Atlanta Falcons legend Terance Mathis returns to the city as the new head football coach at Morehouse College. Mathis' playing experience, coaching acumen, and connections to the area made him an enticing option for Morehouse's athletic director Harold Ellis.

“I wanted a guy that was a local guy, and he provides more ties to the Atlanta Falcons; that is a good partnership for Morehouse College,” he told Kobe Scales of Maroon Tiger Media. “I wanted to get a guy who had a name. My students understand they are dealing with a professional, a guy who had some bumps in the road but still made it to the NFL.”

“It's about using football to prepare men to be successful in life, leaders, and men of service,” said Morehouse president David A. Thomas. “That is what we're about here at Morehouse, and he gets it.”

Although many may remember Mathis as a receiver in the NFL, the Georgia native started out as a quarterback. It wasn't until his college years at the University of New Mexico did he transition to wide receiver. Mathis was an All-American in 1989 and was recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2023. He set records across the NCAA by becoming the first player with over 250 receptions, 4,000 receiving yards, and 6,000 all-purpose yards.

Mathis' performance at New Mexico helped him get drafted in the sixth round of the 1990 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons with the New York Jets, but didn't get a ton of playing time. In 1994, he signed with the Atlanta Falcons. That year, he caught 111 passes for 1,342 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was more productive in one season than he was across all four years in New York. Mathis received Pro Bowl honors and made Second Team All-Pro. He stayed in Atlanta for eight total seasons before going to Pittsburgh in his final year.

Mathis has coached in the HBCU realm before coming to Morehouse. He was the offensive coordinator at Savannah State in 2011 and 2012.

“Give me a chance,” Mathis said about his new situation. “At the end of the day, it is about these young men. They're the ones who have to go to class deal with society, and play football; that's my biggest concern right now.”