Rashean Mathis

Rashean Jamil Mathis ( ; born August 27, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Bethune–Cookman Wildcats, and was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2003 NFL draft. He also played for the Detroit Lions. Mathis is regarded as one of the best defensive players in Jaguars history.

Early life Mathis attended Englewood High School in Jacksonville. He was a highly touted recruit in the state of Florida after his junior year, receiving multiple scholarship offers from major programs, including Florida and Florida State.

I started off very strong my senior year (at Englewood High school) I think I had something like eight interceptions in six games. In that seventh game, I was returning a kickoff and my cleat got stuck in the turf when I was trying to make a cut. My ankle got rolled over and I dislocated it, so I popped it back in place right there on the field and that's when the doctor said I broke my leg. He was a three-time Division I-AA All-America and also holds the career interceptions record for all Division I football divisions, with 31 in his collegiate career. He finished his career with 200 combined tackles, 41 pass deflections, three fumble recoveries, and made three forced fumbles. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. had Mathis ranked as the third best safety in the draft.

Jacksonville Jaguars 2003 The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Mathis in the second round (39th overall) of the 2003 NFL draft. He was the second safety drafted in 2003. He was the 28th player selected in the NFL Draft from Bethune-Cookman (since 1967) and the first since Antwuan Wyatt (1997). He also became the third highest draft pick from Bethune-Cookman, following Booker Reese (1982) and Terry Williams (1988).

On July 24, 2003, the Jaguars signed Mathis to a four–year, $3.17 million rookie contract that includes an initial signing bonus of $1.80 million.

During spring mini-camp, Mathis was placed at cornerback, but reverted to playing free safety after training camp officially began. Throughout training camp, Mathis competed against starting veteran Marlon McCree for the role as the primary free safety under new defensive coordinator Mike Smith. Head coach Jack Del Rio named Mathis and Donovan Darius the starting safeties to begin the season.

On September 7, 2003, Mathis made his professional regular season debut and earned his first career start in the Jacksonville Jaguars' season-opener at the Carolina Panthers and made two combined tackles, a pass deflection, and his had the first interception of his career on a pass thrown by Jake Delhomme to wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. as they lost 24–23. On September 16, 2003, the Jaguars released former starting free safety Marlon McCree after Mathis performed well throughout the first two games. On October 12, 2003, Mathis replaced starting cornerback Jason Craft in the second quarter after he suffered a knee injury during a 10–24 loss to the Miami Dolphins. In Week 8, Mathis earned his first start at cornerback and recorded five combined tackles (three solo) and one pass deflection during a 17–30 loss to the Tennessee Titans. Cornerback Jason Craft would miss eight of the last nine games of the season and would never regain his starting role from Mathis. In Week 10, he set a season-high with nine solo tackles during a 28–23 victory against the Indianapolis Colts. The following week, Mathis recorded three solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and intercepted the first pass attempt by Steve McNair during a 3–10 loss at the Tennessee Titans in Week 11. He started in all 16 games as a rookie throughout the 2003 NFL season and made a career-high 81 combined tackles (71 solo), nine pass deflections, and two interceptions. 2004 He entered training camp slated as the No. 1 starting cornerback after Fernando Bryant departed in free agency and Jason Craft was traded to the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Jack Del Rio named Mathis and Dewayne Washington the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season.

In Week 3, Mathis set a season-high with seven combined tackles (five solo), had two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Steve McNair during a 15–12 win at the Tennessee Titans. On November 14, 2004, Mathis made three solo tackles, set a season-high with five pass deflections, and intercepted a pass Joey Harrington threw to tight end Stephen Alexander as the Jaguars defeated the Detroit Lions 17–23 in overtime. On December 19, 2004, Mathis made seven combined tackles (five solo), five pass deflections, and set a season-high with two interceptions off passes Brett Favre threw to Javon Walker and Bubba Franks during a 28–25 victory at the Green Bay Packers. He started all 16 games and recorded 64 combined tackles (54 solo), five interceptions, and one forced fumble. He set a career-high with 21 pass deflections in 2004.

2005 On August 24, 2005, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed Mathis to a five–year, $25.50 million contract extension that included $9.40 million guaranteed and an initial signing bonus of $4.70 million. His contract added an additional five–years to the remaining two–years from his rookie contract and kept his under contract with the Jaguars throughout the 2011 NFL season. The Jaguars selected Scott Starks in the third round (87th overall) of the 2005 NFL draft and also signed Kenny Wright and Terry Cousin. He was named the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and was paired with Kenny Wright.

On October 16, 2005, Mathis made five combined tackles (three solo), two pass deflections, and returned an interception for the first touchdown of his career to lead the Jaguars to a 23–17 overtime victory at the Pittsburgh Steelers. His pick-six occurred after a 17–17 tie necessitated overtime and Mathis intercepted a pass Tommy Maddox threw to wide receiver Quincy Morgan and returned it 41–yards for a touchdown to lead the Jaguars to victory. In Week 8, Mathis recorded five solo tackles, made three pass deflections, and set a season-high with two interceptions on passes by Jamie Martin as the Jaguars lost 21–24 at the St. Louis Rams. In Week 14, he set a season-high with nine combined tackles (seven solo) and had one pass break-up during a 18–36 loss against the Indianapolis Colts. He started all 16 games for the third consecutive season and finished with a total of 69 combined tackles (60 solo), 15 pass deflections, five interceptions, one fumble recovery, and scored one touchdown. The following week, he recorded four solo tackles, set a season-high with four pass deflections, and intercepted two pass attempts by Ben Roethlisberger as the Jaguars defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 0–9 in Week 2. In Week 9, Mathis made four solo tackles, three pass deflections, and tied his season-high of two interceptions on passes by Vince Young as the Jaguars routed the Tennessee Titans 7–37. On December 31, 2006, Mathis tied his season-high of five solo tackles, made three pass deflections, and set a career-high with his eighth interception of the season after picking off a pass Trent Green threw to wide receiver Eddie Kennison during a 30–35 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. He started in all 16 games throughout 2006 and recorded 63 combined tackles (56 solo). He had his most productive season in coverage, amassing 21 pass deflections and setting a career-high with eight interceptions to earn a selection to the 2007 Pro Bowl, marking it as his first and only Pro Bowl of his career. Mathis retained his role as the No. 1 starting cornerback, returning alongside Brian Williams to begin the season.

On September 9, 2007, Mathis started in the Jaguars' season-opener at the Tennessee Titans and made three solo tackles, one pass deflection, and had his lone interception of the season on a pass Vince Young threw to wide receiver Eric Moulds as they lost 10–13. In Week 6, he set a season-high with eight solo tackles as the Jaguars defeated the Houston Texans 17–37. He was inactive as the Jaguars defeated the Buffalo Bills 14–37 in Week 12 after injuring his groin. This was his first time missing a game in the NFL and ended a 64–game streak of consecutive starts. Head coach Jack Del Rio listed Mathis as inactive for the Jaguars' 28–42 loss at the Houston Texans in Week 17 after deciding to rest a few starting players in preparation for the playoffs. He finished the season with 59 combined tackles (54 solo), six pass deflections, and only one interception in 14 games and 14 starts. On January 12, 2008, he recorded seven solo tackles as the Jaguars lost 20–31 at the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round.

2008 On January 24, 2009, Jacksonville Jaguars' defensive coordinator Mike Smith accepted the head coach position with the Atlanta Falcons. On February 8, 2008, the Jaguars hired Gregg Williams to replace Mike Smith as their defensive coordinator. Following the departures of safety Sammy Knight and cornerback Aaron Glenn, the Jaguars signed cornerback Drayton Florence to takeover as the No. 2 starting cornerback after Brian Williams was tasked to replace Sammy Knight as the starting strong safety.

On September 21, 2008, Mathis recorded three combined tackles (two solo), made one pass deflection, and intercepted a pass Peyton Manning threw to wide receiver Marvin Harrison 61–yards for a touchdown during a 23–21 victory at the Indianapolis Colts. In Week 5, Mathis made one solo tackle, a pass break-up, and intercepted a pass by Ben Roethlisberger to wide receiver Santonio Holmes on the Steelers' first offensive drive and returned it 71–yards for a touchdown during a 26–21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Entering Week 6, head coach Jack Del Rio benched Drayton Florence after he struggled in zone coverage schemes and moved Brian Williams back to being the No. 2 starting cornerback with Gerald Sensabaugh temporarily taking over as the starting strong safety. In Week 12, he set a season-high with six solo tackles and had his first career sack on Gus Frerotte for a six–yard loss during a 30–12 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. On December 1, 2008, Mathis recorded three solo tackles, had one pass deflection, and intercepted a pass Sage Rosenfels threw to wide receiver Andre Johnson before he did not return after he injured his knee at the end of the second quarter of a 17–30 loss at the Houston Texans. His knee injury occurred in the waning seconds before halftime after a 21–yard field goal attempt by Kris Brown was botched when holder Matt Turk mishandled the snap reception and attempted a desperation pass on a two-point conversion to tight end Owen Daniels that was successfully defended by Mathis before he injured his knee while landing on his feet. On December 3, 2008, the Jaguars officially placed Mathis on season-ending injured reserve after he reportedly suffered an MCL sprain that although, didn't require surgery, was significant enough that it was expected he would unable to recover in time to return within the end of the season that only had four games remaining.

He finished the 2008 NFL season with only 49 combined tackles (40 solo), nine pass deflections, four interceptions, a forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one sack in 12 games and 12 starts. He set a career-high with two touchdowns on interception returns. The Jaguars selected cornerback Derek Cox in the third round (73rd overall) of the 2009 NFL draft following the departure of Drayton Florence. Mathis retained his role as the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback and was paired with rookie Derek Cox to begin the season.

In Week 5, he set a season-high with six combined tackles (five solo) and had one pass break-up as the Jaguars were routed 0–41 at the Seattle Seahawks. On October 18, 2009, Mathis made two solo tackles, set a season-high with two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass Marc Bulger threw to wide receiver Donnie Avery during a 20–23 victory against the St. Louis Rams. During the game, he sustained a broken index finger that sidelined him for the Jaguars' 13–30 loss at the Tennessee Titans in Week 8. The Jaguars lack of preparation forced them to move starting free safety Reggie Nelson to cornerback for their Week 8 matchup against the Titans. In Week 10, Mathis recorded four combined tackles (three solo), made two pass deflections, a forced fumble, and intercepted a pass by Mark Sanchez to wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery in the first pass of the game during a 24–22 victory at the New York Jets. He injured his groin during the game and remained inactive for the next four games (Weeks 11–14). He returned for two games before re-injuring his groin and was sidelined for the Jaguars' 17–23 loss at the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. He finished the 2009 NFL season with 43 combined tackles (29 solo), seven pass deflections, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery in ten games and ten starts. The Jaguars surprisingly did not address their secondary in the 2010 NFL draft or through free agency although they were thoroughly exposed the previous season after Mathis injured his groin. On September 4, 2010, the Jacksonville Jaguars traded starting free safety Reggie Nelson and a conditional draft pick to the Cincinnati Bengals in return for cornerback David Long and a conditional draft pick.

In Week 7, he set a season-high with six solo tackles and made one pass deflection during a 20–42 loss at the Kansas City Chiefs. On October 31, 2010, Mathis recorded four combined tackles (three solo), set a season-high with two pass deflections, and had his lone interception of the season on a pass Jon Kitna threw to wide receiver Roy Williams during a 35–17 victory at the Dallas Cowboys. He started all 16 games throughout the 2010 NFL season for the first time in four years and recorded 56 combined tackles (43 solo), six pass deflections, and one interception. In Week 10, Mathis recorded one solo tackle before he exited during the second quarter of a 17–3 victory at the Indianapolis Colts after injuring his knee when he planted his foot while running to maintain pass coverage. On November 14, 2011, the Jacksonville Jaguars placed Mathis on season-ending injured reserve after it was confirmed he had a torn ACL and would require surgery. On November 29, 2011, the Jaguars fired head coach Jack Del Rio and appointed defensive coordinator Mel Tucker as the interim head coach after they fell to a 3–8 record. He finished the 2011 NFL season with 34 combined tackles (32 solo), four pass deflections, and one interception in nine games and nine starts. The Jaguars chose to retain Mel Tucker as their defensive coordinator. On March 7, 2012, the Jacksonville Jaguars re-signed Mathis to a one–year, $5 million contract that included a signing bonus of $1 million.

Entering training camp, he was a candidate to earn the role as the No. 2 starting cornerback, but had to compete with Aaron Ross. Mathis' recovery from his torn ACL was slower than expected and hampered his chances of earning a starting role. On August 10, 2012, No. 1 starting cornerback Derek Cox injured his hamstring during a 32–31 victory against the New York Giants. Head coach Mike Mularkey named Mathis as a backup and listed him as the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind starting cornerbacks Aaron Ross and William Middleton.

Upon the return of Derek Cox entering Week 3, head coach Mike Mularkey decided to name Mathis and Derek Cox as the starting cornerbacks and moved Aaron Ross to nickelback. In Week 5, he set a season-high with seven solo tackles and made one pa16ss deflection as the Jaguars were routed 3–41 by the Chicago Bears. He suffered a groin injury during a 23–26 overtime loss at the Oakland Raiders in Week 7. He remained inactive for the next four games (Weeks 8–11). He returned in Week 12, but had lost his starting role to Aaron Ross and remained as the primary backup and nickelback for the rest of the season. He finished the 2012 NFL season with 20 solo tackles and five pass deflections in 12 games and four starts. The Lions signed Mathis in order for him to compete against Bill Bentley, Ron Bartell, and rookie first-round pick Darius Slay to takeover as the No. 2 starting cornerback. Head coach Jim Schwartz named Mathis a backup cornerback and listed him as the fourth cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind Chris Houston, Darius Slay, and Bill Bentley.

On September 8, 2013, Mathis made his debut in the Detroit Lions' home-opener against the Minnesota Vikings and recorded five combined tackles (three solo) after he was inserted in to replace Darius Slay, who struggled in the 24–34 victory. Entering Week 3, defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham promoted Mathis to the No. 2 starting cornerback. In Week 10, he set a season-high with eight solo tackles and made two pass deflections during a 21–19 victory at the Chicago Bears. He was inactive as the Lions lost in overtime 20–23 against the New York Giants in Week 16 due to an illness. On December 30, 2013, the Detroit Lions fired head coach Jim Schwartz after finishing the season with a 7–9 record. He finished the 2013 NFL season with 47 combined tackles (44 solo) and 15 pass deflections in 15 games and 13 starts.

On October 5, 2014, Mathis made three solo tackles, one pass deflection, and had a pick-six after he intercepted a pass Kyle Orton threw to wide receiver Sammy Watkins and returned it 41–yards for a touchdown during a 14–17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. In Week 16, Mathis set a season-high with six solo tackles and made two pass deflections during a 20–14 victory at the Chicago Bears. He started all 16 games and finished with 51 combined tackles (42 solo), nine pass deflections, and one interception. The Lions acquired multiple cornerbacks to begin developing behind Mathis, selecting Alex Carter in the third round (80th overall) and Quandre Diggs in the sixth round (200th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft. They also signed veteran Josh Wilson during free agency. Mathis returned to training camp slated as the No. 2 starting cornerback under defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. He began the season as a starting cornerback alongside Darius Slay.

On September 13, 2015, Mathis started in the Lions' season-opener at the San Diego Chargers and set a season-high with nine combined tackles (eight solo) as they lost 28–33. On October 18, 2015, Mathis made one solo tackle, a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass Jay Cutler threw to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery during a 37–34 overtime victory at the Chicago Bears. In Week 8, Mathis made seven combined tackles (six solo) and one pass deflection during a 28–19 loss against the Minnesota Vikings in London, England. On November 14, 2015, the Detroit Lions officially placed Mathis on injured reserve after he was diagnosed with a concussion that he suffered against the Vikings. It was never specified when the concussion occurred during the game, but Mathis was evaluated upon his return with the team from London. He was evaluated by an independent neurologist and it was confirmed he had did sustain a concussion and was immediately placed in the league's concussion protocol. After three weeks, Mathis remained in concussion protocol and it was decided he would be placed on injured reserve effectively ending his season. He finished with 31 combined tackles (28 solo), four pass deflections, and one interception in seven games and seven starts.

On April 13, 2016, Mathis signed a one-day contract to retire as a member of the Jaguars.

NFL career statistics Legend Bold Career high

Year Team GP COMB TOTAL AST SACK FF FR FR YDS INT IR YDS AVG IR LNG TD PD 2003 JAX 16 81 71 10 0.0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 7 2004 JAX 16 63 53 10 0.0 1 0 0 5 42 8 21 0 16 2005 JAX 16 69 60 9 0.0 0 1 0 5 79 16 41 1 11 2006 JAX 16 63 56 7 0.0 0 0 0 8 146 18 55 0 12 2007 JAX 14 58 53 5 0.0 1 0 0 1 23 23 23 0 6 2008 JAX 12 40 39 1 1.0 1 1 0 4 151 38 72 2 9 2009 JAX 10 33 29 4 0.0 2 1 0 3 46 15 29 0 7 2010 JAX 16 57 46 11 0.0 1 0 0 1 24 24 24 0 6 2011 JAX 9 34 32 2 0.0 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 4 2012 JAX 12 20 20 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 2013 DET 15 47 44 3 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 2014 DET 16 51 42 9 0.0 1 0 0 1 41 41 41 1 9 2015 DET 7 31 28 3 0.0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 Career 175 647 573 74 1.0 8 5 0 32 553 17 72 4 111

In the media In 2006, Mathis appeared as a celebrity contestant on Wheel of Fortune during NFL Players Week.