| LeRico Mathis |
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2007: Played in all 13 games and was the starter at right cornerback in the last eight contests...Tied with Brandon Patterson for the team lead in interceptions with three...Had a team-high 38 yards on his interception returns...Ranked third on the squad with 41 solo tackles and sixth in total tackles with 48...Recorded multiple tackles in 10 games and five or more stops in three contests...Registered his first pass breakup in the fourth quarter of the Jacksonville State game...Credited with three solo tackles in the second half versus UCF...Logged his first career start against Marshall and was third on the team in tackles with eight, including seven solo stops...Hauled in his first career interception against the Thundering Herd when he picked off Bernard Morris on 3rd-and-4 from the Marshall 40-yard line in the first quarter...Tallied three tackles against Middle Tennessee and two versus Rice...Recorded his second interception of the year against Rice...Picked off Owl QB Chase Clement in the second quarter at the Memphis 29 and registered a four-yard return on the play...Tigers scored during their next series as a result of the turnover...Logged five tackles against Southern Miss...Had a career night versus UAB with 12 tackles, 10 of which were solo strikes...Tallied eight solo tackles against SMU and had his first tackle for loss in the game...Dropped SMU QB Justin Willis for minus two yards on 1st-and-goal from the Memphis 8 in the third overtime period...Came up with a key stop two plays later to bring up 4th-and-goal from the Memphis 2...SMU was unable to score and Memphis ultimately won on a field goal...Closed out the season with two tackles and his third pick in the New Orleans Bowl against Florida Atlantic...Intercepted a long pass by Rusty Smith at the Memphis 8-yard line in the third quarter and made a 34-yard return.
Junior College: Signed with Memphis after two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College...Played for Coach Steve Campbell at MGCCC...Registered 41 tackles and two interceptions in six games played as a sophomore...Intercepted a pass against East Central that resulted in a field goal...Also picked off a pass against Northeast Mississippi Community College and totaled six tackles and three pass deflections in that meeting...Helped squad to a 7-2 record in 2006...Was part of a defense that ranked second in the state in total defense...MGCCC finished the season ranked No. 10 in the National Junior College Athletic Association football poll...Participated for the South team at the MACJC All-Star game...Listed by Rivals.com as one of the Top 100 Junior College Prospects...Helped his squad to a South Division championship in 2005...MGCCC advanced to the Dalton Defenders Bowl in 2005, making its first bowl appearance in 20 years.
Prep: Lettered as a defensive back and wide receiver at Biloxi High...Played for Coach David Russell...Was named the Most Valuable Player and the Most Valuable Defensive Player for his squad...Helped his team to a 7-3 record and finished his prep career with 64 tackles and seven interceptions...Selected to participate in the North-South All-Star game...Named all-state as a senior...Also totaled four catches for 143 yards and three touchdowns as a junior.
Personal: LeRico Durran Mathis is the son of Dennis and Florence Mathis...Born November 18, 1986, in Biloxi, Miss.
Mathis' Career Defensive Statistics
YR G/S UT AT TOT PD INT TFL SACK
2007 13/9 41 7 48 6 3-38 1.0-2 0-0
Mathis' Career Highs
Most Tackles: 12 vs. UAB
Most Solo Tackles: 10 vs. UAB
Most Assisted Tackles: 2 vs. Southern Miss
Most Pass Breakups: 1, three times, last vs. East Carolina
Most TFLs: 1 vs. SMU
Most Interceptions: 1 vs. Marshall, Rice
Game-By-Game Statistics
Defense Opponent UT AT TT PB Int TFL FR FF
9/1/07 Ole Miss 0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0 0
9/15/07 JSU 0 0 0 1 0 0-0 0 0
9/22/07 UCF 3 0 3 0 0 0-0 0 0
9/27/07 ASU 0 0 0 0 0 0-0 0 0
10/2/07* Marshall 7 1 8 0 1-0 0-0 0 0
10/13/07* MTSU 2 1 3 0 0 0-0 0 0
10/20/07* Rice 2 0 2 1 1-4 0-0 0 0
10/27/07* Tulane 2 0 2 0 0 0-0 0 0
11/3/07* ECU 3 0 3 1 0 0-0 0 0
11/10/07* USM 3 2 5 0 0 0-0 0 0
11/17/07* UAB 10 2 12 0 0 0-0 0 0
11/24/07* SMU 8 0 8 0 0 1-2 0 0
12/21/07* FAU 1 1 2 0 1-34 0-0 0 0
