Former LSU Star Tyann Mathieu Building a Lasting Legacy On and Off the Field
For LSU and college football fans around the country, Tyrann Mathieu has always been known as the "Honeybadger." It's a nickname he embraced his sophomore season in Baton Rouge for his one of a kind ball hawk skills that made him a captivating player to watch in Baton Rouge.
Mathieu's attacking, physical play style became a staple for his rise as one of the best members of the secondary that the LSU program has ever produced. But his time at LSU ended prematurely as off the field issues caught up to him and he missed what would've likely been an equally mesmorizing junior season.
It's an identity that Mathieu recognizes as a part of his past but is looking to gravitate away from. He doesn't mind people referring to him as the "Honeybadger" but he's since changed his life around in the NFL and a new nickname has surfaced in Kansas City.
As one of the leaders of that team and top safeties in the league, the nickname "Landlord" is the latest one to surface
“The Honey Badger is highly emotional,” Mathieu said. “The Landlord? He’s collected. He knows where everybody’s supposed to be. He knows where he’s supposed to be at. But the Honey Badger? Once the ball’s snapped, he’s just like, ‘Go get the ball,’ you know?”
His stats on the field have earned him All-Pro nods in each of the last two seasons while also being named to the Pro Bowl in 2020. Mathieu recorded 62 tackles, six interceptions and nine pass deflections this past season for the Chiefs.
But it's his philanthropic work off the field that's taking his story and expanding a legacy of a true redemption story that's easy to root for. The New Orleans native has never forgotten where he comes from, donating time and money to communities across Louisiana and wherever he's played.
Most recently, it meant working with a non-profit in Louisiana called TRUCE, an organization created with the purpose of reducing violence in Baton Rouge while helping youth's discover what they want to do in life instead of choosing a life of violence.
"Obviously any time you do great things in the community, a lot of people want to be a part of that," Mathieu said. "We’re so grateful, I know I am, and especially the children over at TRUCE, for any charitable donations that can really help these kids. And I think obviously having programs like TRUCE in Louisiana to really help these kids and kind of give them a resource or an outlet to really find out what it is they want to do, or what it is they want to become in their life."
Mathieu has also hosted a "Celebrity Kickball" game each of the last three years to raise money for various charities helping disadvantaged children in the community. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former LSU coach Les Miles are just a few of the past participants in the game.
"He's one of the best leaders I've ever been around," Mahomes said of Mathieu, per Domonique Foxworth of ESPN's The Undefeated. "The first day we were at camp, it was more than just his play on the field. It was putting people in positions like he had been in that defense for years, even though it was his first day."
