The move seemed perfect long before it was a possibility.
When the Philadelphia Eagles released two-time Pro Bowl guard Evan Mathis after a contract dispute, the Broncos were mentioned as a potential fit. Their offensive line was relatively young and inexperienced, and he was, well, not. Two months later, the Broncos signed him to .
As he Sunday, Mathis opened up about choosing the Broncos, his collection of Americana and more.
Q: When did you know Denver was the place for you?
A: Early in free agency, for me — I was released June 11, which is not a good time to be a free agent — 10 teams reached out to my agent and let him know that there was an interest to some level. Denver wasn’t one of those teams. When my agent called me later on in the process and said Denver had reached out to him, right then and there I’m like, ‘Man, that sounds like a good opportunity.’ I knew a lot about the team already — I knew the type of talent that was here as well as the leadership from the top down in (John) Elway and bringing in (coach Gary) Kubiak. So I knew there was a lot of potential there. It put me in a good mood that day, just hearing that they had reached out.
Then when they were the first team to make an offer, they put it out there and they didn’t try to play as many games as other teams were trying to play. That was another thing that gained a lot of my respect. It wasn’t that hard of a process for me once they got in the mix.
Q: Were you upset with how things ended in Philly?
A: That whole situation, I’m never going to talk publicly about how things really went down. I’m trying to take the high road and move on from it. But honestly, no, I’m not upset with how it ended. I’m thankful to be where I am now, and for the potential that I have with my career and team.
Q: Have you responded to the fan who sent you a handwritten note about wearing your cap backward?
A: Not yet. I might. He’ll probably send a couple more letters until then. I got it right for him, though (pointing to his properly worn cap).
Q: When you’re not playing or studying football, what are you doing?
A: One of my hobbies is collecting — memorabilia, high- end cards.
Q: What’s your most prized possession?
A: I have a 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle. Very high grade. One of my friends found it in an ungraded, raw collection. When they grade it, they put in slabs so they’re encapsulated in plastic and they have a sealed grade from a third- party authenticator. I was able to see that whole process and learn the story behind it. I’ve been into comics too. It’s Americana, really. This year I got a first-edition “Wizard of Oz” book autographed by L. Frank Baum.
Q: Do you watch “Antiques Roadshow” on TV?
A: Sometimes I do. That’s where you can learn a lot about the market for rare, historic antiquities. It’s really fun. It’s also semi-investing. I’ve bought some stuff that absolutely skyrocketed in value over the course of months, so then you’re able to realize some gains from that and move on to more fun stuff. Some stuff that I had on my “want list,” I’ll buy it and for some reason fall out of love with it, sell it, make money off it and buy more stuff.
Q: Favorite food?
A: I’m a foodie. I’ve always said my No. 1 favorite food is Crazy Bread from Little Caesars.
Q: And you say you’re a foodie?
A: That’s me being true to my heart as a child. But I love everything. Usually I just get on Yelp and see who has the best reviews and go to town.
Q: Music?
A: I’m an eclectic there, too. Just like the Crazy Bread in being true inner child, my first ever favorite song, I was like 3 years old, and for some reason I loved Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl.” I’ve always been a fan of Billy Joel. Growing up I also liked Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. My parents listened to the Eagles a lot. I was always into hip-hop music, as well. My favorite rappers growing up were Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. I’m all over the place, so it’s hard for me to pick anything when it comes to favorites.
Q: Same way with movies?
A: Same way. One of my favorite movies came out when I was probably a freshman in college, “American Beauty.” I like “Requiem for a Dream.” “Momento.” I like movies that make you think, movies with a twist. And like I do with food in checking on Yelp, with movies I will not watch a movie without reading the Rotten Tomatoes scores — critic and user.
Q: What’s your minimum score?
A: There are other factors that go into it, and sometimes there’s a discrepancy, where the critics love it but the audience hates it. So I try to find ones that score well in both categories. But I don’t also like to know what it’s about. I like to know very little about it.
Q: “The Notebook.” Yes or no?
A: It’s been so long since I watched that. I mean, if it’s good, it’s good.
Q: So you’re open-minded.
A: Exactly.
Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickijhabvala
About Evan Mathis
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 298 pounds
Age: 33
College: Alabama
Draft: 2005, third round (No. 79) by Carolina
NFL experience: 10 seasons. Played for Carolina, Miami, Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Signed a one-year contract with the Broncos in August.
Pro Bowl: 2013, 2014
All-Pro first team: 2013
