Rashean Mathis Keeps Defying Age, Prepared To Again Contribute On The Field And Off
By Ashley Dunkak
@AshleyDunkak
CBS DETROIT - Even if veteran cornerback Rashean Mathis does not play out the two-year contract he just signed with the Detroit Lions, he will have far surpassed the number of years he originally expected to play in the league.
Mathis, a free agent before re-signing with Detroit, will turn 35 before the season. It will be his 13th season in the league, and no, he never thought he would be around this long.
"There's always a number that each person gives himself, and mine definitely wasn't 13," Mathis said, laughing, on a teleconference Thursday. "But life happens, you get smarter, you get wiser, and realize that you didn't know nearly as much as you thought you did when you first entered the league. I think my number probably was eight coming into the league. You think you have everything set.
"I just thank God I've been fortunate enough to play as long as I have," Mathis added, "impact some of the lives that I've been able to impact."
Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin noted in quotes provided by the team that Mathis has been instrumental in the overall improvement of the secondary.
"He did a great job in terms of getting himself ready to play, but he also did a great job in terms of helping all the other guys, the new guys in the secondary, especially Darius [Slay], in terms of getting better," Austin said. "That helps you as a coordinator. When you're talking about stuff and trying to get things nailed down, as an older vet he can help you do that and bring the right questions. He's like having an extra coach, so it's good.
"I'm really excited to have him back, and I'm sure the other guys are excited as well," Austin continued. "I texted him last night saying I'm glad to have him back."
Since he came to Detroit in 2013, Mathis has been upfront that what he does on the field is only part of the reason he wants to keep playing.
"I want to impact guys," Mathis said. "It means more to me than on the field, actually, just understanding that this is a business, understanding that there's life after, understanding that we have to prepare for it, and understanding that it could surprise you at any moment. That's huge for me."
One of those Mathis has influenced is cornerback Darius Slay, who blossomed in his second season with the Lions and to whom Mathis has acted as a mentor. Mathis has spent some time with Slay already this offseason and plans to spend more. He expressed hope he can be similarly instructive to any other young cornerbacks the Lions bring in.
As well as giving players football advice, Mathis reminds them to take the game seriously, to realize it is a job that can provide for them but also one that can be taken away at any time.
"You don't know what you're getting into because it's another chapter of your life," Mathis said. "It's a new chapter of your life that you never experienced. You have expectations, but once you step foot in it, you have no idea what you're getting into. You're dealing with grow men ... mortgages ... you're dealing with a cutthroat business, and it's 'What have you done for me lately?'"
Lately, Mathis has done enough that the Lions agreed to keep him on for two more years, and he plans to give them their money's worth, starting with preparing just as diligently as he always has.
"The way I've trained, I think lifting heavier on my legs has changed," Mathis said. "I know it's kind of crazy being that I'm older, and why would I lift heavier, but it has worked, and that is something that I've always seen to get me ready. Pounding my legs is something I do early so I maintain strength within the season, and I do it within the season as well, so that's something that always helped me, and I will stick with that routine because going on 13 years and it's served me very well, so I don't see any reason to stray away from it."
Mathis was expected to garner interest from a number of teams during free agency, but he wanted to stay with the Lions.
"I don't think any other team I considered too strongly," Mathis said. "I've voiced a few times how ... I wanted to remain in Detroit if I was to play again.
"I wasn't going to bounce around," Mathis added, "and I felt that I had laid a solid foundation there, so I wanted to stay there."
