DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Former Bethune-Cookman great and Jacksonville Jaguars Pro Bowl cornerback Rashean Mathis has been named a finalist for the Black College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023, the BCFHOF announced Tuesday.

Mathis was one of 25 finalists selected from a field of over 200 nominees by an 11-member Selection Committee
 
Mathis is named a finalist after a prolific college and professional career. He joined Bethune-Cookman football in 1999, where he led the Wildcats secondary, shattering Wildcats' records and totaling 31 interceptions in four years as a cornerback and free safety. He was a three-time Division I-AA All-American and became the first defensive back to win the Buck Buchanan Award for Division I-AA's top defensive player as a senior in 2002.
 
Mathis was selected by Jacksonville in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He was selected 39^th overall, the third-highest selection by any player from B-CU. In his 13-year professional career, Mathis appeared in 175 games, totaling 32 interceptions, 649 tackles, and four defensive touchdowns. He was twice named AFC Defensive Player of the Week, and he was named to the 2006 Pro Bowl after a career-high eight-interception season.  

This year's inductees will be announced on December 8, 2022. They will be recognized for the first time at the Second Annual HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans on February 25, 2023 and honored during the 14th Annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, June 10, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org.