Saints safety Tyrann ‘Honey Badger’ Mathieu retires after 12 NFL seasons

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – New Orleans safety Tyrann Mathieu, a three-time All-Pro who was known as the “Honey Badger” for the relentless play in college that made him a Heisman Trophy finalist, said on the day the Saints opened training camp Tuesday that he is retiring from the NFL after 12 seasons.

“As I hang up my cleats, I’m filled with gratitude as I close this chapter of my life and officially retire from the game that’s shaped me in every way,” Mathieu wrote in an Instagram post that was shared by the team. “This isn’t goodbye – it’s just the next chapter.”

Mathieu, 33, was raised by his grandparents in New Orleans, then became a star football player and track athlete for St. Augustine High School. He played at LSU, where his toughness – along with a blond patch in his hair – earned comparisons to the honey badger, a carnivorous mammal known to fight off much larger predators like lions and hyena.

Mathieu was the Most Outstanding Defensive Player in the Cotton Bowl as a freshman and the MVP of the SEC championship game as a sophomore, when he finished fifth in the Heisman voting and claimed the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defensive player in college football.

Mathieu was kicked off the LSU team before the 2012 season for failing repeated drug tests and entered a drug rehab program a week later. After sitting out a season, the Arizona Cardinals picked him in the third round of the 2013 draft.

In five years with the Cardinals, one with the Texans, three with the Chiefs and three with the Saints, Mathieu intercepted 36 passes, running four back for touchdowns, and forced seven fumbles. He was a member of Kansas City’s 2019 championship team.

“From my first snap in college to my final play in the NFL, this journey has been nothing short of a blessing,” he wrote. “Football gave me purpose, discipline, and memories that will stay with me forever. But more than anything, it gave me a community.

“To every coach who believed in me, every teammate who battled beside me, and every fan who showed up, cheered, and rode with me through the highs and lows, thank you. You gave me strength when I needed it most, and your love carried me farther than I ever imagined.

“I hope I made you proud out there.”