INDIANAPOLIS -- Dwayne Allen had plenty to say, but the best thing he pointed out didn't require words.
The Indianapolis Colts' tight end was asked about the impact of losing Robert Mathis for the season because of a torn Achilles. Allen casually looked across the room and pointed to Mathis' locker about 15 feet away.
"The message Robert left for us when he started his suspension wasn't just one of those motivational tactics by him. That's truly how he goes about things on a daily basis," Allen said.
Part of the message that's taped on a picture of Mathis reads: "Don't take the sport you play for granted. ... Play every practice or game like it's your last because it very well could be."
Mathis' sack prowess is well-documented. Opposing quarterbacks have to see where he's lined up, and offensive linemen have to be prepared for his spin move.
But the Colts will miss more than Mathis' on-field skills during games. They will miss the Robert Mathis that not many people got to see, the one breaking things down to the team "95 percent of the time" at halftime or after the game.
Mathis energizes practices because his motor forces his teammates to catch up or get embarrassed. He doesn't talk much, preferring to leave it to players such as Cory Redding, but when he does speak, all eyes are on Mathis because they know what he has to say has substance to it.
What was originally a four-game absence for Mathis on the field is now all season long. That won't be easy to overcome for Indianapolis.
"Robert Mathis is just the hardest working and coolest guy that I've ever met in my life," punter Pat McAfee said. "You can tell he was a fifth-round draft pick because he still has that chip on his shoulder, like he always has something to prove. But he's so humble and so nice to everybody. That type of leadership is big, especially when you see somebody who has been so successful, so good in the NFL and a guy who can remain down to earth."
Mathis will return to the facility at some point during his rehabilitation that will take six to nine months. His presence will be a welcoming sight, but it won't be the same as if he was putting on his No. 98 jersey, tying up his cleats and playing in a game or practicing.
"On the practice field, for a guy his age to practice as hard as he does, that says a lot," Allen said. "Coach lets everybody know that Robert is setting the tempo. He does a great job to make sure we're practicing at a high level."
Receiver Reggie Wayne knows all too well what Mathis is going through. It was almost a year ago that Wayne's season came to an end because of a torn ACL. The questions about whether Wayne could return from such a severe injury at his age, 35, started the same way some question if Mathis can return to form at 33.
"No other guy you want to take in the foxhole with you except Robert Mathis," Wayne said. "He's definitely a guy that you don't have to worry about. Who knows what Rob's thinking?
"I saw where [John] Abraham, he's thinking about retiring, and I look up at his stats and he was eight away from catching [Michael] Strahan or so, and Rob is not far behind him. So if you're Robert Mathis, you're like, 'Damn!' So it's stuff like that that can mentally get you down, but Rob's one of those guys you don't have to worry about. He'll be in here day and night to get back."
Until that happens, though, the Colts will continue to search for ways to fill the void left behind by Mathis.
"We all know what he brings to the game, but just in this locker room, his presence, he's second to none," Wayne said. "So it's something that we all are going to have to dig deep and pick it up even more, even offensively. His injury, it affects the whole team, so everybody's going to have to step it up a notch."
Colts players just have to look at @RobertMathis98's locker if they need a reminder of things pic.twitter.com/zs60elLxsz
— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNFL) September 1, 2014