RADIO
Amid all the big names that have decided to retire after the 2015 season, Rashean Mathis' name was lost in the shuffle.
Mathis was drafted in 2003 by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he found a lot of success. He was one of the top corners in the league from 2004-2006 and received his only Pro-Bowl invite in the final year of that span. Unfortunately for him, his team was never able to make much of a playoff push. Injuries and a drop-off in play would force the Jaguars cut Mathis in 2012 but he would find a new life in Detroit soon after.
The Lions signed Mathis in 2013. While he never returned to Pro Bowl form, he still played a critical role for the team. On the field, he was a solid contributor who helped turn around a secondary. However his biggest contribution was being a leader in the locker room, especially as a mentor to rising cornerback Darius Slay. Slay was appreciative of Mathis' influence and took to Twitter to send his best wishes to his former teammate.
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— Darius slay (@_bigplayslay23) February 16, 2016
For his career, Mathis played in 175 games between Jacksonville and Detroit. His career ends with 32 interceptions and four of them resting in the opponents end zone. Even though a concussion ended his final season prematurely, his three years in Detroit were on par with some of his Pro-Bowl caliber days. His 15 passes defended in 2013 were the most he'd recorded since his Pro Bowl 2006 season.
A sure-handed tackler who backed up his leadership in the locker room with fundamentally sound play on the gridiron - Mathis may not have received the fanfare that corners like Champ Bailey got, but he was a good player who affected the game in a positive way. That is unless you were a receiver he was covering, in which case you might have a different opinion.
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