Tyrann Mathieu

Tyrann Devin Mathieu (pronounced ; born May 13, 1992), nicknamed "Honey Badger", is an American football free safety for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Louisiana State University (LSU). Following his 2011 college season during which he was recognized as a consensus All-American and a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, Mathieu was dismissed from the LSU Tigers football program. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Early years
A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, Mathieu attended St. Augustine High School and played high school football for the St. Augustine Purple Knights. He recorded 32 tackles, five interceptions, one sack and one fumble recovery as a senior, and was a participant in the inaugural Team USA vs. The World game. He was rated a four-star recruit by Rivals.com.

College career
Mathieu received an athletic scholarship to attend Louisiana State University, where he played for coach Les Miles' LSU Tigers football team from 2010 to 2011.

2010 season
As a true freshman in 2010, Mathieu played in all 13 games with one start. He finished the season with 59 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions. He was the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the 2011 Cotton Bowl Classic after he recorded seven tackles, one tackle for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception, one sack and one pass breakup.

2011 season
At the end of the 2011 regular season, Mathieu had 77 total tackles (60 solo and 17 assists), 1.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries (2 returned for a touchdown), and 2 interceptions. On special teams, Mathieu had 26 punt returns for 420 yards, with 2 returned for a touchdown. On October 19, 2011, Mathieu was suspended for one game following a violation of LSU's drug policy. Mathieu was named the most valuable player of the 2011 SEC Championship Game. Mathieu earned the nickname "The Honey Badger" for his tenacious ability to play extremely tough football against much larger opponents, as well as his knack for making big plays. This led to him being a Heisman Trophy finalist. On December 8, 2011, Mathieu was awarded the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the year's best defensive player in college football. This marked the second straight year a LSU defensive player won the nation's top defensive honor following Patrick Peterson, who also wore number 7, in 2010.

2012 season
On August 10, 2012, LSU coach Les Miles announced that Mathieu would be dismissed from the football team due to a violation of team rules. News outlets reported that the dismissal was a result of repeated drug test failures, although Miles did not confirm those reports. Mathieu had formerly expressed an interest in returning to the program for the 2013 season. On August 17, 2012, Mathieu withdrew from LSU and entered a drug rehabilitation program in Houston, Texas. Mathieu's withdrawal was expected to last for the entire 2012-2013 academic year. However, on September 4, 2012, Mathieu ended his withdrawal and enrolled for fall semester classes. On October 25, 2012, Mathieu and three other LSU former players were arrested on possession of marijuana.

On November 29, 2012, it was announced that Mathieu would enter the NFL Draft. Mathieu participated at the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine on February 26, 2013. He ran a 4.50 40 Yard Dash, had 4 reps of 225 pounds, a 34 inch vertical, and a 117 inch broad jump. Tyrann would also later participate at his pro day on March 27, 2013.

NFL Draft
On April 26, 2013, the Arizona Cardinals selected Mathieu with the 69th overall pick in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

There was a statement from Cardinals' head coach Bruce Arians that Mathieu would be playing Free Safety.

Mathieu stated that would be remove himself from any association to his nickname, saying that he wants to be recognized as "Tyrann Mathieu", rather than "Honey Badger".