Countdown to kickoff: LSU had many great No. 7s, but only one Honey Badger, Tyrann Mathieu

LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (7) basks in the confetti-filled atmosphere of an SEC Championship and his MVP trophy, as LSU coach Les Miles, LSU long snapper Joey Crappell (50) and other players hoist the championship trophy behind him after beating Georgia 42-10 on Dec. 3, 2011 in Atlanta.
There have never been more great players to were one particular number at LSU than No. 7. No fewer than seven All-Americans have won the number since 1972, among them Tiger legends like Bert Jones, Leonard Fournette and Patrick Peterson.
But there has never been a more disruptive defensive player at LSU than Tyrann Mathieu.
His explosive and implosive college career lasted only two seasons. But in that brief span he was a force of nature as a defender and special teams player, earning high praise from no less an authority than LSU’s first Heisman Trophy winner.
"Tyrann Mathieu comes as close to anybody I have seen or played with — in college or professional ball — to being 100% prepared mentally and physically to deliver on any given play,” Billy Cannon said.
Not only was Mathieu a great player, he had the greatest nickname ever:
The Honey Badger.
It was LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis who gave Mathieu his exotic nickname. Mathieu wasn’t convinced, but a video Chavis found helped.
The honey badger, the video’s narrator said, “takes what it wants.” The phrase was suitable for T-shirts, and was a great way to describe the way Mathieu played.
“He’s going to the blogs, all the gossip sites, and he says, ‘Hey, man, this is your new nickname!’ ” Mathieu said. “I’m like, ‘What?’ He showed me the video and goes, ‘Trust me, go with it, you’ll make a lot of money one day.’ ”
Born in 1992 in New Orleans, Mathieu prepped at St. Augustine before heading to LSU in 2010. Though he started just one game as a freshman, Mathieu made an immediate impact as the Tigers’ nickel back, forcing five fumbles, recovering three, grabbing two interceptions with five sacks and leading the team with seven pass deflections. He earned freshman All-American honors and was defensive MVP of LSU’s 41-24 Cotton Bowl win over Texas A&M with seven tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, an interception and a sack.
In 2011, Mathieu expanded on his repertoire, becoming one of the nation’s best punt returners. He returned two for scores, including one in the SEC Championship Game as he earned MVP honors, the first defensive player to do that since 1994. He led the Tigers with 76 tackles including 7½ for losses, broke his own school record with six forced fumbles and recovered five with two interceptions. Mathieu’s play was as big a factor as any in LSU’s drive to that season’s SEC championship and a trip to the BCS National Championship Game.
Mathieu was a consensus first-team All-American and earned the Chuck Bednarik Award, given annually to the nation’s best defensive player. To 1991 Heisman winner Desmond Howard, he was the year’s best player overall, “the most dynamic non-offensive player we've seen since Michigan's Charles Woodson."
Mathieu was invited to New York as a Heisman finalist. Though he finished fifth (Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III won), the trip was a showcase for his playmaking skills.
"Tyrann Mathieu is instant impact,” ESPN’s Chris Fowler said at the Heisman presentation. “Possession-changing, game-breaking. Instinct so pure, it's a marvel to teammates and a mystery of Mathieu himself, a born baller, demanding focus, diminutive and dominant. Just like the fearless, furious honey badger himself."
Still, the season showed there were cracks in the Mathieu facade as he was suspended for the Auburn game. Less than a month before the 2012 season he was dismissed from the team for what sources said were repeated violations of LSU’s substance abuse policy.
A few months later, the Honey Badger turned professional. Mathieu was drafted in the third round in 2013 by the Arizona Cardinals. He played there through 2017 before spending the 2018 season with the Houston Texans and finally joining the Kansas City Chiefs before their run to the Super Bowl title in 2019. After three seasons with the Chiefs, he joined the Saints in 2022 as an unrestricted free agent.