Indianapolis Colts Football

Robert Mathis “honored” to be in discussion for Defensive Player of the Year

The Colts defense is playing a game of ping-pong in the locker room.

There’s Robert Mathis answering questions about being under consideration for Defensive Player of the Year, yet giving all the credit to his teammates.

Around the locker room there’s Mathis defensive teammates throwing it right back to No. 98.

No matter who is right or wrong, there’s no denying that Mathis is in the talk for 2013 Defensive Player of the Year.

Mathis is a man of few words but his league-leading 16.5 sacks and six forced fumbles do plenty of talking.

“I would credit that more to our defense then just the individual on it,” Mathis says of his name being in the discussion.

“It takes a lot of guys around him, from secondary, up to our nose tackle. Especially the d-line, they take pride in getting me to the quarterback. It would be a team accomplishment more than an individual.”

When Mathis was chosen in the fifth round of the 2003 draft, he was simply trying to find a spot on special teams.

Now 11 years later, Mathis is turning in a career-year at the age of 32 and garnering the deserving national attention.

What impresses Mathis’ teammates so much is how he has gone about piling up his sacks/forced fumbles.

Mathis acknowledges his consideration for such a honor but he, and his teammates, make it clear that he’s racking up these numbers within the framework of the defense.

“Win it or not, it’s an honor to be considered,” Mathis says.

“It’s a team sport so you’ve got to be a team guy. You can make plays being a team guy. That’s the message. You don’t have to be selfish. Just do your job and good things will happen.”

Live Chat Today at 2:00 p.m. EST

Looking for a place to have your Colts questions answered at the end of the week? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

On Friday, I will host a one-hour chat called “Horseshoe Roundup” beginning at 2:00 p.m EST.

The chat will cover a variety of topics with the focus being the pertinent news during that time period. I will take your questions and try to answer as many as I can during the hour.

For this week, the Colts are 9-5 and in the thick of trying to earn a playoff bye.

What were your thoughts on the Colts 25-3 win over the Houston Texans last weekend?

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