He was a Heisman trophy finalist in 2011, All-American, winner of the Chuck Bednarik Award, and a potential first rounder. Before his professional career had sprung, it all almost came down rapidly. Tyrann Mathieu was kicked off LSU's football team in his junior year, due to multiple drug test failures and was later arrested for possession of marijuana. Despite all the tolls it had on Mathieu, he declared to enter the 2013 NFL Draft.
He shined in the NFL combine, but teams had concern over his off-the-field issues. Mathieu knew that he would have to change his lifestyle, in order to succeed. He showed signs of changes heading to the draft by passing his drug test. After falling out of the first two rounds, one team took a risk on Mathieu, and that team was the Arizona Cardinals. And boy has it paid off.
VAVEL’s staff has proclaimed Tyrann Mathieu as the NFL’s week three NFL Defensive Player of the Week. After a pick six on the first drive by the San Francisco 49ers, the next drive was quite similar. Three plays into the drive, the next play would result into a Tyrann Mathieu interception return touchdown. That wasn’t Mathieu’s only pick of the night. He had another one on quarterback Colin Kaepernick, which resulted into an Arizona field goal. To top it all off he tossed in five tackles, including a tackle for loss.
There’s no questioning Mathieu’s ball skills and IQ for the game, it comes quite natural for him. As for Cardinals, they got a good coaching staff under head coach Bruce Arians, who has built a tight knit group. This is the perfect environment for the “Honey Badger” to succeed, as a player and person. The Cardinals will face another division rival in the St. Louis Rams next week. Expect Mathieu and the Arizona defense to be heard in the game, after all, the Cardinals as a team are tied with the Denver Broncos for third in the NFL allowing only 16.3 points per game.