ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Even if you’re a diehard Bills fan, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard the name–Phidarian Mathis. He plays on the defensive line and in his fourth nfl season, his first with the bills…he’s trying to rebuild his career brick-by-brick…
The first thing you might notice about Mathis is his size–at 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, you wouldn’t mistake him for anything but a defensive lineman. It’s what got him a scholarship to Alabama, a national championship in 2020, and a pick in the second round of the NFL draft.
“You got things going on here, things going on there. So you really trying to stay strong, man,” Mathis said. “And it’s it’s a lot going on, especially as I’m older now, but as a young man, just coming into the league, going in the second round, there’s so much expectations.”
Expectations that crumbled rather quickly.
“It’s been a long journey, just coming back from that,” Mathis said.
A torn meniscus in his NFL debut, sidelining him for a season and a half.
“It kind of made me look back how the game could be taken away from this in a moment of a snap,” Mathis said.
So Phidarian fully understands life in the NFL. In four seasons, he’s been cut twice, by the Commanders and by the Jets, and has played in just 27 games. Now, he finds himself in Buffalo.
Head coach Sean McDermott described Mathis as “a young player that hasn’t played a whole lot that is looking to continue to grow through reps and experience for us here as we move forward.”
Learning from defensive tackles Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, and Jordan Phillips, a group with a combined three decades of NFL experience
“We’ve got great guys in the room,” Mathis said. “From the first day I arrived, I felt like I’ve been here all camp the way the guys welcomed me in, and also the older guys, like the other Phil (Jordan Phillips), DQ (DaQuan Jones), and Ed (Ed Oliver) they take you on the shoulders and, they make sure you’re on your keys, learning things.”
And a defense he’s familiar with.
“It’s kind of the system I’ve been trying to get in since I’ve been in the league, I’ve been wishing to get in one of these type systems,” Mathis said. “I feel like what I did in college is something similar to what we do here, you know? So I think that’s why the system fit me, kind of just remind me of what I did in college.”
So Mathis isn’t lamenting his past injuries, shortcomings and cuts. Right now, he’s found a new lease on his NFL life.
“I thought it was over. I didn’t know what was next,” Mathis said. “But since I’ve been here, man, it kind of changed my perspective. Just take advantage of the opportunity that God gave me, and that’s what I’m trying to do right now.”
This season, Mathis has played in four games with the Bills, recording seven tackles.
‘I thought it was over’ | Bills defensive tackle reflects on career-saving opportunity WHEC.com.
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