Former Colts' Star DE To Be Inducted Into Ring of Honor Nov. 28
Robert Mathis will have his day in the sun, finally.
One year after having his induction into the Colts' Ring of Honor due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mathis will get the chance to celebrate with family, friends and fans on Nov. 28 when a familiar foe rides into town.
The Colts host the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady on Nov. 28. Brady knows all too well how disruptive Mathis was during his 14-year career, having gone down via sack five times at the hands of Mathis. Those five sacks by Mathis of Brady are more than any quarterback, other than former Houston passer David Carr and former Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert.
A fifth-round pick in 2003 out of Alabama A&M, Mathis played all 14 seasons with the Colts, recording 604 tackles, 123 sacks, 18 passes defended, 52 forced fumbles, 17 fumbles recoveries, an interception and three touchdowns as a member of the Indianapolis franchise.
Mathis also holds the NFL record with 47 strip sacks as a nightmare off the edge.
The former All-Pro pass rusher will be the 17th Colt inducted into the franchise's Ring of Honor, joining Robert Irsay, Bill Brooks, Ted Marchibroda, Chris Hinton, Jim Harbaugh, Tony Dungy, Marvin Harrison, Edgerrin James, Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, Jeff Saturday, Bill Polian, Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and Colts Nation.
It's quite fitting that Mathis will get to celebrate his induction into the Ring of Honor in front of the fans, and with a familiar foe on the opposing sideline.
© Robert Scheer/IndyStar
“I’m honored to be on that wall,” Mathis said in 2020 following the announcement of his impending induction. “I would love for as many fans as possible to be there, because they were a very integral part of my success as a Colts player, but I understand the severity of the situation. I’ll make peace with that. I’m just happy to be going on the wall.”
While the Colts and the NFL have not been cleared to return to full capacity as of this writing, there's a good chance with the relaxed CDC guidelines that the Colts could have a full house in late November to celebrate a franchise icon.
© Matt Detrich/The Star
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