Atlanta Falcons: All-Time Team

Sep 3, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of Atlanta Falcons helmets on the sidelines against the Baltimore Ravens in the first quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Wide Receiver: Terance Mathis (1994-2001)

Before there was Roddy White, there was Terance Mathis. Mathis was the reliable receiving target for the Atlanta Falcons from the mid-to-late 1990s. After playing his first four seasons with the New York Jets, Mathis came to Atlanta in 1994 and made the Pro Bowl, his only one in his 13-year NFL career.

When Mathis left the Atlanta Falcons after the 2001 NFL season, he was the franchise leader in receptions (573), receiving yards (7,349), and touchdown receptions (57) in his eight years in Atlanta Falcons uniform.

Mathis was part of two playoff teams in Atlanta, including the 1998 Dirty Birds that finished 14-2, won the NFC, and played in the franchise’s only Super Bowl to date. He had four seasons of 1,000 yards receiving and caught 11 touchdown passes twice in a season (1994, 1998).

Terance Mathis was a model of consistency in the Atlanta Falcons’ receiving corps for eight great years. While he may get overlooked by some of the Falcons’ great receivers since his retirement after the 2002 NFL season, Mathis is still one of the best wideouts to ever play for the Atlanta Falcons. He and Roddy White would rotate in this three wide receiver set, between the slot and the outside, getting each other open all the time.

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