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Mathis has sudden path to Vols' kicker job

KNOXVILLE — Back in 2004, hitting the game- winning field goal against Florida had Tennessee placekicker James Wilhoit receiving ovations from classmates the following Monday.

In contrast, Devin Mathis’ Q-rating on campus remains considerably low. Even after the walk-on found himself attempting extra points and field goals against Vanderbilt about three weeks after returning to the Vols’ football program.

“One kid recognized me on the bus yesterday. That’s been it so far,” Mathis said. “I think I kind of like it this way.”

Eleven current or former walk-ons saw action for Tennessee in Saturday’s 31-16 win over the Commodores. Of them, Mathis might have experienced the most unlikely path to playing time.

A walk-on in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons, Mathis spent this spring studying abroad in Mexico, brushing up on his Spanish and scratching his itch for competition by playing intramural soccer.

“Soccer in Mexico, it’s the second religion,” said Mathis, an all-state soccer player at Baylor in Chattanooga. “They say there’s Catholicism, and then there’s soccer. It’s definitely true. There’s pickup games everywhere you go and everyone knows how to play and everyone has this burning passion for the game.”

“I played against a couple of kids who used to be semi professional. There was some good competition.”

When Mathis returned to the Knoxville campus, though, he decided not to rejoin the football team — even though he was sharing an apartment with Vols quarterback Jonathan Crompton and defensive tackle Wes Brown.

Meanwhile, the Vols’ field-goal unit had been dogged by inconsistency — and blocked attempts. A nagging quad injury hindered the leg strength of incumbent Daniel Lincoln, and punter Chad Cunningham also struggled in the role.

“I think it’s pretty neat,” Crompton said. “Obviously, he’s a talented kicker. Otherwise the coaches wouldn’t have called him.”

A few weeks ago, Mathis changed his mind.

“I missed sports,” he explained. “I’ve been playing year-round sports all of my life then all of a sudden it’s gone. I needed something to fill that vacuum. And football came around again, I saw a chance and I decided to take it.”

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin opened the competition for placekicking duty prior to the Vandy game, and Mathis won the job. Eligibility paperwork on the Chattanooga native, who’s considered a redshirt junior, was not completed until days before the home finale.

Mathis described the circumstances of his collegiate football debut as “very sudden.”

“Surprisingly I wasn’t very nervous before I went out there. he said. “I thought I would be. I didn’t really get time to let it set in.”

A quick start by the Tennessee offense didn’t hurt. The Vols took an early lead on Montario Hardesty’s touchdown run, and Mathis got the chance to attempt an extra point before the butterflies really had the chance to start churning.

If, as expected, Mathis does the placekicking Saturday at Kentucky, he’ll become the third Baylor alum to start for the Vols this season. Offensive guard Jacques McClendon and fullback Kevin Cooper are the others, and McClendon and Mathis were in the same graduating class at Baylor.

“There’s not many positions you could do that. Kicker’s the only one,” McClendon said. “Me and him are real good friends. I give him a hard time. He got to skip camp and workouts and everything and still gets to start.”

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