DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – One of the best defensive players to ever step foot on the gridiron for Bethune-Cookman Football called it a career on Tuesday, February 16, as Rashean Mathis retired after 13 seasons playing professionally in the National Football League (NFL).
"(It's been) an awesome 13 years," Mathis said. "And I think it's time for me to hang up the cleats. The Lord has blessed me with a long career."
Mathis, a former All-America performer for the Wildcats from 1999-2002, played with two teams different in the NFL – Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions. He began his career with the Jaguars in his home town of Jacksonville, before moving to Detroit to end his career the previous three seasons.
Mathis started 36 of the 38 games in which he appeared with the Lions, but missed the second half of this past season on injured reserve.
“If you were to look up the true definition of a man blessed with tremendous athleticism, leadership skills, integrity and humility, you would find Rashean Mathis as the example,” stated Lynn Thompson, B-CU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. “His success at every level of football is overshadowed only by his success as a husband, father and community servant. We are so proud that the roots of this great man were planted at Bethune-Cookman.”
At Bethune-Cookman, Mathis was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter for the Wildcats.
He currently holds the record for the most interceptions in a single season and in a career in collegiate football history, picking off 28 passes in three seasons for the Maroon and Gold. In 2002, he won the Buck Buchanan Award for Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) Defensive Players of the Year.
He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft.
For the Jags, Mathis still holds several franchise records, including career interceptions (30), career interception return yards (512), career defensive touchdowns (3) and career passes defended (99).
“When you talk about Rashean Mathis, you have to mention how he played the game with intensity, respect and brought a level of enthusiasm that younger players could feed off of,” said B-CU head coach Terry Sims. “He is a family man; a man of God; and he always tried to make others better. He's the type of person that you really enjoyed being around – both on the field as a player and teammate, and off the field as a man.”
Mathis played in 175 games in his career. He finishes his career with 32 interceptions, 111 passes defensed and 647 tackles. In 2006, Mathis was selected as a First-Team All-Pro corner.
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