Phidarian Mathis Reflects on What He Learned at Alabama

Originally posted on FanNation Bama Central
By Joey Blackwell | Last updated 2/1/22

MOBILE, Ala. — Ahead of the 2022 Senior Bowl, Alabama defensive lineman Phidarian Mathis was the featured athlete representing the American team on Tuesday morning.

Meeting with the media for a brief press conference, Mathis highlighted what he felt was the most important thing he learned while with the Crimson Tide.

“Being patient,” Mathis said. “I speak that a lot. I had to learn how to be patient and to trust the process at Alabama. As a young guy, I didn’t understand [that] getting playing time, I had to be patient. So waiting on my time to come was a big part of what I had to overcome and I learned it a lot and it has served me well.

"So being patient is something that I know I can take to the next level.”

Mathis was a staple on the defensive line for Alabama this past season, wrapping up his redshirt-senior season with 53 total tackles. Of those tackles 12 were for a loss including nine sacks. He also forced a fumble and recovered two over the course of the season.

Alongside his sacks, Mathis also hurried opposing quarterbacks six times and recorded two pass breakups.

More than just his stats, Mathis was also a leader on the Crimson Tide's defense. With his teammates often referring to him throughout the season as one of the team's vocal leaders, Mathis was also known for his jovial nature and had a way of motivating his fellow players.

“It’s just my passion for the game,” Mathis said. “I love the game a lot. It just brings me so much joy, and I feel like why play the game if you’re not going to have fun with it. So that’s something that I take from the game and I try to bring into the game every week.

Jim Nagy, the executive director of the Senior Bowl, acknowledged Mathis' intangibles as a leader and noted that his way of motivating his fellow teammates will go a long way in helping him earn a better draft spot.

“Really a thing that sticks out with a lot of these Alabama defensive line is just the leadership and the juice they play with,” Nagy said. “To see what this guy’s mind is like during pre-game and how he’s bouncing around and getting his teammates feeding off him, he will move up in the draft.

"That will mean something on draft day aside from his talent. If he can affect other people on that d-line, that’s a certain position group that if you can get a guy that other people feed off, there’s value in that.”

This article first appeared on FanNation Bama Central and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: