https://atgridiron.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ATG-Robert.png ()Robert had an outstanding 14 year NFL career all with the Indianapolis Colts. He was a late bloomer, not playing football until 10th grade. The workouts he endured at the introduction to the sport almost ended his career before it started. He didn’t really play sports up until then so it was quite an adjustment for him to get used to. However he endured and developed into a pretty good player. He wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school due to his smaller stature. He accepted his only scholarship offer which came from Alabama A & M university. He continued to develop his skills there and by his senior season he became a dominant player. He recorded a 1-AA record 20 quarterback sacks his senior season. Despite his strong season he was not thought of as a top flight defensive end in the NFL. Every team that worked him out wanted him to make the move to linebacker. Only 1 team saw him as a defensive end at the next level; the Indianapolis Colts. Coach Tony Dungy and general manager Bill Polian saw him being able to play his natural position at the next level, and he proved them to be absolutely correct. Seeing 20 other DE go ahead of him in the draft fueled him to excel and become the player he became. Along with his counterpart, Dwight Freeney, they set the trend for smaller, quick DE’s in the league. His Superbowl championship was a memorable experience that united those players forever. The defense finished that season poorly but they rallied with the addition some key injured players. The AFC championship was the real Superbowl in his mind, having to defeat the New England Patriots who were a nemesis to them for years. A slow start to the game didn’t help but coach Dungy kept them focused and they went on to victory. The Superbowl game started poorly as well but they felt if they could get by the Patriots, then they could definitely defeat the Chicago Bears. His transition out of football was pretty smooth for him with the team giving him a job as a defensive line coach. He obviously was highly qualified for that position and able to share his knowledge with the active players. He has also started the Gridiron Gang, with fellow players, that teaches the game to players wanting to make it to the next level. He is in charge of the d-line portion of the program and loves that he can give back to the sport that has been so good to him. For more information about The Gridiron Gang and Robert, follow the links provided below.website: https://proxathlete.com/football/ (www.proxathletes.com)Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rmathis_the1st/?hl=en (www.instagram.com/rmathis_the1st)Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertMathis98?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (www.twitter.com/RobertMathis98)Resourceshttps://www.atgridiron.com (www.atgridiron.com)http://www.symfonies.ca (www.symfonies.ca)https://amzn.to/2Sef9Rx (www.audible.com)
