Robert Mathis
A fifth-round draft pick who terrorized quarterbacks for 14 years, mastering the strip-sack to become the NFL's all-time forced fumbles leader.
Born 1981 (age 45)·American football player and coach·Birthday: February 26·Millennials
Biography
Robert Mathis is the prototype for football late-bloomers, a player whose relentless motor turned modest expectations into a Hall of Fame-caliber career. Drafted in the fifth round out of Alabama A&M, he arrived in Indianapolis as an undersized project. Paired with Dwight Freeney, he formed one of the most destructive pass-rushing duos of his era. Mathis's game was built on explosive first-step quickness and a patented dip-and-rip move around the edge, but his true signature was his knack for the football. He didn't just sack quarterbacks; he attacked the ball in their hands, perfecting the strip-sack into an art form. His career crescendo came in 2013, a season where he led the league in sacks and forced fumbles, a dominant performance that defied his age. A Super Bowl XLI champion, Mathis's journey from small-school prospect to Colt-for-life embodies the power of technical mastery and sustained intensity.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Robert was born in 1981, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Robert Was Born
The biggest hits of 1981
#1 Movie
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Best Picture
Chariots of Fire
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Robert's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1981Born
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1986Started school
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1994Became a teenager
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Could drive
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
1999Could vote
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Turned 21
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2011Turned 30
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 40
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 45 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Holds the NFL's all-time career record for forced fumbles with 54.
- Led the NFL in sacks (19.5) and forced fumbles (8) during the 2013 season.
- Won Super Bowl XLI with the Indianapolis Colts following the 2006 season.
- Selected to five Pro Bowls and was named a First-Team All-Pro in 2013.
- Recorded 123.0 career sacks, spending his entire 14-year career with the Colts.
Did You Know?
He played college football at Alabama A&M, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
He famously used a 'chop' move to dislodge the ball from quarterbacks, which became his trademark.
After retirement, he returned to the Colts as a pass rush consultant and assistant coach.
He and Dwight Freeney are often cited as one of the greatest pass-rushing tandems in NFL history.
“The ball is the issue. You get the ball, you win the game.”
