Oct. 31, 2001

The opposing quarterback walks to the line of scrimmage and starts barking orders to his teammates. As he calls out the play and checks the defense he catches the stare of an Indian defender ready to pounce once the ball is snapped. The quarterback thinks about audibling into another play but no matter what play is called, the eyes of a 6-3, 205 pound Indian linebacker stays fixed to the quarterback's jersey number. Once the ball is snapped, Southeast senior linebacker Corey Mathis will do all he can do make sure the quarterback or ball carrier does not get past the line of scrimmage.

Last season Corey Mathis made an impact at Southeast Missouri State and in the Ohio Valley Conference with an impressive junior season. He recorded 19 tackles for loss, for a total of 58 yards and was a force in the backfields of Indian opponents. Those numbers were good enough to rank him first in the OVC and 16th nationally in Division I-AA football. His explosive speed and tackling ability made many Southeast opponents run away from him after the first couple of games last season.

"When the ball is snapped and I am tracking down a offensive player I'm thinking about exactly how I am going to get him down," Mathis said. "Basically I'm trying to run directly through him and bring him down."

This season Mathis has recorded six tackles for loss for 22 total lost yards. He also has two quarterback sacks and 62 total tackles, which ranks fourth on this years team.

Mathis came to Southeast after a two-year stint at Blinn Community College in Texas. At Blinn, Mathis picked up JUCO All-American honors as a strong safety. The Austin, Texas native was a standout prep athlete at Eisenhower High School where he not only played cornerback and wide receiver for the football team but also competed in basketball and track and field.

"The Southeast coaches never stopped recruiting me," Mathis said when asked about his moving from Blinn to Southeast Missouri. "Lots of programs were talking but the Southeast coaches never lost interest and I really liked them. That's why I made the decision to come here."

Mathis' hard work off the field has made him a better defender on the field. "I have really lifted more and tried to get stronger," Mathis said. "Plus footwork drills have made my lateral movement a lot better." But Mathis is not the only one that has improved. In his opinion the defense, as a whole, is playing better this season. "Although we're are considerably young this season, we are more together as a team this year than we have been previously. But the coaches intend to work the players hard in the off-season and they will improve through their experiences."

The defense has been more relaxed through a more productive offense this season. "Last season we did not have as an explosive offense as this year," Mathis added. "This season it is totally different though. The improved offensive attack gives the defense a chance to rest. Plus, when they put up a lot of points on the board, it really pumps us up and makes our job that much easier.

"Corey is our quickest linebacker and he uses his quickness to always be near the football," Head Coach Tim Billings said. "He really gave our defense a lift last season and he has been very solid this season."

After this season Mathis hopes to work hard and see about playing for pay on day. "I'd want to work as hard as I can and try to get ready for the NFL combine after the season is over."