Terance Mathis is one of the many keys to the Falcons' success this season. Just watch a tape of a game or look at his 64 regular-season catches and 11 touchdowns.

But what people may not know is that Mathis overcame more than an angry cornerback this year. He dealt with a potentially destructive problem and beat it, just like he beats most defensive backs.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen interviewed Mathis and discussed what few know about the talented receiver.

DAN REEVES ON MATHIS' PROBLEM

"He was saying, 'I got a problem,'" Reeves said. "And I was telling him how important it was for him to stay sober. If he was gonna be the best player he could be, this is certainly something he needed to get a handle on." "Unless you really have that deep desire that you want do something, you are not going to do it. But you can tell that Terance was really sincere about 'Hey, this is something I do in my life. I don't like it. I wanna get rid of it.' "

Mathis: A lot of people think, "Terance, he lives a carefree life. Everything goes smoothly for him." That's not true. I have problems. I'm not perfect. I have been through situations before that I shouldn't have been in, and that I got myself into. By the blessing of God I have gotten out of it, and truly I have been blessed to be here today.

Mortensen: Let's take one instance, an example of where "I" blew it, what "I" did, and how "I" came out of it. Can you share one with me?

Mathis: This is the first time publicly I have ever mentioned this. Only my wife knows, my mom knows, coach Reeves knows, and maybe a doctor or two know. At one time, I had a very, very bad drinking problem. I was basically an alcoholic at one time. I went to Dan, and I told him, and he sat me down and told me some of his experiences with guys who whipped it. And he felt I should get help.

Mathis: I talked to a doctor. And I told him, I said, "Listen, give me a couple of weeks to see if I can do this on my own. Because if I can do this on my own, I will be better for it. And then if I can't, I will come back to you. I'm here today. I'm doing fine (he smiles). I never called him back! I never had any reason to call him back.

	Terance Mathis is excelling at football and controlling his drinking habits.

Mortensen: What made you confront yourself with that issue?

Mathis: It was during minicamp at the time, when Dan got here. And I was actually ... I was late for a meeting because I was sleeping. It was like, I was drinking every day. Not just to drink socially. I was drinking to get drunk. And I said, "This is not right because I am never late to a meeting. I am always on time. And I am always doing what I am supposed to do." And I saw it affect me, in camp, every time I tried to run routes. I didn't feel good. I was weighing about 198 pounds at the time, and I just didn't feel good. And I knew if I didn't get control over it, my career could be over with before I could even get an opportunity to show people I am a good football player. And I confronted it, and I beat it.

Mathis: Four years with the Jets, (I) didn't get an opportunity to play a lot. First time you become a starter -- bam! You're on top of the world.

And then you can see your numbers droppin' and dropping. ... Then you are not getting as many balls thrown to you. Your number's not called as much. You go a game, and you don't catch a ball. ... I was depressed at the time. I was like, "I can't believe this is happening, all these things is going on."

What was keeping me sane at the time was drinking. Oh, I was drinking a lot. Sometimes I would wake up in the morning and (say), "How did I get here? I can't believe I drove this car home." I'm not saying I don't drink now. I'm very under control. I can have a beer here and then. I can have a glass of wine every so often and I'm fine. But the thing is, I could have killed myself, or someone else. And when you realize that, you have to get control over it.

Mortensen: What is going to be the greatest threat to you -- and drinking -- in this game? A win, or a terrible game? And is it even a threat?

Mathis: It's not a threat. If I play a terrible game, I can deal with it. I can live with that. And I won't go to the bottle or have a drink and try to forget about it. Because it will haunt me all offseason anyway. And that's not the way to forget about it. But winning the game. Of course I'm going to celebrate with that champagne and sip on it a little bit. Smoke me a big cigar and enjoy it. But I am not gonna get crazy where I lose my senses, falling all over the place, throwing up and stuff. Sleeping for two days, no I won't do that. I know when to stop! I know when to stop!