Hall of Fame
Position: Wide Receiver
Years: 1985-87
Place of Birth: Detroit, MI
Date of Birth: June 7, 1967
Jersey Number: 15
Height: 5-10
Weight: 185
High School: Redan (GA)
Terance Mathis arrived at the University of New Mexico as an unrecruited player, but he seized the opportunity and finished his career as the school's first-ever consensus First Team All-American. The Detroit, Michigan, native also set the NCAA record for career receiving yards and career receptions and now becomes just the second player in Lobos history to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
A 1989 consensus First Team All-American and a Third Team All-American in 1987 (making him both the Lobos' first consensus and first two-time All-American), Mathis finished his career as the NCAA's all-time leader in career receptions (263) and receiving yards (4,254). He left New Mexico as the first player in NCAA history with 200 receptions, 4,000 receiving yards and 6,000 all-purpose yards in a career, and he set NCAA records for most games with a touchdown reception (26) and kickoff returns for a touchdown (3). His accomplishments earned him the national spotlight and invitations to the 1990 Hula and Senior bowls.
A three-time First Team All-WAC selection (1986-87, 1989), Mathis held the WAC record for all-purpose yards in a career (6,691) until 2012. A two-time team MVP and recipient of the Reese Hill Award as the team's top offensive player, Mathis set 24 UNM records by career's end, still holding numerous career records, including receptions (263) receiving yards (4,254) TD receptions (36), kickoff returns (91) and all-purpose yards (6,691). The 1989 team captain, Mathis led the Lobos in receiving and all-purpose yards in all four years of his career, and he led the team in scoring in 1987 (50) and 1989 (98). He boasts six of the top 10 single-game-receiving performances in school annals.
He finished his career with 263 receptions for 4,254 yards and 36 touchdowns, adding 80 rushes for 393 yards on the ground, and he returned 91 kickoffs for 1,993 yards and three touchdowns and 23 punts for 115 yards during his career.
Drafted in the sixth round by the New York Jets, he played for the Jets (1990-93), Falcons (1994-01) and Steelers (2002). He was named a 1994 Second Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection. He played for the Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII, and he was Atlanta Falcons "Man of the Year" in 1998.
He was inducted into the UNM Athletic Hall of Honor inductee in 2013 and UMN Ring of Honor in 2017. He was named to UNM's "100 Seasons of Football" All-Time Team and the WAC All-Decade Team of the 1980s.
After his playing career, he worked in NASCAR, forming Victory Motorsports in 2005 and then serving as a vice president of Marketing for Leavine Family Racing, a part-time Sprint Cup Series team. He then became a football coach, serving as the offensive coordinator at Savannah State University and now as the head coach at Pinecrest Academy outside of Atlanta, Georgia.
In 1996, he founded the Terance Mathis Foundation, focusing on serving the Atlanta community by adopting Christmas families, distributing Easter baskets, and supporting other charities in their efforts to assist those in need.
