By Lee Davis
For longtime area fans, it seems like only yesterday that Evan Mathis was starring in the offensive line for the Homewood Patriots and celebrating big wins over rivals such as Vestavia Hills, John Carroll Catholic and Mountain Brook.
Who would have dreamed that about 16 years later, Mathis would be celebrating yet another big win – this time in the Super Bowl?
Mathis was a starting guard for the Denver Broncos in their 24-10 upset of the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 on Jan. 31. Over his 11-year career, Mathis had earned a reputation as one of the toughest and most consistent offensive linemen in the National Football League, but he had never played on a league championship team before the 2015 season. Before being drafted by the Panthers at the conclusion of the 2004 season, Mathis had enjoyed a stellar career at the University of Alabama.
Nearly two weeks after the big game, Mathis admitted that the thrill hadn’t quite sunk in yet.
“It’s been a surreal experience to live out a lifelong dream like winning the Super Bowl,” he said last week. “I’m not quite sure how it’s changed my life but I can say that there have been plenty of fulfilling moments of reflection.”
Some of those moments may have come through his on-going communication with his mentor, former Homewood coach Bob Newton.
“I’ve heard from Coach Newton since the Super Bowl,” he said. “We texted each other pretty regularly during the season and he always has encouraging words.”
Mathis said the intense hype and constant media demands that accompany the week of the Super Bowl were not a distraction for him when the team arrived in Santa Clara, California, for the game.
“Since this was such a rare opportunity, I stayed locked in and didn’t get caught up in all the hype,” he explained. “I knew how easy it would be to get distracted so I tried the best I could to follow my normal routine.”
Many of the story lines around the Super Bowl centered on veteran Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and his attempt to become the first quarterback ever to lead two different teams to the Super Bowl. (The other was the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI.) Mathis said Manning’s image of being a strong leader is a reality.
“Peyton is a pretty consistent guy,” he said. “Every player knows exactly what to expect from him in terms of work ethic and leadership. He’s a very accountable person and we always knew that Peyton had our backs in any situation.”
Perhaps some of Mathis’ best pre-game advice came from his uncle Bob Baumhower, who – like Mathis – is a former standout at Alabama but who played on two Miami Dolphin teams that lost in the Super Bowl.
“His advice was to win, because there’s nothing fun about losing,” Mathis said.
While some might think that being on a winning Super Bowl team would be a good point for a longtime pro to retire, Mathis wasn’t sure about his plans for next season and beyond.
“I’m just soaking it all in and haven’t put much thought into the future,” he said. “The possibilities are endless at this point.”
Mathis lives with his wife and daughter in Scottsdale, Arizona, in the off-season, but he still maintains deep roots in Homewood.
“I have a couple of trips to Alabama lined up to see friends and family,” he said. “I always look forward to that.”
In many ways, Evan Mathis is still the same man who played at Homewood’s Waldrop Stadium so many years ago. But next time he returns home, Mathis will be a little different. He’ll be wearing a Super Bowl championship ring.