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Exclusive Interview: Joe Mathis tells BTSC what he can bring to the NFL in the upcoming Draft

Joe Mathis from the University of Washington is hoping to make his mark in the NFL, and BTSC was able to get an exclusive interview with the dynamic pass rusher.

Rutgers v Washington Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

For all the NFL Draft geeks out there, you are in for a treat.

After my Joe Mathis scouting report article, I had an unexpected surprise appear in my direct messages. It turns out it was Joe Mathis himself. He reached out to me on Twitter to tell me that it was a good article, while also thanking me for believing in him.

At the time, I didn’t know what to think other than the exciting, rambling thoughts running through my head that consisted of:

“Today was a step in the right direction.”

“I can’t believe Mathis reached out to tell me he liked my work.”

“I must be dreaming.”

I have a long way to go, with still so much to learn, whether it’s landing my dream job of becoming an NFL scout, or getting into sports journalism full time, but I definitely felt like I took a step in the right direction.

Anyway, enough about my personal goals and ambitions, let me get to the point everyone is here for. After Mathis reached out to me, I ended up asking him if I could interview him for BTSC.

He happily obliged, and while it was not in person, it’s still a tremendous opportunity.

Here is some of what we talked about, enjoy.

Interview:

* Note, the first half of this interview took place over direct messaging.

Nick - What would you say makes your game different from other EDGE rushers this year?

Joe Mathis - I pay attention to my weakness. I pay attention not just offensive lineman but the whole offense. I always practice finishing every rep even if the play is away from me.

Nick - So your motor is always running hot, but you also have very good in-game awareness. I like that.

Do you style your play after someone in the NFL? If so, who?

Joe Mathis - Terrell Suggs

Nick - Which parts of his game did you implement into your own?

Joe Mathis - His whole game I been studying his film since I got to college. He plays mind games with lineman they don't know if he's going to bull rush them or let them fall on their face.

Nick - That's a very interesting player to style your game after. I notice you both definitely have the same type of power in your game, but I really like how you said you study the mental aspect of his game, which is a huge part of winning when it comes to pass rushing.

What will your training regimen consist of leading up the draft?

Joe Mathis - staying at 260. Staying at 11% body fat. 6 hours of treatment on my foot everyday. Speed and flexibility everyday and jujitsu.

Nick - That's a good regimen, the jujitsu one intrigued me a bit. I remember your old teammate Hau'oli Kikaha did Judo which seemed to really translate to his play on the field.

Would you say it helps you a lot with you hand usage and technique?

Joe Mathis - Yes I just started doing it. I want to be able to pass rush with my eyes closed.

Nick - Be able to feel what you're doing without seeing it which will help you play fast. You definitely seem to have a good routine.

*Note - This is when we switched to phone call (some of this may be paraphrased) and some of my responses to his questions were not written down.

Nick - Your production sky rocketed your Senior year. What changed, and what do you contribute to those changes?

Joe Mathis - Having a wife and son, struggling. Woke up around 6 o'clock in the morning to work as hard as I could to make sure I was able to feed him. My son really pushed me to grind to my fullest, made me very hungry and I knew that had to feed my son. I showed my coaches what I could do. It definitely pushed me to work harder.

Nick - What areas would you say that you need to improve on the most, or areas you feel get critiqued?

Joe Mathis - Everything. Nobody is perfect. Improving my conditioning and endurance so I don't trip and fall short of the QB. Always working on my craft, trying to perfect it. I feel like playing DT freshmen season helped me improve going against double teams.

Nick - I didn’t know that you played defensive tackle your Freshmen season. That is definitely something that could help.

Who was your favorite NFL team and player growing up?

Joe Mathis - Favorite player was Terrell Suggs, Joey Porter, James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley, I like the big outside linebackers. Didn't really have a favorite team.

Nick - If you could hand pick an NFL team to draft you, who would it be and why?

Joe Mathis - Not really a team but any 3-4 defense. I love playing outside backer and I'm better at reading the offense when standing up.

Nick - If you were to say anything to a team leading up to the draft, to get them to draft you...what would you say?

Joe Mathis - I take it personal, I bust my ass, and if I don't bust my ass, I don't feed my family. I'm all the support my family has and if I don't do my job I won't be able to feed my family. I’m all in.

Nick - I appreciate letting me get to interview you, good luck to you and your NFL endeavors.

Joe Mathis - No problem.

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To read the full breakdown of Joe Mathis, you can check out the article HERE.