It seems like everyone has seen the viral “youtube.com” videos of the “Honey Badger.” Long before these videos went viral, there was a great defensive back for the LSU Tigers. His name is Tyrann Mathieu.
At the top of his game Mathieu was ranked as one of the top players in the nation last year. Then the bottom began to fall out. The reason drugs. Current status – kicked off the team and entering rehab! As reported in espn.go.com.
The 20-year-old cornerback entered a drug rehabilitation program in Houston since being dismissed last week from the team. Known as the "Honey Badger", he has been at the Right Step recovery center and is being counseled by former NBA player John Lucas. Lucas battled substance abuse during his pro career and now mentors others who have dependency issues.
Mathieu has dropped out of school for the year and will not play football this season.
Mathieu was kicked off LSU's team in August for a violation of the school's substance-abuse policy. The violation came just months after he won the Bednarik Award as the nation's best defensive player as a sophomore while becoming the first defensive back to be a Heisman finalist since 1997.
In a sign that colleges are willing to forgive a couple of drug-related incidents, more than 20 other schools have contacted LSU to ask for Mathieu’s services. I hope his time in rehab is successful because he is a true talent with rare gifts.