Why Is Tyrann Mathieu Called The Honey Badger?

Tyrann Mathieu is an American football player who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1992. Although life was hard for him in his initial years, it took a lot of courage and dedication for the diminutive yet quick and athletic defensive back to get to this point in life. He was born to a very young mother who was hardly ever around and to a biological father that was in prison. With no parents around, his grandparents took care of him until 1997 when his grandfather passed away.

Mathieu was then introduced to the world of sports as his uncle and aunt took the five-year-old child and raised him along with their own kids. Little did anyone know at that time how athletically gifted Tyrann actually was. Never one of the tallest kids on the ground, Mathieu who is 5 feet 9 inches and 190 lb. became one of the mainstays on the defense for his high school football team. He was also a member of the track and field team at St. Augustine High School featuring in the relay team, high jump and long jump events.

How did Tyrann Mathieu earn ‘The Honey Badger’ nickname

Rated as a four star recruit out of high school, Mathieu readily accepted an athletic scholarship from Louisana State University (LSU). For two years from 2011 to 2012, he played defense on for the LSU Tigers football team.

In spite of starting in just one game, Mathieu featured in all games in his rookie season and had several key contributions throughout his freshman year. His most notable performance came in the 2011 Cotton Bowl Classic against Texas A&M. With contributions in multiple facets of the game that included seven tackles and one of them for a loss, two forced fumbles, in addition to one fumble recovery, and an interception, sack, and pass deflection each, he rightfully earned the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the game award.

Tyrann’s charge towards a better player continued in his sophomore year as he recorded more tackles and fumbles from the previous year. He was also part of the special teams unit excelling playing as a return specialist. He became the MVP of the 2011 SEC Championship game and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2012.

Mathieu’s overall game which is based on hard-hitting and taking on opponents who are much larger than him, coupled with his ability to play tough football with a knack for making big plays every now and then led him to be called ‘The Honey Badger’. In reality, honey badgers are exactly that as they are known for their toughness, strength, and ferocity. When faced with no escape situations, these small but fierce animals are known to attack any other species fearlessly, even those much larger than themselves such as lions and hyenas. Furthermore, another seemingly funny yet similar coincidence between Tyrann Mathieu and honey badgers was that back in his LSU days, the fearless safety sported a patch of blond hair similar to that of the animal he was named after.

Tyrann Mathieu in the NFL

Tyrann Mathieu has had a decent and successful stint in the league till now. Individually, he has been putting in some strong performances ever since his rookie year for the Arizona Cardinals. After spending five quality seasons with the team, the Cardinals were forced to let him go after he wasn’t ready to take a pay cut in 2018.

Needing to find a team for himself, Mathieu then signed with the Houston Texans for one year where he again did a quality job on the field. But that journey was a very small and limited one as he then set his sights on the ultimate prize and signed with the upcoming Kansas City Chiefs on a three year deal.

In Kansas City, Mathieu found a new home with loving fans and great teammates. He even got the chance to show his leadership skills as he commanded the defense from the back of the field and made a huge impact on the team. In his first year with the team, the Chiefs claimed their first Super Bowl in fifty years giving Mathieu his first taste of a successful campaign.

Unfortunately, though the Chiefs weren’t able to retain his services post the three year deal and so Mathieu signed a new three year contract with the New Orleans Saints, his hometown team. For the upcoming 2023 season, the Honey Badger will look to lead the Saints' defense as the team will try and get back to winning ways under new quarterback Derek Carr.