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For the first time since he entered the league in 2003, Robert Mathis won't be preparing for a week one game with his teammates. Instead, Mathis is suspended for the first four games of the 2014 season for violating the NFL's prohibited substance policy - all for taking a drug to help him and his wife get pregnant.
Starting this past Saturday at 4 p.m., Mathis isn't allowed to have any contact with the team and must wait until his four game suspension is over. Before his suspension started, however, he left a note to his teammates in his locker:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Picture sitting in Robert Mathis' locker Monday. Mathis is serving a four game suspension for violating PED policy. <a href="http://t.co/MbOgbckj0X">pic.twitter.com/MbOgbckj0X</a></p>— Tom James (@TribStarTJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/TribStarTJames/statuses/506488593196392448">September 1, 2014</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Sign sitting in Robert Mathis' locker Monday. Mathis began serving his four game suspension on Saturday. <a href="http://t.co/zGzqUfPkrj">pic.twitter.com/zGzqUfPkrj</a></p>— Tom James (@TribStarTJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/TribStarTJames/statuses/506488329479929856">September 1, 2014</a></blockquote>
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If you can't read the note left to teammates in the first picture, it says: "Athletes: Don't take the sport you play for granted. Every time you play, you better be damn thankful that you get to do something you love. Don't show up to practice complaining about not wanting to be there; youre there hopefully because you love it. Work hard every moment. If you're not working hard, you don't deserve to play. Play every practice or game like it's your last because it very well could be. When you finally reach the day that you can't play, and you can only watch, then you will know how much you love something that you once took for granted."
Wise words from the Colts' star outside linebacker, who for the first time since entering the league isn't with his Colts team preparing for week one.