The Indianapolis Colts announced that defensive end Robert Mathis will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 22 when the Colts host the Green Bay Packers.
Mathis played 14 seasons with the Colts after being selected in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played in 192 games including 18 postseason contests and the Indianapolis Super Bowl XLI win.
Over his career, Mathis was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week five times and AFC Defensive Player of the Month four times.
Mathis finished his career ranked 17th in NFL history in sacks and his 47 sack-forced fumbles are a league record. He was named to six consecutive Pro Bowls (2008-2013) and was voted a 2013 Associated Press and Sporting News First Team NFL All-Pro selection.
In 2013, Mathis won the inaugural Deacon Jones Award as the NFL’s sack leader with 19.5, and retired as the Colts all-time leader in sacks. In 2013 he as chosen as the NFL 101 AFC Defensive Player of the Year.
Owner Jim Irsay on Mathis
“From a fifth round pick from a small college (Alabama A&M) to one of the most effective and feared defensive players in the NFL, Robert Mathis was a centerpiece of the historic Colts teams of the last two decades,” said Colts Owner Jim Irsay in the team's announcement Monday. “Robert has stayed connected to the Horseshoe and has helped guide and teach our next generation of players. We are so proud that his name and his Hall of Fame-worthy career will be celebrated and remembered in Indianapolis from this day forward.”
Mathis joins 16 other inductees in the Colts Ring of Honor:
- Owner Robert Irsay (1996)
- WR-Bill Brooks (1998)
- Head Coach Ted Marchibroda (2000)
- OL-Chris Hinton (2001)
- QB-Jim Harbaugh (2005)
- “Colts Nation” (2007)
- Head Coach Tony Dungy (2010)
- WR-Marvin Harrison (2011)
- RB-Edgerrin James (2012)
- RB-Eric Dickerson and RB-Marshall Faulk (2013)
- C-Jeff Saturday (2015)
- General Manager Bill Polian (2016)
- QB-Peyton Manning (2017)
- WR-Reggie Wayne (2018)
- DE-Dwight Freeney (2019).
