Tyrann Mathieu: The Exception

(Photo Credit: ESPN.com)

 The young man covering his face, in the center of the picture above, is Tyrann Mathieu.  When one looks at this picture, it is evident that Tyrann is surrounded by loved ones for a very special moment.  Even someone who does not follow the NFL can tell that Tyrann is overwhelmed by this moment.  The people standing behind Tyrann applaud, cry, smile, and dream all at once.  "Our boy made it," they must be thinking.  Pat Lawlor, Tyrann's former agent (as of July 23rd, Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson both fired Lawlor as their agent), can be seen behind Tyrann, as well.  This was the moment that Tyrann learned that the Arizona Cardinals drafted him with the 69th overall selection (3rd Round/7th pick) of the 2013 NFL Draft.  It is an amazing moment for any athlete; most athletes describe it as the best moment of their life.  However, for Tyrann Mathieu, this was almost certainly a moment that could have never taken place.  

(Photo Credit: highschoolsports.nola.com)

After graduating from St. Augustine High School, in New Orleans, Louisiana, Tyrann enrolled at LSU; the dream school for any football player from Louisiana.  As a true Freshman, Tyrann Mathieu played in every game for the Tigers.  He recorded impressive numbers for a player of any age. The fact that Tyrann was 18 years old, and undersized, made his statistics all the more impressive.  It was evident, from the beginning of his college career, that Tyrann Mathieu was fearless.  In 13 games, Tyrann posted 57 tackles (4.3 per game); this was more than Darrelle Revis posted in any of his seasons at Pittsburgh.  Tyrann, also, collected the award for Most Valuable Player in the Cotton Bowl in 2011.  Facing Texas A&M, and future Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, Tyrann had 2 forced fumbles (the first on a sack-fumble of Tannehill and the second on a bone-crushing hit), with the second being returned for a touchdown.  He also had a diving interception and seven tackles.  Thus, the legend of the "Honey Badger" was born.

(Photo Credit: Derick Hingle)

Tyrann's sophomore season at LSU will go down in NCAAF history as one of the best seasons, for a cornerback, in recent memory.  He had 76 tackles (5.8 per game), along with two interceptions, six forced-fumbles, and four fumble recoveries (two for touchdowns).  Another area, where Tyrann shined, was special teams.  On 27 punt returns, Tyrann racked up 421 yard (15.6 per return) and scored two touchdowns.  His electrifying hits, reckless play-style, ridiculous punt returns, and fearlessness in moments of huge magnitude, earned him notoriety around the country as the most dangerous defensive player in the NCAA.  He was a Heisman Trophy finalist, which is extremely rare for a defensive player.  Tyrann was awarded the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the Best Defensive Player in the NCAA, and was also a consensus All-American selection.  It appeared that Tyrann Mathieu was destined for greatness.  Then, the unthinkable happened.

(Photo Credit: nflmocks.com)

August 10, 2012: LSU Head Coach, Les Miles, announces that Tyrann Mathieu was dismissed from the LSU Football program.  It has never been confirmed by Miles, but reports read that Tyrann failed multiple drug tests before his dismissal.  Exactly one week after his dismissal, August 17, 2012, Tyrann Mathieu checked into the Right Step recovery center in Houston, Texas.  Those close to Tyrann expected his stay at Right Step to last for the entire LSU football season, or longer.  However, Tyrann ended his withdrawal from the university and enrolled in fall classes on September 4, 2012.  His stay lasted less than three weeks.  

October 25, 2012: Tyrann Mathieu, age 20, is arrested on charges of marijuana possession.

(Photo Credit: gamedayr.com)

Just 77 days after his dismissal from the team, Mathieu was arrested.  He fell from the limelight, and he fell hard.  He was the poster-child of college football; on October 25, 2012, he became the laughing stock.  It seemed as though everyone had lost faith in Tyrann Mathieu.  However, there is just this thing about Honey Badgers, they just don't give a s***.  Maybe that brought Tyrann Mathieu down at first; he was going to do what he wanted, regardless of the consequences.  It can be argued that this fearlessness, the same fearlessness he displayed on the football field, is also what picked him up.

November 29, 2012: Tyrann Mathieu declares for the NFL Draft.  Speculation begins.  Bleacher Report, a respected website in the sports community, posts an article calling this decision, "(Tyrann's) worst decision yet."  No one would be surprised if he was not drafted, and that was essentially the expectation at the time of his decision to declare for the draft.  He would not be playing football anywhere before the draft; so, whoever would pick Tyrann Mathieu would have to rely on, both, the NFL Combine (and other workouts) and his play for two seasons at LSU.  

Soon, it was time for the NFL Combine.  All eyes were on Tyrann, as he needed to be extremely impressive to gain the trust of the scouts, GM's, and coaches in attendance.  Tyrann, however, had a very average NFL Combine.  He ran a 40 yard dash in a time of 4.51 seconds, which is an average to slightly above average time.  This alone was certainly not enough to separate him from the pack.  He performed well in drills, however.  He got out of his cuts quickly, he caught the ball well (like usual), and he showed good instincts, as well.  During the NFL Combine, there are also a series of interviews between the players, and the teams that would be interested in drafting them.  This would be a huge part of the process for Tyrann, as all teams would like to get a chance to see if Tyrann really was a changed man.

(Photo Credit: ESPN.com)

The young man covering his face, in the center of the picture above, is Tyrann Mathieu.  When one looks at this picture, it is evident that Tyrann is surrounded by loved ones for a very special moment.  Even someone who does not follow the NFL can tell that Tyrann is overwhelmed by this moment.  The people standing behind Tyrann applaud, cry, smile, and dream all at once.  "Our boy made it," they must be thinking.  Pat Lawlor, Tyrann's former agent (as of July 23rd, Tyrann Mathieu and Patrick Peterson both fired Lawlor as their agent), can be seen behind Tyrann, as well.  This was the moment that Tyrann learned that the Arizona Cardinals drafted him with the 69th overall selection (3rd Round/7th pick) of the 2013 NFL Draft.  It is an amazing moment for any athlete; most athletes describe it as the best moment of their life.  However, for Tyrann Mathieu, this was almost certainly a moment that could have never taken place.  

This moment has a different meaning when one knows everything that Tyrann went through to get here.  People will say, "He did it to himself," or, "It's his own fault that he had these problems."  Maybe that is true.  However, we all remember, everyone gave up on Tyrann, except Tyrann and his family.  That is why he is The Exception.  Most athletes, who get involved with drugs, crime, or alcohol abuse, will never find their way out.  Tyrann Mathieu did. 

(Photo Credit: ESPN.com)

After Tyrann Mathieu got his life in order, all that was left was to play football.  This photo was taken in Week 1 of the NFL season.  Tyrann Mathieu robs the St. Louis Rams of a touchdown, by making a chase-down, miracle, strip of Tight End Jared Cook.  Vintage Tyrann.

(Photo Credit: NFL.com)

On December 8, 2013, Tyrann Mathieu's season ended, when he tore multiple ligaments in his knee during a victory over the St. Louis Rams.  A tragic finish to his season, and maybe it was karma, but if anyone can bounce back from an injury like this, it is Tyrann Mathieu.  It is ironic, though.  His rookie season began by taking away from the Rams, and ended with the Rams taking from him.  

Mathieu is using his time off to do great things in the NFL community.  Along with speaking to high school students regularly, Tyrann also spoke at this year's Rookie Symposium, which is essentially Orientation for the NFL.  Based heavily on making off-field choices, Tyrann jumped at the opportunity to help others who may have been in a similar situation to him.  

Tyrann is currently spending time with his family and, while he can not participate, attending Arizona's training camp.  He is aiming for a Week 4 return to practice, which is the team's bye week.  He hopes to be in the starting line-up for Week 5 against the Denver Broncos.

-Patrick Murtha