I'd rather have 10 Corey Grahams and Bobby Engrams, than what they are putting together. Pacman is available...
We passed on Pacman for a reason ... Cedric Benson. Meanwhile Honey Bear ...
And the Honey Badger in the draft...
Here we go again ...
MOBILE, ALA. —
Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu had one of the coolest nicknames in sports while at LSU — the “Honey Badger,” which is classified as an animal that “has few natural predators because of its thick skin and ferocious defensive abilities.”
But the “Honey Badger” couldn’t stay out of trouble at LSU. He failed too many drug tests and got kicked off the team in August despite his electric talent. Two months later, he and three former teammates were arrested on charges of marijuana possession.
Now, hoping to convince NFL teams that he has learned from his mistakes and that he’s worth the risk, the man with the golden-blonde Mohawk at the Senior Bowl wants it known:
“I’m not the Honey Badger right now,” said Mathieu, who isn’t playing in the all-star game but is on hand to speak with NFL officials and the media. “My career at LSU, being the Honey Badger, it just kind of came to an abrupt end. I’ll be the Honey Badger again, and I want to do it the right way this time.”
Mathieu, who turns 21 in May, isn’t hiding from his past this week in Mobile as he looks for a fresh start. He attended practices Monday and Tuesday, admitting to past mistakes with anyone who wanted to listen.
“It was tough, but I think it’s something I had to go through and something that made me stronger,” Mathieu said of his recent troubles. “I think it’s something that, looking forward, is going to further my success, because from this point on I can probably make wiser decisions.”
And NFL teams are listening to Mathieu, too. A source close to Mathieu said he has talked formally and informally with about 20 teams this week at the Senior Bowl, including the Dolphins — who sent their entire scouting department to interview him Monday night.
Despite his past troubles, the Dolphins certainly could use a player with Mathieu’s dynamic abilities. They need depth at cornerback — especially if free agent Sean Smith signs elsewhere — and could use a playmaker on defense and special teams. As a true sophomore in 2011, the diminutive Mathieu (5-feet-9, 180 pounds) was a consensus All-American, scoring two touchdowns on defense and two more on punt returns.
And his biggest character risk appears to be an affinity for recreational drugs — not necessarily a major red flag — for which he said he is receiving counseling.
“He’s not a bad kid,” former NFL scout Russ Lande said. “He’s got some issues, but he’s not a thug who’s going to beat anybody up. He just has some issues with some drugs, and, hey, a lot of NFL guys have that problem.”
Mathieu was likely to be a second- or third-round pick in April’s draft — his small stature is a negative, and he’s projected only as a slot cornerback — but now he’s likely to drop to the bottom rounds of the draft, although many experts believe some team will take a shot.
“I’d be stunned if he isn’t drafted,” said CBS Sports draft expert Rob Rang. “The teams are really going to have to dig in with his background and make sure they’re comfortable with that one.
“But the NFL loves playmakers, and there isn’t a bigger playmaker in this year’s draft than Tyrann Mathieu.”
Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland said he will investigate Mathieu with an open mind.
“You’re going to gather the information. You’re going to talk to the young man, and you’re going to find out there’s two different sides of the story,” Ireland said Tuesday. “So we’re going to sit down with every individual that we feel like has a great football talent, and we’re going to try to find out what that kid’s made of.”
Mathieu has hooked up with former LSU teammate Patrick Peterson and is living with Peterson’s family in Pompano Beach while training for the draft. He also gets drug counseling twice a day and receives daily mentorship from New York Jets star cornerback Darrelle Revis.
“This is my last shot,” Mathieu said. “The last few months have been really about me just getting a grip on myself — mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I’m just ready to live a football life again.”
Mathieu also knows that he can’t just talk about turning his life around — he has to do it.
“Trust takes time, especially when you’ve done a lot of things for people not to be able to trust you,” he said. “It may take two years, it may take five years, it may take until my career is over for people to start trusting Tyrann again. But the truth is I’m doing the right things, and I’m just looking forward to being a football player.”