Former Lobo Mathis to be a College Football Hall of Famer

Jan. 9—Terance Mathis, who set NCAA records and earned first-team All-America honors as a University of New Mexico wide receiver in the mid- to late 1980s, on Monday was named a member of the College Football Hall of Fame's induction class of 2023.

He'll be formally inducted on Dec. 5 in Las Vegas, Nevada, entering the Hall of Fame with a class that includes Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow, Dwight Freeney, Luke Kuechly, Troy Vincent and Brian Westbrook.

Mathis is the second former Lobo to be so honored, following Brian Urlacher's induction in 2017.

More than three decades after he last played for the Lobos, Mathis remains the only player in school history with 250-plus receptions, 4,000-plus receiving yards and 6,000-plus all-purpose yards. He was the first Division I college player to have done so.

Mathis, at 5-foot-10 and weighing less than 180 pounds, went on to a 13-year career in the National Football League with the New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons and the Pittsburgh Steelers, finishing with 689 receptions for 8,809 yards and 63 touchdowns.Â

A Detroit native, Mathis played his high school ball in Stone Mountain, Georgia, before coming to UNM in 1985 as a dual-threat quarterback (but was quickly moved to wide receiver). He finished his UNM career in 1989 with totals of 263 receptions, 4,254 receiving yards, 36 receiving touchdowns and 6,691 all-purpose yards — all still-standing program records. His single-season totals of 1,315 yards receiving, and 13 touchdowns receiving also remain UNM records.

His 263 receptions and 4,254 receiving yards were NCAA records at the time of his departure from the program.

Mathis shares the UNM record for touchdown kickoff returns in a season with three in 1989.

He was a consensus All-American in 1987 and again in 1989. He was a three-time all-Western Athletic Conference selection (1986-87, '89).

Mathis, 55, has coached high school football in the Atlanta area the past five years, most recently as an assistant at Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell, Georgia. He was the offensive coordinator at Savannah State University in 2011-12.

The four coaches to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in December will be Monte Carr of Shepherd; Roy Kramer, the Central Michigan coach who became Southeastern Conference commissioner; Mark Richt, who coached Georgia and Miami; and triple-option guru Paul Johnson, who had stints at Georgia Southern, Navy and Georgia Tech.

RB COMMITS: Running back Andrew "Dolla" Henry, a transfer from Louisiana Monroe, on Monday announced via Twitter he has committed to attend UNM.

He's the second player known to have committed to UNM since signing day, when coach Danny Gonzales announced the signing of 11 players. Long snapper Brendan Durkin, a transfer from Albany with four years of eligibility remaining, announced his commitment on Saturday.

Henry rushed 75 times for 322 yards and four touchdowns for ULM this past season. He led the Warhawks in rushing in 2021 with 482 yards.

After playing for Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College in 2019, he transferred to Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas. But Trinity Valley didn't field a team in 2020 because of COVID-19 precautions.

Henry will come to UNM as a graduate transfer with one season to play.

GONZALES ON BOARD: Gonzales has been elected to a position on the American Football Coaches Association's Board of Trustees. He'll serve as the board's Mountain West Conference representative. The AFCA is holding its convention this week in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.