Open Announce

Terance Mathis

Terance Mathis Courtesy: New Mexico Athletics  
Release:   11/25/2014

Related Links

Sign Up For Free Email Updates

Terance Mathis

Terance Mathis came to the University of New Mexico unheralded, unrecruited and unsure of what the future would hold for him.  By the time the 5-foot-9, Georgia native left the Lobos at the end of the 1989 season, he had set a plethora of records and made an impact on the Lobo football program that will never be forgotton. 

Mathis became New Mexico’s first-ever football consensus All-American in 1989 after having his finest season ever in the cherry and Silver, all while redefining the standards for the collegiate wide receiver. 

When he left UNM, Mathis was the NCAA career record holder for receiving with 4,254 yards.  He also took over the top spot on the NCAA list for career receptions with 263.  Mathis became the first player in NCAA history to record more than 250 receptions, 4,000 receiving yards and 6,000 all-purpose yards during the course of a collegiate career. 

The notes on Mathis’s career could easily fill a small book.  He caught at least one pass in 28-consecutive games and in 43-of-44 during his career.  He was named First Team All-Western Athletic Conference three consecutive seasons and had 17 career games with more than 100 yards receiving.  In 1987 and 1989 he was named the UNM Reese Hill Award winner, given to the Top Offensive Player, and was also the Bill Brainin Most Valuable Player .  Mathis’ best day as a Lobo receiver was on November 11, 1989, against then-conference foe Utah.  He hauled in 16 passes for 252 yards and scored three touchdowns.  Mathis ended his UNM career by playing in the 1990 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama

Described by scouts as too small and too slow to play professional football, Mathis again defied the odds as he spent a 13 years playing in the NFL (1990-2002).  A sixth-round draft pick by the New York Jets in 1990, he was a strong punt and kick returner, eventually leading the team in kickoff returns. 

In 1994, as an unrestricted free agent, Mathis signed with the Atlanta Falcons and returned to his home state.  Mathis was all-Pro in 1994 and the Falcons’ leading receiver in the 1999 Super Bowl.  To this day, he sits at No. 2 on the Atlanta Falcon franchise record book for most career touchdowns, No. 1 for most career and single-season two-point conversions,   No. 2 for most career and season-single passes caught, No. 2 for most career yards gained receiving, and No. 1 for the most career touchdown receptions.  In 1998, Mathis was recognized as the National Football League’s,  “Man of the Year,” for his accomplishments on and off the field.  He completed his NFL career playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers finishing with 689 receptions for 8,809 yards and 63 touchdowns. 

Outside of football, Mathis has been a success in the community and in the sport of NASCAR racing.  In 1996 he founded the “Terance Loves Children” Foundation, which is now known as the “Terance Mathis Foundation” and focuses on serving the Atlanta community by adopting Christmas families, distributing Easter baskets, and supporting other charities in their efforts to assist those in need. 

For NASCAR, Mathis first got involved by forming Victory Motorsports in 2005.  Today he serves as the Vice President of Marketing for Leavine Family Racing. 

Mathis continues to be a great ambassador for UNM Athletics simply by being a great person.  Former teammate Aaron Givens says, “To be able to call Terance a friend for life means a lot.  Not because of his celebrity status, but because of who he is as a person, father and contributor to society.”