CAREER
Two-time All-Ivy League selection (2019 and 2021) … Two-time William V. Campbell Award Semifinalist (2020 and 2021) … Three-time Academic All-Ivy League selection (2019, 2020, 2021) … Became just the second football player in school history to earn three Academic All-Ivy League honors, joining Travis Chmelka (2001, 2002, and 2003) … Tied school-record for most games played in a career by seeing action in all 40 potential games with 23 starts as a strong safety on defense … Also has been a key contributor on special teams … Over his 40-game and 23-start career, made 147 tackles (92 solo), intercepted seven passes, broke up seven passes, recovered two fumbles, and made 6.0 tackles for loss … His seven career interceptions rank No. 22 in school history and his 14 career passes defended rank No. 23 … Four-year letterman … Finalist for Columbia’s on-campus Maniatty award, which honors the top graduating senior student-athlete.
2021
Nominated for FCS ADA All-America team … Earned All-ECAC Region honors as a defensive back … First Team All-Ivy League selection … Academic All-Ivy League honoree for the third straight season … CoSIDa Academic All-District honoree as a defensive back … For the second straight year, earned Columbia’s nomination for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy in 2021 … Named a preseason First Team All-Ivy League defensive back by Phil Steele Magazine … Presented with the prestigious Sid Luckman Most Valuable Player Award and Campbell Murff Captains Award at team banquet … Honored as an NFF Hampshire Honor Society member … Finalist for Columbia’s on-campus Maniatty award, which honors the top graduating senior student-athlete … Served as team captain in 2021 … Earned Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 26 after intercepting a career-best two passes vs. Georgetown … Led the Ivy League with four interceptions and ranked No. 16 nationally in interceptions per game (0.4) … Also ranked No. 20 in the Ivy League and third on the squad with 50 tackles (34 solo), and finished with 2.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups … Started nine of 10 games at strong safety (missed the start at Yale because of a targeting call in the second half at Dartmouth) … Finished with seven tackles (four solo) and intercepted a pass and returned it seven yards in season and career finale at Cornell (Nov. 20) … Made three solo tackles with a tackle for loss vs. Brown (Nov. 13) … Registered four tackles (two solo) with 0.5 tackles for loss vs. Harvard (Nov. 6) … Played only the second half and made one tackle due to a targeting call at Yale (Oct. 30) … Finished with five tackles and intercepted a pass with a return of 11 yards at Dartmouth (Oct. 22) … Made four tackles (two solo) vs. Penn (Oct. 16) … Finished with four tackles at Central Connecticut State (Oct. 9) … Led the Lions with a season-high 10 tackles (seven solo) with two pass breakups at Princeton (Oct. 2) … Intercepted a career-high two passes, including a 68-yard return, broke up one pass, and made six tackles (five solo) vs. Georgetown (Sept. 25) … Finished with six tackles (five solo) with a tackle for loss in season opener vs. Marist (Sept. 18).
2020
Columbia’s nominee for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy in 2020 … Named a preseason Second Team All-Ivy League selection by Phil Steele Magazine … Earned 2020 Fall Academic All-Ivy League honors … Season canceled due to COVID pandemic.
2019
Honorable Mention All-Ivy League selection as Columbia’s starting strong safety as a junior … Nominated for CoSIDa Academic All-District honors … 2019 Fall Academic All-Ivy League selection … Named the team’s Most Valuable Defensive Player Award at team banquet … Played and started all 10 games at strong safety … Led the Lions in tackles (67), solo tackles (43) and interceptions (2) … Also contributed 2.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a 41-yard fumble return … Ranked No. 6 in the Ivy League in tackles (6.7 per game) and No. 9 in interceptions (0.20 per game) … Totaled two 10-tackle games … Led the Lions in tackles three times on year … Finished with five tackles (four solo) in season finale at Cornell (Nov. 23) … Led the Lions with a career-high 11 tackles (nine solo) vs. Brown (Nov. 16) … Intercepted walk-off pass in overtime, made three tackles in overtime win over Harvard (Nov. 9) … Led the Lions with eight tackles (seven solo) with a pass breakup at Yale (Nov. 2) … Registered six tackles (four solo), recovered fumble and returned it 41 yards at Dartmouth (Oct. 25) … Finished with five tackles and a pass breakup vs. Penn (Oct. 19) … Made seven tackles (three solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss vs. Central Connecticut State (Oct. 12) … Led Lions with 10 tackles (five solo), 0.5 tackle for loss, intercepted a pass and a pass breakup at Princeton (Oct. 5) … Made seven tackles (four solo) with 1.0 tackle for loss vs. Georgetown (Sept. 28) … In season opener, made five tackles (four solo) at Saint Francis, Pa. (Sept. 21).
2018
Saw action in all 10 games with three starts as a sophomore safety … Also saw extensive action on special teams … Listed as the backup safety on the depth chart during the season … CoSIDa Academic All-District nominee … Finished season with 22 tackles (13 solo), 1.0 tackle for loss, one interception, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery … Concluded season with two tackles vs. Cornell (Nov. 17) … Made a career-high seven tackles (four solo) with fumble recovery in start vs. Dartmouth (Oct. 20) … In second career start, made three tackles (two solo) and a pass breakup at Penn (Oct. 13) … Intercepted pass, made one tackle in first career start at safety vs. Marist (Oct. 6) … Made a career-high seven tackles (five solo) with one tackle for loss vs. Princeton (Sept. 28).
2017
Played in all 10 games as a first-year defensive back, primarily on special teams … Backup safety … Earned varsity letter … Finished the season with eight tackles (two solo) … Made one tackle vs. Brown (Nov. 18), Harvard (Nov. 4) and at Dartmouth (Oct. 21) … Made two tackles vs. Penn (Oct. 14) … Registered a career-best three tackles at Marist (Oct. 7) … Saw first game action in season opener vs. Wagner (Sept. 16).
HIGH SCHOOL
A 2017 graduate of Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, Texas, where he played two years of varsity football for head coach Don Clayton … Earned District 19-6A Second Team honors as a defensive back and district honorable mention honors as a punt returner in 2015 … Named to the 2016 Texas High School Coaches Association All-State Football Academic First Team … Two-time District 19-6A Academic All-District First Team honoree … Nominated for the Houston Touchdown Club All-Greater Houston Defensive Player of the Year Award … Named to Academic All-State Team as a senior … Two-time Academic 19-6A All-District selection … Led the Cougars to a state semifinalist finish, 11-4 record and the school’s longest playoff run in history as a senior … Battled back from a September injury to play for his team in November … In nine games, made 98 tackles, totaled 11 tackles for loss, intercepted three passes, recovered one fumble, broke up 15 passes, forced one fumble and returned two for touchdown (62-yard punt return and 44-yard fumble return) … Also returned three punts for touchdowns in his career … Made 12 tackles, scored two touchdowns (INT, fumble return), intercepted two passes and registered two tackles for loss vs. Memorial … Made 16 tackles with an interception, three pass breakups and two tackles vs. loss vs. Cibolo Steele in the state semifinals … In the state playoff semifinals alone, made 19 tackles, intercepted a pass, broke up two passes and registered a tackle for loss … Named a PrepStar Player of the Week … Elected by teammates as team captain … Named team MVP … Two-time defensive player of the game and special teams player of the game selection … Awarded KUBE Scholar-Athlete of the Week by Channel 57 … Named preseason player to watch in 2016 Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine and ranked the state’s No. 21 safety by LoneStarProspects … As a safety, led the Cougars to a 9-2 overall record, 6-1 league mark as a junior … Made 80 total tackles (67 solo), eight tackles for loss, broke up 11 passes with one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 11 games played as a junior … National Honor Society member … Community service activities included volunteer coaching the Youth 7on7 *SIRE, youth basketball, along with a variety of other activities.
PERSONAL
Born Benjamin Thomas Mathiasmeier on July 24, 1998 … Son of Tom and Colette Mathiasmeier … Has a sister Emma and brothers Jacob and Luke … Father played football at Texas Tech from 1986-89 … Father was a two-year starter at defensive end for the Red Raiders, served as team captain and was an Academic All-American and All-Southwest Conference selection following his senior year with the Red Raiders … Father Tom was also awarded a prestigious NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarship … Sister Emma attends Texas Tech and is the captain of the equestrian team … Grandfather played baseball at Navy (1951-53) … Other grandfather Ronald Fremin was a boxer at Houston and Wisconsin, a three-time Louisiana State Golden Glove champion and was inducted into the Louisiana State Boxing Hall of Fame … Hobbies and interests include basketball, golf and fishing … Committed to Columbia on October 25, 2016 … Chose Columbia because it had the best education, best city, best sports aspect and best coaching staff during the recruitment process … Met Columbia Offensive Coordinator Mark Fabish at a camp, then attended summer football camp at Columbia … Also received interest from Texas Tech, Notre Dame, North Texas, Michigan State, Rice, SMU and most other Ivy League schools … Enrolled at Columbia College … Majors in Economics.
ARTICLES
Mathiasmeier on Texas Tech’s Radar
Mathiasmeier the glue that makes Cinco Defense strong
Mathiasmeier: XFinity Scholar Athlete Award
HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS
