HUNTSVILLE — Robert Mathis is gaining another football accolade.
The Indianapolis Colts are adding Mathis to the franchise’s Ring of Honor.
The team announced on Monday the induction ceremony will be held Nov. 22 when the Colts host the Green Bay Packers. Mathis will be the 17th member of the Colts’ Ring of Honor.
Mathis, who starred at linebacker for Alabama A&M from 1999-2002, was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame earlier this year, and he was inducted into the Alabama A&M Athletics Hall of Fame this past November.
“From a fifth-round pick from a small college to one of the most effective and feared defensive players in the NFL, Robert Mathis was a centerpiece of the historic Colts teams of the last two decades,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said in a statement released by the team.
“He was undersized and underrated, but he made up for it with a motor that wouldn’t quit and a flawless technique that outmatched the most talented lineman in the league. And to watch him strip-sack the quarterback — which he did better and more than anyone in NFL history — was a thing of beauty. What’s more, Robert has stayed connected to the Horseshoe and has helped guide and teach our next generation of players. We are so proud that his name and his Hall of Fame-worthy career will be celebrated and remembered in Indianapolis from this day forward.”
During his collegiate football career, Mathis was a four-year starter from 1999-2002 on Alabama A&M’s defense, where he emerged as one of the most-prominent pass rushers in Southwestern Athletic Conference history.
In 39 games at Alabama A&M, Mathis recorded 221 tackles while setting a program records with 44 sacks and 20 forced fumbles.
As a senior in 2002, Mathis set a Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) record with 20 sacks. That season, he also recorded 58 tackles while setting an Alabama A&M record with 32 tackles for loss while forcing 10 fumbles.
Mathis holds six Alabama A&M records: Career sacks (44); single-season sacks (32); single-game sacks (5); career tackles for loss (88.5); single-season tackles for loss (32); single-game tackles for loss (8).
After graduating from Alabama A&M with a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education, Mathis was selected in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, where he played 14 seasons while helping the franchise win Super Bowl XLI.
During his NFL career, Mathis was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and was the 2013 AFC Defensive Player of the Year.
Mathis retired as a player following the 2016 NFL season, finishing his career as the Colts’ all-time sacks leader with 123. During his NFL career, Mathis recorded 604 tackles, 52 forced fumbles, 17 fumble recoveries and an interception. He finished his career ranked 17th in NFL history in sacks, and his 47 sack-forced fumbles are an NFL record.
Courtesy: AAMU Athletics
