Saints' Tyrann Mathieu comes full circle: The story of his long, nerve-wracking path to Arizona in 2013

METAIRIE, La. -- Tyrann Mathieu felt similar an idiot.

Two weeks earlier the 2013 NFL draft, Mathieu was touring the Arizona Cardinals installation successful a three-piece suit connected the proposal of erstwhile LSU teammate Patrick Peterson. Mathieu was 20, connected the heels of missing the 2012 play aft his dismissal from LSU and being arrested connected charges of possession of marijuana.

The information was anxious to beryllium himself aft everything that happened the erstwhile fall. So helium enactment connected the uncomfortable suit, necktie and all, hoping to marque a bully impression.

"But past I went upstairs, they [were] like, 'Dude, wherefore bash you person connected a suit?' Mathieu said. "I thought I looked good! Like I was trying to contiguous myself, you cognize what I mean? The close way."

Mathieu, present 30, recalled this communicative astir 10 years aboriginal portion lasting successful beforehand of his locker astatine the New Orleans Saints facility. He returns to Arizona to play the Cardinals, the squad that drafted him successful 2013, connected Thursday (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video). It volition beryllium his archetypal crippled backmost successful Arizona since the Cardinals released him connected March 14, 2018.

After leaving the Cardinals, helium played with the Houston Texans for a twelvemonth earlier moving connected to the Kansas City Chiefs, wherever helium made 2 Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro twice, won Super Bowl LIV and was named to the NFL's All-Decade squad successful 2020.

Mathieu faced agelong likelihood successful getting present aft helium declared for the NFL draft. He spent the adjacent twelvemonth connected a redemption circuit of sorts, visiting astatine slightest fractional the NFL teams successful a jam-packed docket seldom seen for NFL prospects these days.

"I decidedly had a batch of lonely days," Mathieu said. "Just being distant from family, friends."

He remembered riding successful a car successful San Francisco with a 49ers scout, who pointed retired an flat that outgo $5,000 per month.

"I'm like, I don't adjacent deliberation I got $5,000," helium said.

The three-time All-Pro returned to his hometown and signed with the Saints past outpouring successful escaped agency, a afloat ellipse infinitesimal for the subordinate who admitted his location authorities wasn't the champion spot for him to beryllium aboriginal successful his career. The determination was important capable that Peterson texted Mathieu aft the signing, elemental opus lyrics by Drake to observe his instrumentality to the metropolis helium near behind.

Just clasp on, I'm coming home.

"That was large for him, man. I cognize however overmuch Louisiana [and] New Orleans means to him," Peterson said. Mathieu tin basal astatine his locker present and accidental helium "made it."

But nary of it would person been imaginable without the squad that took a accidental connected him successful 2013.

THE 5-FOOT-9 MATHIEU was ne'er going to impressment scouts physically.

Tommy Moffitt, LSU's spot and conditioning manager from 2000 to 2021, recalled the time scouts archetypal saw 6-foot-6 backmost JaMarcus Russell, who went connected to beryllium the archetypal prime successful the 2007 draft. Scouts practically tripped implicit themselves trying to fig retired who Russell was arsenic helium walked by the model of the value room.

There was nary specified infinitesimal with Mathieu.

"They each thought helium was gonna beryllium excessively small," Moffitt recalled.

"He was conscionable a small guy," Peterson said, laughing. "That was conscionable the lone sound connected him, due to the fact that helium played hard. ... He was conscionable a 5-foot-9 country and weighed 160 pounds probably."

But Mathieu had different qualities that couldn't beryllium taught. Former LSU information Ryan Clark, present an expert for ESPN, recalled the infinitesimal helium realized Mathieu was special.

Clark, past with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was moving retired astatine LSU the summertime earlier Mathieu's sophomore year. He remembered seeing the antiaircraft backs spell done 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 drills with nary coaches. Mathieu was moving the show.

"You could archer amongst each these precise talented young players that 1 of them was different. One of them was the leader, 1 of them, everyone looked to for instruction. And it was Tyrann," Clark said. "And it was the strength successful which helium played successful 1-on-1. It was 7-on-7 mattering to him. I would beryllium lying if I knew the 'Honey Badger' would beryllium calved that year, but the mode it happened, I wasn't shocked astatine all."

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT is simply a tiny portion of Mathieu's story.

Mathieu enactment up astir mythical numbers his sophomore season: 9 walk deflections, 3 fumble recoveries with 2 for touchdowns, six forced fumbles, 2 footwear instrumentality touchdowns, 1.5 sacks and 2 interceptions.

Mathieu's occurrence and a viral video transformed him into the "Honey Badger" astir overnight. The nickname, which came from a YouTube clip describing the animal, was primitively suggested by a instrumentality connected a connection committee successful August of 2011. It was fixed to him due to the fact that of the ferocious quality of his play and his tenacity successful trying to portion the shot away.

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Relive Tyrann Mathieu's ferocious benignant of play astatine LSU that earned him his Honey Badger nickname.

Honey badgers fearfulness nothing. Small successful stature, they person been known to prime fights with predators importantly larger than them. That was Mathieu.

"Fearless, fearless. You know, sometimes large athletes are inactive paralyzed by fear, by the fearfulness of failure," Moffitt said. "Whereas he, Tyrann, was fearless. Fierce competitor. And not acrophobic ... to instrumentality chances connected the field."

LSU antiaircraft coordinator John Chavis played the Honey Badger YouTube clip for the squad connected the thrust location aft LSU bushed West Virginia connected Sept. 24, 2011, and the sanction stuck. While determination person been attempts to region himself from his Honey Badger persona implicit the years, Mathieu yet embraced it.

"He's the 2nd champion subordinate to ever play astatine LSU and he's lone 2nd due to the fact that the different feline [Joe Burrow] played quarterback," Clark said, referring to 1 of LSU's 2 Heisman winners.

Peterson, who had been taken by the Cardinals with the 5th prime of the 2011 draft, checked successful connected Mathieu from afar. Peterson wished helium could person been determination to assistance usher Mathieu arsenic helium grew into a superstar.

Peterson remembered the young subordinate who perpetually talked astir doing immoderate it takes to "make it," erstwhile helium was a freshman successful 2010. But Peterson saw him waning from his commitments the pursuing year. Mathieu and 2 different players were suspended for the Auburn crippled successful 2011 aft failing a cause test.

"At that property ... coming from wherever helium came from, helium conscionable didn't grip the success," Peterson said. "And he'll hold with it, helium conscionable didn't grip the occurrence the mode helium was expected to. You know? And I privation I was determination to beryllium capable to usher him successful a amended direction, marque definite that helium understood the presumption that helium was successful and didn't wanna jeopardize that."

Mathieu was called into a gathering by LSU manager Les Miles astatine 5:30 a.m. connected Aug.10, 2012, and dismissed for failing aggregate cause tests. He entered a cause rehabilitation programme earlier re-enrolling astatine LSU for the autumn semester.

But arsenic acold arsenic rejoining the squad for his inferior season, the apprehension ended the accidental for Mathieu and the 3 different players who were charged with elemental marijuana possession. He said helium had "plans connected sticking around" for his elder season.

"The program was astatine immoderate constituent ... for maine to rejoin the team," Mathieu told ESPN. "And past erstwhile the apprehension happened, I deliberation that took it each disconnected the table."

By November, Mathieu made the determination to springiness up his remaining eligibility to state for the NFL draft.

"Everything worked retired cleanable the mode it did. I conscionable deliberation astatine the extremity of the day, determination was conscionable truthful overmuch going on, connected the LSU campus. ... Like the Honey Badger, helium grew past each of that," Peterson said. "Now it was clip for him to instrumentality the adjacent step."

MATHIEU SIGNED WITH cause Pat Lawlor, who besides represented Peterson astatine the time. Lawlor moved Mathieu down to South Florida to bid with Peterson's father, Patrick Peterson Sr., astatine Lynn University.

"I thought it would beryllium a cleanable accidental for him to conscionable spell down and get a caput commencement connected the crippled and drills and assistance little his 40 time, which was a immense constituent of accent for him," Peterson Jr. said.

With the draught six months away, Lawlor acceptable retired to rehabilitate Mathieu's reputation.

In January, helium arranged unrestricted interviews with ESPN and NFL Network wherever each topics were just game.

"Just to get retired determination that helium had thing to hide, that was No. 1," Lawlor said. "That was the biggest thing."

Lawlor took Mathieu to the Senior Bowl successful Mobile, Alabama, aboriginal that outpouring with the stated ngo of supporting those playing successful the game. The underlying extremity was for Mathieu to get successful beforehand of arsenic galore coaches arsenic possible.

Coaches met Mathieu -- who was determination arsenic a spectator, not a subordinate -- and started having conversations with him.

That was followed by an awesome show astatine the harvester and past Mathieu's pro day. Lawlor sent a missive to each squad aft the combine, explaining Mathieu's situation.

He urged them to docket a pre-draft gathering earlier Mathieu's docket filled up.

Mathieu ended up gathering with astir fractional of the 32 teams during a three-week play earlier the draft, including the Cardinals.

The Cardinals liked Mathieu, but truthful did the Patriots, Bills, Colts, Seahawks and Texans.

WHEN MATHIEU SAT down with the Cardinals, it felt similar a relief. Peterson had urged Mathieu to beryllium wholly honest, but repeating everything that happened implicit and implicit sometimes near him feeling dazed.

"I'd astir apt accidental the lone happening that saved maine was that I've ever been humble," helium said. "So you effort not to instrumentality thing personally. But yeah, I deliberation you bash permission immoderate of those rooms saying similar 'What conscionable happened?'"

He remembered sitting down with the 1 squad for a pre-draft interrogation arsenic they quizzed him astir his tattoos, feeling similar helium was being picked apart.

"I was conscionable like, 'Man, tin we conscionable like, get backmost to football?'" helium said.

Arizona wasn't similar that. The Cardinals felt bully astir their locker room, with leaders similar receiver Larry Fitzgerald and antiaircraft extremity Calais Campbell, some of whom would triumph the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

Mathieu met with manager Bruce Arians, proprietor Michael Bidwill, wide manager Steve Keim, antiaircraft coordinator Todd Bowles, cornerbacks manager Kevin Ross and antiaircraft backs manager Nick Rapone.

Rapone and Mathieu spent 30 minutes unneurotic successful a country with the doorway closed, conscionable the 2 of them.

"When helium walked successful that door, I said 'Geez.' ... He was superior arsenic a bosom attack. He had that look successful his eye, conscionable an outstanding interview," Rapone said. "I said 'Todd, this kid whitethorn person conscionable been prepped, but I don't deliberation so. I deliberation this kid's authentic." He added: "I enactment him connected the board, helium answered everything. He looked maine successful the eye, and each this kid wants is an opportunity."

Mathieu's yearning for an accidental wasn't articulator service, and Arians knew it. His endowment was obvious: The instincts, the shot skills. He had "it."

"It was just, 'Was helium gonna beryllium capable to straighten himself out?'" Arians remembered asking. "When I met with him personally, the 1 happening I loved astir him, helium didn't blasted anybody but himself. He took each the blame. Then I knew helium had a chance. He had a program however to hole it. I conscionable fell successful emotion with the kid.

"I thought that helium needed that accidental and that helium was gonna marque definite that helium did close with it."

WHEN DRAFT WEEK arrived, Mathieu knew helium wasn't going to beryllium a first-round pick. He went to New York anyhow for an ESPN The Magazine enactment the nighttime earlier the draft.

Mathieu flew backmost to New Orleans to ticker the 2nd and 3rd rounds of the draught with friends and household astatine a sports barroom successful Louisiana.

Lawlor remembered the Cardinals and Patriots some calling him astir Mathieu arsenic the 2nd circular began, but some teams passed successful that round.

"We were precise upset," Lawlor said.

Mathieu's precocious schoolhouse coach, Del Lee, could spot Mathieu getting frustrated and pulled him to the side. He explained to Mathieu that helium conscionable needed 1 squad to judge successful him.

That squad turned retired to beryllium the Cardinals.

Lawlor got a telephone from Keim close earlier the 3rd circular began. Keim, Bidwill and Mike Disner, the erstwhile Cardinals manager of shot medication and proprietor Michael Bidwill wanted to cognize if Mathieu would perpetrate to cause investigating and restructure his declaration to see a delayed signing bonus that was tied to the tests.

"It was portion of his admittance and however helium was gonna get fixed," Arians said.

Mathieu and Lawlor agreed, and the Cardinals said they would draught him if helium was inactive determination erstwhile they picked.

Lawlor precocious said they would've agreed to the stipulations successful the 2nd circular if they had been asked, and the descent to the 3rd circular astir apt outgo Mathieu astir $1.75 cardinal disconnected his signing bonus.

To Arians, the valuation process of Mathieu was easy. The determination to draught him was the pugnacious part.

"It was just, would we instrumentality the risk?" Arians said.

When the 69th wide prime came up, the Cardinals took Mathieu, who cried erstwhile helium got the call.

"I thought it was the cleanable spot for him and for us," Arians said. "It was a little risk, precocious reward benignant of pick. And that's a third-, fourth- circular benignant guy."

IN 10 SEASONS, Mathieu has ne'er had a drug-related contented successful the NFL. His occurrence paved the mode for players akin successful stature and benignant of play to travel aft him, similar the 5-foot-10 Budda Baker, who was drafted successful the 2nd circular by the Cardinals successful 2017. He was teammates with Mathieu for a play earlier replacing him the pursuing twelvemonth aft Mathieu was released.

"When I archetypal threw connected the portion and watched [Baker], gave maine immoderate of the aforesaid consciousness that I had erstwhile I watched Ty," Keim told azcardinals.com aft Baker was drafted.

Mathieu's narration with LSU, wherever helium was precocious a impermanent speaker, has agelong been repaired. He donated $1 cardinal to the diversion programme successful 2017, and the players' lounge is named aft him.

And it was each acknowledgment to a 2nd accidental -- thing Arians has ever preached, but lone to those who ain up to their mistakes.

Mathieu ne'er did that. He did the opposite. He took work for himself, leaving Arians arrogant astir a decennary later.

"He proved maine right," Arians said. "He's my favourite draught prime ever."

Mathieu is respective teams removed from Arizona now. He's not adjacent definite his instrumentality volition beryllium much than conscionable different crippled for him emotionally. But his appreciation for that clip successful his beingness lingers.

"It meant everything, to beryllium honest. And not conscionable similar Pat and them," Mathieu said. "I went to immoderate bully coaches, similar immoderate existent dudes. ... I deliberation each those coaches, they were relatable, I deliberation they were real. ... I conscionable consciousness similar that situation, it was what I needed. It was a blessing. I was astir bully people."