The defensive back felt like a fool.
Two weeks before the NFL draft, a three-piece suit was given to him by a former LSU teammate, and that's when he visited the ArizonaCardinals facility. He missed the 2012 season after being dismissed from LSU and was arrested for possession of marijuana.
Everything that happened the previous fall made the safety want to prove himself. He tried to make a good impression by putting on the uncomfortable suit and tie.
They asked me why I had on a suit. "You're right," he said. I thought I looked great. I was trying to present myself. It's the right way.
A decade later, while standing in front of his locker at the New Orleans Saints facility, he recalled this story. He will return to Arizona to play the Cards on Thursday. Prime video. He will be back in Arizona for the first time in a year.
He played with the Houston Texans for a year before moving on to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he made two Pro Bowls, was named first-team All-Pro twice, and won Super Bowl LIV.
After declaring for the NFL draft, there were long odds that he would get here. He spent the next year on a redemption tour, visiting at least half the teams in the National Football League.
Mathieu said that he had a lot of lonely days. Being away from people.
An apartment that cost $5,000 per month was pointed out to him by a 49ers scout.
He said that he didn't think he had gotten $5,000.
A full circle moment for the player who admitted his home state wasn't the best place for him to be early in his career was when he returned to his hometown and signed with the Saints. After the signing, simple song lyrics by Drake, and the fact that he was back in the city he left behind, the move was significant.
I'm coming back.
It was a big deal for him. I am aware of how much New Orleans means to him. He can say that he made it.
It wouldn't have been possible without the team that gave him a chance.
The 5-foot-9 Matthew was not going to impress scouts in a physical way.
JaMarcus Russell, who went on to be the first pick in the 2007 draft, was remembered by Tommy Moffitt, LSU's strength and conditioning coach. Scouts had a hard time figuring out who Russell was as he walked by the window of the weight room.
There wasn't a moment with him.
He was thought to be too small by everyone.
He was a little guy. He played hard and that was the only knock on him. He was a 5-foot-9 corner with a heavy build.
There were other qualities that were not taught. Ryan Clark, who was a safety at LSU, remembers the moment he realized how special he was.
Clark worked out at LSU before his sophomore year. The defensive backs went through drills without a coach. He was in charge.
One of the very talented young players was not the same as everyone else. Everyone looked to the leader to get instructions. Clark said that it was "tyrannical" He was playing in 1-on-1. He was interested in the 7-on-7 match. I wouldn't be lying if I said I wasn't surprised that the 'Honey Badger' was born that year.
What happened next is part of the story.
He put up almost mythical numbers in his sophomore season, including nine pass deflections, three fumbled recovery with two for touchdown, six forced turnovers, two kick return touchdown, 1.5 sacks and two turnovers.
Almost overnight, he became the "Honey Badger" due to his success. The nickname was first suggested by a fan on a message board. He was given it because of the ferocious nature of his play and his determination in trying to steal the ball.
If you want to relive the ferocious style of play that earned him the nickname, you can.
badgers are not afraid They have been known to pick fights with bigger animals. There was a person named Mathieu.
"I'm fearless." Sometimes great athletes are still afraid of failure. He was unafraid. Competing fiercely. Taking chances on the field is what I want to do.
The name Honey Badger stuck after John Chavis played a video on the team's ride home. Over the years, he has tried to distance himself from his Honey Badger persona.
He's the second best player to ever play at LSU and he's only second because the other guy played quarterback," Clark said.
When he was taken by the Cards with the 5th pick in the 2011 draft, he checked in on the player. He would have liked to have been there to help guide him.
When he was a freshman, the young player talked about making it and doing whatever it took to do it. He waned from his commitments the next year. The players failed a drug test and were suspended.
He didn't handle the success well from where he came from. He did not handle the success the way he was supposed to. Are you aware? I wish I was there to make sure that he understood the situation he was in and not jeopardize it.
He failed multiple drug tests and was dismissed from the LSU football team. After entering a drug rehabilitation program, he returned to LSU for the fall semester.
As far as rejoining the team for his junior season, the arrest ended the chance for him and the three other players who were charged with simple marijuana possession. He said he would stick around for his senior year.
The plan was for me to return to the team. The arrest took it all off the table.
By November, he gave up his eligibility to enter the draft.
Everything went according to plan the way it did. There was a lot going on on the LSU campus. He grew past all of that, like the honey badger. It was time for him to move forward.
Pat Lawlor was also an agent forPeterson. Lawlor moved his son to South Florida to train with his father.
The opportunity for him to get a head start on the game and drills and help lower his 40 time was a huge point of emphasis for him, according to his father.
The draft is six months away.
All topics were fair game in January when he arranged unrestricted interviews with the two networks.
Lawlor said that getting out there that he had nothing to hide was the number one priority. That was the most important thing.
The purpose of the Senior Bowl was to support those playing in the game. To get in front of as many people as possible was the underlying goal.
The coaches met him and started talking to him.
That was followed by a great performance at the combine. After the combine, Lawlor sent a letter to all the teams.
He urged them to have a meeting before the draft.
During the three weeks before the draft, he met with about half of the 32 teams.
The Bills, Bills, Colts, Colts, and Texans all liked the same thing.
It was a relief when Matthew SAT down with the Cards. Even though he was urged to be completely honest, repeating things over and over left him feeling confused.
He said that the only thing that saved him was his humility. You try not to think negatively of yourself. I think you leave some rooms with a question like "What just happened?".
He felt like he was being picked apart by the team that questioned him about his tattoos.
He asked if they could get back to football.
That wasn't the case in Arizona. Larry Fitzgerald and Calais Campbell were two of the leaders in the locker room and both won the Walter Payton Man of the Year.
The coach, the owner, the general manager, the defensive coordinators, and the defensive backs coach were all present.
Rapone and Mathieu were alone in a room with the door closed.
"When he walked in that door, I said 'Huh'" He was in a serious condition. Rapone said that he had that look in his eye. "Todd, I don't think this kid has been prepared yet," I said. I think this child is legit. He said that he put him on the board. He looked me in the eye and said he wanted an opportunity.
The desire for an opportunity wasn't something that was lip service to the man. His talent was obvious. He had something.
I was wondering if he was going to be able to fix himself. The man remembers asking. He didn't blame anyone but himself when I met with him. He was responsible for all of it. He had a chance. He had a plan for fixing it. The kid made me fall in love with him.
He was going to make sure that he did well with it.
WHEN DRAFT WEEK arrived, Mathieu knew he wasn't going to be a first-round pick. He went to New York anyway for an ESPN The Magazine party the night before the draft.A group of friends and family watched the second and third rounds of the draft at a bar in Louisiana.
The two teams that called Lawlor about Mathieu were the Cards and the Pats.
Lawlor said they were very upset.
Del Lee pulled him to the side after seeing him get frustrated. He wanted one team to believe in him.
The team was the Cards.
Keim called Lawlor before the third round started. Keim, Bidwill and Mike Disner wanted to know if Mathieu would commit to drug testing and restructure his contract to include a delayed signing bonus.
He admitted that he was going to get fixed.
The Cards would draft him if he was still there.
Lawlor recently said they would've agreed to the stipulations in the second round if they had been asked, and the slide to the third round probably cost him about 1.7 million dollars.
The evaluation process of Mathieu was easy to understand by the man. It was a difficult decision to make.
Would we take the chance? "He said that."
When the 69thoverall pick came up, the Cards took a man who cried when he got the call.
It was the perfect location for him and us. It was a riskier type of pick. That's a kind of guy.
In the 10 seasons that he has been in the league, Mathieu has never had a drug related issue. His success paved the way for players similar in stature and style of play to come after him, like Budda Baker, who was drafted in the second round by the Cards. He replaced him after he was let go from the team.
Keim told azcardinals.com after Baker was drafted that he felt the same way he did when Ty was drafted.
He was a guest speaker at LSU and his relationship with the school has been repaired. The athletic program received a $1 million donation from him.
It was thanks to a second chance that it was all possible.
That was never done by him. He did something different. He took responsibility for his actions.
He proved to me that I was correct. He's my favorite pick.
Several teams are no longer in Arizona. He doesn't know if his return will be more than a game for him. He still appreciates that time in his life.
It meant a lot to be honest. "But not like Pat and them." I went to some good guys. I think all those coaches were believable. I felt like that was what I needed. It was a good thing. I was close to some good people.
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