SmashMouth

I'Tavius Mathers admits a sense of frustration over not receiving an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine.

The Middle Tennessee State University running back totaled 2,194 yards of offense -- 1,561 yards rushing on 232 carries and 633 yards receiving on 66 catches -- and 20 touchdowns (17 rushing) in 2016, after all.

The snub by the Combine selection committee, however, didn't deter Mathers, who transferred from the University of Mississippi to MTSU in 2015.

He used the oversight as incentive while training at the Michael Johnson Performance facility in Dallas, Texas, to prove he belongs among the running backs in the 2017 NFL Draft.



"It gave me a chip on my shoulder just to let me know I felt like I was being overlooked," Mathers said in a telephone interview. "I just had to prove myself at Pro Day and let them know that I'm just as good as the ones who went to the Combine."

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