The “Honey Badger” is hanging up and going back to his home environment.
After 12 NFL seasons, Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement on Tuesday. He was most recently with the New Orleans Saints. Starring for the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Mathieu originally rose to stardom not far from where his career came to an end. The “Honey Badger” moniker was given to Mathieu because of his fierce playing style, even though he was only 5’9″.
Whether he was playing punt returner, where he had two touchdowns as a sophomore, or nickelback, where he began his career as a freshman, Mathieu, with his signature dyed blonde streaks in his hair, was impossible to look away from when he was on the field for the Tigers.
In the 2011 “Game of the Century” victory over Alabama, he was the focal point of a formidable LSU defense that allowed only two field goals. The fierce defensive back was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore and was named the country’s best defensive player, earning him the Chuck Bednarik Award. In consecutive seasons, he led the SEC in forced fumbles.
LSU lost the rematch to Alabama in the national championship game that year, but with Mathieu leading the defense, there was every reason to believe the Tigers would be back in the running for another championship the following year. He helped redefine what a nickelback could be at the collegiate level because of his exceptional versatility.
Les Miles, the head coach of LSU, sadly dismissed Mathieu from the team before the 2012 season for breaking team regulations, allegedly due to repeated failed drug tests. One of college football’s most alluring and thrilling players was out of the game in an instant. Even though he would never play for the Tigers again, he would subsequently attend a drug rehab center and continue his education at LSU. Even though LSU finished 10-3 in that 2012 season, losing to Florida, Alabama, and Clemson, it’s easy to speculate about what may have happened if Mathieu had continued to patrol the field for the Tigers’ defense.
Few players today can enthrall and motivate supporters as Mathieu did during his two years at LSU. Every time the “Honey Badger” took the field, it was a must-see TV show.
Tyrann Mathieu: The “Honey Badger” Holding the Super Bowl Defense Together
Tyrann Mathieu’s off-field concerns dropped him to the third round (69th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft, yet he still emerged as one of the league’s most intriguing players. He spent his first five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, a year in Houston, and then made a significant impact on the Kansas City Chiefs from 2019 to 2021 before concluding his career in New Orleans.
Tyrann Mathieu, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound defensive back, was one of the NFL’s most muscular and imposing players. A player of his size shouldn’t have been able to do many of the things he did in and around the box, but his style of play, instincts, and sheer fearlessness made it possible.
Mathieu’s unique ability to move around the formation and perform in a number of situations enabled him to accumulate an eclectic mix of statistical accomplishments: He has three Pro Bowl appearances and three first-team All-Pro selections. He made the 2010 All-Decade Team.
He is one of only five defensive backs in history to have at least 35 interceptions and 45 tackles for loss, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Brian Dawkins, Charles Woodson, and Ronde Barber, as well as Harrison Smith, a perennial Pro Bowler. Add 25 quarterback hits, and the list is reduced to just two players: Mathieu and Smith. With 100 passes defensed, Mathieu stands alone.
Mathieu spent 12 seasons in the NFL, playing at least 29% of his snaps at three different positions, according to Pro Football Focus. He was a slot corner, a box safety, and a deep safety all at the same time, and he lined up wherever his team needed him on a given play or season.
As you can see, he spent most of his time in the slot, and six of his twelve seasons, he splayed more frequently as a slot corner than in any other alignment. However, he had three seasons in which he played more often as a box safety or hybrid linebacker than anywhere else, and another three in which he played more as a deep safety than anywhere else — including, notably, the final two seasons of his career.
The unpredictability made it nearly impossible at times to account for Tyrann Mathieu in your offense, a chore that had to be completed for the same reason.
“This organization was blessed to have Eric Berry … a great leader, tough, all those things,” he stated. “Before that, I was with Brian Dawkins. I’ve been fortunate to be around several excellent safeties. They are all unique in their way, but they are all excellent football players with strong instincts and leadership abilities. They have a unique approach to leadership. This kid here is special. He is not the biggest guy. You’re not looking at one of those massive safeties, but boy, is he a decent football player. “He simply gets it.”
Tyrann Mathieu was not one of those big safeties. He was the total opposite. His impact, however, far outweighed his stature.
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