Former LSU star makes good of uncertain NFL beginning following unforseen career decision to cement legendary status
Each and every Saturday and Sunday, as well as just about every day of the week at this point, fans from all over the country flip on the TV to root for their favorite college football and NFL teams. While we marvel over the insane athletes, and giant human beings on the field, we also […]
Each and every Saturday and Sunday, as well as just about every day of the week at this point, fans from all over the country flip on the TV to root for their favorite college football and NFL teams. While we marvel over the insane athletes, and giant human beings on the field, we also tend to gravitate toward the tremendous stories of these players.
There may not be a player who is a cooler story in recent memory than former LSU legend Tyrann Mathieu. After an outstanding two-year career in Baton Rouge, the fondly nicknamed “Honey Badger” was forced to miss the 2012 season after being dismissed from LSU due to violating team rules.
That put an abrupt ending to a phenom college career.
That missed season, and some questions off the field, cause Mathieu to fall to the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Fast forward 12 years, and the Honey Badger has a chance to celebrate an outstanding NFL career. He announced on Tuesday, in somewhat of a surprise fashion, that he was calling it a career.
The impact that Mathieu made in the NFL, especially with so much doubt early on, is hard to quantify. A smaller defensive back at 5-9 and 180 pounds, he was able to reinvent the nickel position and blur the lines between safety and nickel, and instead make versatility something every team yearned for.
During his 12 years in the NFL, Mathieu spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Kansas City Chiefs, New Orleans Saints, and Houston Texans. In 180 games played, Mathieu managed to collect 838 total tackles, 36 interceptions, 100 pass breakups, and 11 sacks.
The Honey Badger was named to three Pro Bowls, and the All-Pro team three times as well. He also is a Super Bowl champion, and was named to the HOF All-2010s Team.
Even while he was clearly slowing down athletically, Mathieu was still an important player for the Saints. He will not be an easy player to replace, although they hope rookie Jonas Sanker can soften that blow. His impact as a leader will be, perhaps, the thing missed most.
For LSU fans, and NFL fans alike, this is a sad day. It isn’t often that a nickname becomes synonymous with a generation and an era, but that’s exactly what the Honey Badger became. Watching him fly all over the field and make big plays was a joy. Mathieu will be missed.
LSU finds two more massive transfer portal wins on the same day they receive great news from their own player
Winning a national title on the diamond creates an intriguing dynamic for the transfer portal. The LSU Tigers are navigating that aspect of the offseason currently. Being on top of the mountain can help them garner interest from portal targets, but they also missed a major window where commitments happened while they were busy winning […]
