In 2011 life was good for Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu was a sophomore at LSU and he was one of the most decorated players in college football. Mathieu was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and he was a first-team All-American. Mathieu would go on to be the Southeastern Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year as well as taking home MVP honors in the 2011 SEC Championship Game. Mathieu was enjoying life as he was dubbed the “Honey Badger”. The 2011 season would come to an abrupt halt for Mathieu and LSU as they were throttled by Alabama in the BCS Championship Game 21-0.
Mathieu was expected to be one of the top players in college football for the 2012 season until that August when LSU head coach Les Miles dismissed Mathieu from the football team due to a violation of team rules. It was later revealed that Mathieu had failed multiple drug tests and Miles had seen enough. That October, Mathieu was arrested for possession of marijuana.
A month later Mathieu declared for the 2013 National Football League Draft and a shot at redemption following his checkered past. Last February at the NFL Scouting Combine, Mathieu ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, but he only had 4 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press which hindered his potential draft status.
Last April, the NFL Draft rolled around with the possibility of Mathieu being an undrafted free agent. However in the third round the Arizona Cardinals came calling. It was a humbling experience for a guy in Mathieu that was expected to be selected in the top 10, but instead he was the 69th player taken in the NFL Draft.
The Cardinals were the perfect team for Mathieu as his mentor and former LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson would now be his teammate in the NFL. The Cardinals made Peterson the fifth overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft and he has already emerged as one of the elite cornerbacks in pro football as he is already a two-time Pro Bowl selection. When Mathieu was a freshman at LSU, Peterson was a junior and he guided the Honey Badger that season. Now out in Arizona, Mathieu is getting another dose of brotherly love from Peterson as he has taken the rookie under his wing.
When Mathieu was drafted by Arizona it gave him some stability as this would be his only chance to prove himself in the NFL. Now he is rewarding Cardinals general manager Steve Keim for taking a chance on him.
As the weeks go by Mathieu’s play continues to improve. Through 8 games this season Mathieu is second on the team in tackles with 49. Mathieu has also chipped in with a sack, a forced fumble, and 2 interceptions. His first interception of his NFL career came in Week 3 off of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
The powers that be have paid attention to Mathieu’s play on the field as he has been named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for the month of October.
We are now seeing the skills that made Mathieu such a defensive marvel at LSU being transferred to the NFL. Other NFL teams have great team structure, but the Cardinals were the perfect landing spot for Mathieu. Nobody knew what to make of Mathieu when he joined the Cardinals. Mathieu is a long way from his native Louisiana and he can now solely concentrate on football. With his adopted big brother in Peterson leading the way for Mathieu his future with the Cardinals appears to be bright.
Leave A Comment