Robert Mathis

Robert Mathis is a defensive end on the Indianapolis Colts. He has played in the NFL since 2003, all of his years with the Colts. Mathis was drafted late in the 2003 NFL draft, out of Alabama A&M. Mathis has emerged as one of the defense's most reliable and important players, recording large numbers of quarterback sacks every year since 2004, when he exploded for 10.5 sacks. Mathis starts opposite star Dwight Freeney on the Colts defensive line, which helps him draw less attention from opposing offensive lines. Mathis, who like Freeney is known as a speed rusher, weighs only 245 pounds, which is quite small for a lineman. http://www.colts.com/sub.cfm?page=bio&player_id=190 As a result, as good as he is against the pass, Mathis is not known as a great run defender. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/2009/news/story?id=4862483

Super Bowl XLIV, in which the Colts face off against the New Orleans Saints, will be Mathis second trip to the NFL's championship game. In Super Bowl XLI, in which the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in 2007, Mathis had two tackles and a forced fumble. http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=270204003http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=suntimes&page=nfl/scores/final/boxscoreip.aspx?GAMEID=2124

Mathis made the Pro Bowl in 2009/10, the second straight year he has been named as a representative to the NFL's all-star game. However, because the Colts are schedule to play in the Super Bowl a week later, Mathis did not play.

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Mathis has had another quality season in the 2009/10 season. He recorded 9.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 37 tackles, which was enough to win him a spot on the Pro Bowl team. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4855900 He played in 14 games, sitting out the final two contests of the regular season to recover from lingering injuries. http://blogs.nfl.com/2009/12/27/colts-deactivate-mathis-session-against-jets/ The Colts have come out on top in each one of the 16 games in which Mathis has played.

Mathis has been a steady, uncontroversial player for most of his time in the NFL. Indeed, while the Saints defensive coordinator promised to rough up Peyton Manninghttp://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/01/28/gregg-williams-suggests-the-saints-want-to-injure-manning/ before Super Bowl XLIV, Mathis and the rest of the Colts were studiously quiet. http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/83075937.html?elr=KArksi8cyaiU9PmP:QiUiacyKUUs