42-year-old former NFL guard turned entrepreneur Evan Mathis was at the Blind Barber in the Gulch just before 1 a.m. Saturday, when staff called police to report he became disorderly, refused to leave the location, and pushed employees several times while making threats to “knock people out.” The 6’4”, 240 pounds, long-haired, and bearded former NFL player was immediately identified by police as they arrived, stating he was a “male, large in stature, compared to other individuals in the area.” The staff of the Blind Barner declined to press assault charges and only wanted Mathis to go home. He refused and would not tell officers where he lived or if anyone could retrieve him. He would only say, “I have many homes.” Mathis then reportedly closed the distance between himself and the officers and began to ball his fists. He then moved closer and poked officers in the chest while yelling. With no remaining options, Mathis was taken into custody and transported to booking. During the ride to jail, Mathis “expressed a roller coaster of extreme emotions from cursing at officers in anger, to crying, to laughing,” according to a report from police.
Reached for comment Sunday, Mathis told Scoop: Nashville “he got too drunk” and apologized to all involved for taking up time and resources. He noted how cordial both the responding officers and the staff of Blind Barber were, acknowledging he was given every opportunity to avoid jail.