, to let them know that I hadn’t forgotten them.”
His buddies at Alabama A&M; certainly haven’t forgotten him either. After all, he set an NCAA I-AA single-season record with 20 sacks as a senior. After earning a degree in physical education, he proceeded to make his own highlight video and send it around to various NFL teams.
League scouts knew all about him already, but most teams had him pegged as being too small to play defensive end at the professional level. In fact, he had been projected as an outside linebacker by everybody. Well, everybody but the Colts.
“[Mathis] is one of those relentless guys who gets everything about of his ability, who knows what’s going on and plays just the way you coach him down in and down out. He plays harder than the guy he’s playing against most of the time,” Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy praised.
“He’s probably always done that. He’s one of those guys you just love to coach because it’s everything you talk about as a coach. How you should play, how you should prepare and how you should practice. Every job we’ve ever given him, whether it’s special teams, whether it’s playing against 280-pound tight ends. Whatever you give him, he’s going to get it done and against a lot of the odds.”
Mathis is one of those guys who is going to get noticed. His speed and quickness at the snap of the ball guarantee that. His tenacity at going one-on-one against bigger (often by a lot) offensive tackles and tight ends never ceases to amaze observers.
That was never more in evidence that in the win over the Browns last week. Mathis stayed low and overpowered Cleveland’s 6-5, 315-pound offensive tackle Kevin Shaffer. Not once, but twice. Both plays occurred midway through the fourth quarter and Indianapolis trailing 6-3.
“It’s a leverage game. You see guys like Robert and Dwight and [Jacksonville running back] Maurice Jones-Drew, [Pittsburgh strong safety] Troy Polamalu, Bob Sanders, guys that hit with effectiveness. You don’t have to be big. They have power and they have center of gravity and everything going for them. It’s not always size,” Dungy explains.
But it is all about having a sense of timing, of knowing when a big play needs to be made. Mathis has that quality.
“He does. We saw that on his college highlight tape that I think he made himself and passed it around to teams. [On the tape] you just saw play after play, whether it was blocked field goals, kickoff tackles, running across the field tackling a guy 40 yards downfield, you saw that in college and it’s transferred over to here,” the Colts coach said.
Following the 2005 season, Mathis inked a five-year extension with the Colts believed to be worth $30 million, making him one of the highest paid defensive ends in the league. He’s more than earned his money, especially this year.
“It seems like it’s been someone different every week in this five-game [winning] streak, but Robert has a knack. Per play, he’s probably made more big plays for us in the last five years than anyone on the team. He just plays hard every single play. We give him enough rest [rotating with defensive end Raheem Brock] so he’s not totally drained, but the chances he gets to go, he goes hard and generally makes something happen,” Dungy said.
“He had two big rushes for sacks, and then the play to scoop the ball up and score [against Cleveland], that was something that doesn’t happen all the time. I was happy for him because he has worked hard. And if anyone deserves credit for making plays, it’s Robert.”
Colts
Mathis makes it happen: Colts can turn to undersized defensive end for big plays in crucial moments
- Colts
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Colts' coordinators enjoying getting rookies acclimated
While the Indianapolis Colts put their rookies and a handful of second-year players through workouts this weekend at the team’s Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center, a pair of first-year coordinators are getting a chance to do some valuable on-field work as well.
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Werner, 36 others open Colts’ mini camp
The Indianapolis Colts welcomed 37 players to the start of the team’s rookie mini camp Friday at the West 56th Street headquarters.
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Colts hoping for more high marks on draft picks
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts received high marks for the impact players the team added through the NFL draft.
Of the 10 players selected, five ended up either starting or seeing extensive playing time (quarterback Andrew Luck, tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton and running back Vick Ballard) during the Colts’ 11-5 season.
While this year’s class may not rival that group in terms of name recognition and flash, it may produce just as many major contributors once the 2013 season gets underway. -
Werner at top of game
Bjoern Werner was a late comer to football. But after being selected in the first round of the 2013 National Football League draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Werner realizes that he has reached the pinnacle of the sport in a relatively short amount of time.
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Colts select pass rusher Werner in first round
The Indianapolis Colts selected Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner. The 6-foot-3, 266-pound defensive lineman can also play left outside linebacker.
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Colts in wait-and-see mode for tonight’s NFL draft
As the 2013 NFL draft gets underway tonight at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the Indianapolis Colts are continuing their wait-and-see stance in regard to the first-round pick.
The draft begins at 8 p.m. — televised by the NFL Network and ESPN — with the Kansas City Chiefs making the night’s first selection. Teams will have 10 minutes to make their decisions during the first round. Indianapolis will have the 24th overall pick in the first round.
There will be only one round tonight. The second and third rounds are scheduled for Friday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. with seven minutes allotted per pick in the second round and five minutes allowed in the third. The final four rounds are slated to begin at noon Saturday with four minutes between selections.
As it stands now, Indianapolis does not have a second-round pick. It was traded to Miami last fall in exchange for veteran cornerback Vontae Davis. But second-year general manager Ryan Grigson has nut ruled out the possibility of trading down from the first round if the Colts aren’t satisfied with the players available. -
Direction clear for Colts in 2013 draft
The Indianapolis Colts head into the 2013 NFL Draft with some definite plans.
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Colts veteran among those excited to see Luck's growth in 2013-14
Veteran defensive end Cory Redding is a big fan — literally and figuratively — of Indianapolis Colts second-year quarterback Andrew Luck.
Redding, who has become one of the Colts’ lockerroom leaders after just one season with the team, thinks he has some reasonable expectations of Indianapolis’ former No. 1 draft pick. -
Heyward-Bey feeling fortunate to hook up with Luck
Add one more player to the list of veteran free agents signed by the Indianapolis Colts this offseason.
Former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey agreed to a a deal with the Colts late Monday evening. Bey, who played collegiately at Maryland, was the seventh player selected in the first round of the 2009 National Football League draft. -
Colts sign nose tackle
Another day, more player signings for the Indianapolis Colts.
Nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin agreed to terms with the Colts on Tuesday evening and officially signed with the team Wednesday. Franklin (6-1, 315) is a 10-year NFL veteran with stops in Baltimore (2003-06), San Francisco (2007-10), New Orleans (2011) and San Diego (2012). -
Colts sign Matt Hasselbeck to back up Luck
The Indianapolis Colts’ roster moves just keep coming.
While the Colts haven’t yet added that big-name wide receiver that team owner Jim Irsay hinted at in tweets over the weekend, Indianapolis has addressed one area on offense.
Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had agreed Monday night to be the Colts’ primary back-up to second-year starter Andrew Luck. He officially signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the team Tuesday morning.
“We are very pleased to announce the signing of Matt Hasselbeck,” general manager Ryan Grigson said in a prepared statement. “His body of work, intangibles, and extensive league experience speak for themselves. Those factors, plus his familiarity with our offensive scheme, will make him a great asset to our team and its vision as we move forward.” -
Colts likely done signing free agents, for now
With the possible exception of adding a few lesser-priced players, the Indianapolis Colts’ big-time foray into the veteran free-agent marketplace is pretty much done.
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Landry, Jean Francois join Colts defensive unit
After adding five veteran free agent players to the Indianapolis Colts roster on Tuesday, general manager Ryan Grigson plucked two more plums late Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon.
New York Jets safety LaRon Landry and San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois both signed contracts with the Colts. Landry, a strong safety who appears to be a bigger version of former Indianapolis Pro Bowler Bob Sanders, and the versatile Jean-Francois are expected to make immediate impacts on the Colts’ defensive unit. -
Colts introduce free-agent signees
What the Indianapolis Colts accomplished last season — posting an 11-5 record and earning an AFC wild-card berth with a young team plus having that kind of success without its head coach on the sidelines for 12 games — didn’t go unnoticed by players around the NFL.
That was especially true for the five veteran free agents who were added to the Colts’ roster Tuesday. Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus (Detroit), cornerback Greg Toler (Arizona), outside linebacker Erik Walden (Green Bay), offensive guard Donald Thomas (New England) and linebacker Lawrence Sidbury (Atlanta) admitted as much Wednesday.
“I felt like this would be the best fit for me at this point in my career. I really liked what I saw was happening with the program here and the way things have taken shape. I feel like we have a really great team here and it’s on the rise. I really wanted to be a part of that,” Thomas said during a teleconference interview with the Colts’ media. -
Colts sign five free agents, filling needs at offensive line, cornerback
The Indianapolis Colts were a busy team on the opening day of the National Football League’s veteran free agent market, which got underway at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
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Jeff Saturday retires as a Colt
An Indianapolis Colt for life. Pencil in Jeff Saturday for that honor.
The 14-year veteran center in the NFL put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — when Saturday earned his greatest rewards. -
Saturday thrilled to retire as a Colt
The 14-year veteran center in the National Football League put an official stamp on a career Thursday that began in Baltimore in 1998 and ended in Green Bay in 2012. But it was those 13 seasons in-between — from 1999 to 2011 in which he played for Indianapolis — that Saturday earned his greatest rewards.
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Saturday to retire as Colt on Thursday
Former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday will make his retirement from the National Football League official on Thursday.
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Indianapolis franchises punter McAfee
A week ago, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano said it was a priority that the team retain the services of punter Pat McAfee.
McAfee, an unrestricted free agent who’s contract is due to expire March 12, was designated as the Colts’ franchise player Friday. The move allows Indianapolis extra time to work out a long-term deal for the team’s special-teams ace.
“He’s huge. He’s a major priority in free agency. Obviously, we’ve reached out and are working to get Pat re-signed,” Pagano said during the National Football Scouting Combine. “We saw what he did for us last year. He’s a great weapon, not only kickoffs and touchbacks. -
Colts GM enjoying time at combine
Indianapolis Colts second-year general manager Ryan Grigson makes no bones about it. He enjoys watching prospective football players strut their stuff.
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Colts keeping eye on large crop of talented linemen in NFL Draft
According to most National Football League draft observers, this year’s crop of prospects is deep with quality offensive and defensive linemen.
Among the offensive line candidates who have been showcasing their talents at the National Football Scouting Combine, which began in earnest Thursday and wraps up on Tuesday, the spotlight has been on the offensive tackles. Offensive left tackles in particular. -
Colts' Pagano back to full work schedule at combine
Back and ready to go.
That’s the attitude Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano is taking during the National Football Scouting Combine, which completed its second day of operations Friday at Lucas Oil Stadium. During a wide-ranging press conference at the combine, Pagano confirmed that he is back to a full work regimen after missing 12 games last fall as he battled a rare form of leukemia.
After undergoing cancer treatments that featured heavy doses of chemotherapy, the second-year head coach was able to return to the sidelines for Indianapolis’ final regular-season home game against Houston and for the team’s AFC wild-card matchup with eventual Super Bowl champion Baltimore. -
Colts looking forward to different approach to draft in 2013
A year ago, the Indianapolis Colts had the first overall pick in the 2012 National Football League draft.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Colts would select former Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the selection. While Indianapolis front office and player personnel officials certainly had to do their due diligence in preparing for the draft, the Colts find themselves this year in a bit different situation.
The team will have the 24th overall pick in the first round, which is a double-edged sword. Indianapolis picks lower in the round due to a successful season. But the pool of available can’t-miss talent isn’t quite as plentiful as drafting earlier in the round. -
Former Pro Bowl selection Freeney won't return to Colts
The news coming out of the Indianapolis Colts headquarters Friday afternoon was not totally unexpected. Team officials have confirmed that two veteran players – former Pro Bowl defensive end/outside linebacker Dwight Freeney and wide receiver Austin Collie — will not be returning for the 2013 season.
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Colts’ new offensive coordinator will offer variety
Quarterback Andrew Luck running the Pistol offense? Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton lining up in the Wildcat?
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Colts moving on to the off season
Moving on. That’s the immediate plans for the Indianapolis Colts as they head into the off season.
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Baltimore ends Indy’s playoff run early
The Baltimore Ravens want one long final ride for Ray Lewis. Having disposed of Andrew Luck and the Colts, they now face a more imposing challenge.
Next up, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. -
Switching sides: Colts-Ravens matchup includes old friends on new teams
Just as Baltimore Ravens players and coaches will be seeing some old friends returning to M&T Bank Stadium today, several Indianapolis Colts veterans will also have an opportunity to renew acquaintances with a familiar face.
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Pagano prepares Colts for tough crowd in Baltimore
As a former resident of Baltimore, Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano knows all about the hard feelings that still run strong about the move of the Colts franchise to Indianapolis in 1984.
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Pagano marvels at Colt’s progress
In the minutes after last Sunday’s win over AFC South champion Houston, Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano marveled at how the 2012 season has progressed for his team.
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