Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu says an October arrest for possession of marijuana is what enabled him to finally become honest with himself and turn a corner in his life.

Mathieu, who has been training for the NFL draft at a facility not far from where Monday's Discover BCS National Championship will be played, spoke with ESPN this week about his drug problem, self discovery and hitting rock bottom.

"Sitting in that jail cell, it clicked," an emotional Mathieu said. "Looking at those people, just staring at me. 'You don't belong in here.' They wanted to come through the jail cell and get me. I'm scared now. Because it's reality now. I don't ever want to feel like this again. I'm not going to feel like this again."

One year ago, Mathieu was a Heisman Trophy finalist, preparing for a national championship game. Since then everything has changed. In August he was dismissed from the LSU team for a failed drug test, and an arrest and a missed football season have followed.

“
Sitting in that jail cell, it clicked. ... I don't ever want to feel like this again. I'm not going to feel like this again.
”
-- Tyrann Mathieu
Mathieu has many regrets. And he believes his poor performance in last year's BCS Championship Game was a factor in his marijuana issue.

Because last year's title game loss to Alabama was played in New Orleans -- near where he was raised -- Mathieu said he was distracted.

"I remember worrying about me playing in my hometown and showing up and damn, I don't think I'm going to show up," he said. "I hope I show up. I hope I have a game like I did against Georgia or Auburn. And it really took me out of my preparation for the game. I didn't give up a touchdown but I gave up four or five passes. Passes when I knew they were going to run that route. I mean, I knew they were going to run that route. But I didn't prepare myself. I was worried about everything outside the game."

If he had to do it over, Mathieu said, "I would have shut my phone off. I would have stayed in my hotel room."

Not staying at home is a mistake Mathieu, 20, says he's made too often.

It was in August when the immensely popular Mathieu -- nicknamed "The Honey Badger" because of an ultra-aggressive on-field demeanor overshadowing his 5-foot-9 stature -- was dismissed from the Tigers team because of failed drug tests.

"Devastating," Mathieu said, tears flowing. "It's all I had. Football. And to think back on it, as I told you, for the BCS game, I abused myself. I took it out on myself. So many people were trying to help me. Coach Miles, he was basically like my LSU father. And our head trainer, Shelly (Mullenix), was like my mother at LSU. Those people did everything for me. All they wanted was for Tyrann to make a play. They just wanted me to show up. I prepared myself so hard in the spring and summer just to let everyone down."

Mathieu said he used marijuana as a way to deal with problems on and off the field.

"I'd tell the world I abused myself though marijuana," Mathieu said. "I abused myself through marijuana. Was I addicted to it? Maybe. Did I form a habit of it? Yes. When people didn't think I had a good game or I didn't have the greatest practice ever, I didn't go into the office and try to figure out what was going on. I just automatically abused myself."

When Miles informed him in a 5:30 a.m. meeting that "you can't be a part of our family anymore" Mathieu said he began sobbing. He asked a school official to notify his parents because he couldn't bring himself to do it.

“
I abused myself through marijuana. Was I addicted to it? Maybe. Did I form a habit of it? Yes.
”
-- Tyrann Mathieu
"There was nothing anybody could do at that point," Mathieu said, crying. "I had to accept the responsibility that I was never going to play for LSU again. The only school that believed in me. And I didn't even believe in them. I felt I was a loyalty person. Looking back, I didn't know anything about loyalty. I could talk it, but you know, walking it, was a whole different thing. And when you realize you're not loyal, that's what hurts the most. When you realize you lied to people, that's what hurts the most."

Some advised Mathieu to play lower-division football for a season before entering the draft. Mathieu considered it, but couldn't. Instead, he re-enrolled at LSU and paid his own way as a student. Mathieu said Miles told him he might be able to return to the Tigers in 2013.

"I had to regain everything that I lost at LSU," Mathieu said. "I didn't want to go to another school and they call me the Honey Badger. They didn't know how hard I worked to become the Honey Badger. They don't know Tyrann. LSU is the only fan base that truly knows Tyrann. I couldn't play for another school. I just couldn't do it. I wouldn't have given my all playing for another school. I was only going to give my all for LSU."

But then in October, Mathieu was arrested, along with several former teammates, for marijuana possession, effectively ending any chance he had to play for LSU again. And sending him to the NFL draft.

He had been through counseling. How could this happen again?

"I fell back into the same trap that got me suspended," Mathieu said. "The entire September even into October, I'd go up the football dorms, to encourage those guys, and I'd go back to my room. Didn't go out. Didn't do anything. But then you just get comfortable. People just talking good about you. 'Oh, Tyrann, he's doing good. He's not missing classes.' And then you start to confuse yourself again. Everything is not good. I'm paying for school. They're not checking my classes, even though I take classes with football players. They're not looking at Tyrann anymore. When you surround yourself with the wrong people it's going to backfire every time."

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Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

Who?

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

I can't remember the last time someone was suspended from the NFL for smoking weed.... well Rickey Williams did and I don't think he was ever suspended for it.

So this guy should do pretty well in the NFL! lol

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

Good Luck to him

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

So... college pressure made him smoke weed...

WTF does he think NFL pressure will drive him to?

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

If he is drafted, I would think Denver and Seattle would steer clear of selecting him since their respective states just "legalized it".

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

Yeah, but look what it's done for their teams. They've been outscoring opponents better than 2-1 since that legislation passed, :lol:.

http://blackandgold.com/blogs/slomot...-seahawks.html

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

Hard to know for sure but it sounds like he has started to grow up and are learning from his mistakes. Don't know if he'll make it to the NFL but I just hope he makes it in life.

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

What's funny is that his problems are not as horrible as our society makes it out to be. If I had to choose, I would rather a kid go out and smoke pot than to go out and get legally ****-faced.

If I had a choice, I would rather the highway, on New Year's Eve, be full of people high on pot than totally wasted on alcohol.

It is almost a tragedy that a person like Mathieu can have his whole world collapse around him because he chose to indulge in pot. It is a tragedy that people consider those who use alcohol "good ol' boys" and those who use pot "ne'er do wells".

It is time to America to come to it's senses. I think it is beginning to happen, and eventually the myth about pot will be exposed, but that isn't going to help the Honey Badger right now. Either make pot totally legal or make alcohol illegal.

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

If he gets it together, maybe he can still have a future. This could serve as his wake-up call, but I doubt it.

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

I couldn't agree more. This is a long read, but an excellent one. It explains the real reason why pot is illegal and also gives the many, MANY benefits of the plant. Honey Badger and MILLIONS of others have the right idea. Activist Post: The Marijuana Conspiracy: The reason hemp is illegal

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

Great read, D.

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

It's so much BS...

When was the last time a player was suspended from the NFL for smoking pot?

When was the last time you heard someone killing someone else because they were high on pot?

The human irony boggles the mind. If he's big enough, he'll do well in the NFL, but every GM will snub their nose at him so some lucky team will pick him up for a base contract.

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

I worked for a German auto supplier 10/15 years ago that promoted using hemp fiber in the manufacturing of interior automotive panels. It was really interesting. Of course, we joked that if the technology ever became a practice in the US, you'd see a rash of BMW fires with large crowds standing around, :lol:.

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

I knew a guy back in high school who use to get up on his soap box and preach the evils of marijuana and drugs. He was an all-American type guy.

One night he drank one too many screwdrivers and made a public spectacle of himself at a high school frat dance. He woke up the next morning remembering patches of the night before...and not completely remembering the whole night until as long as a couple of days later as he was reminded of all the stupid things he did.

One night, however, after football season was over, he was out with the D.A.'s son, and he was talked into trying something before you go around preaching so negatively. He was told he didn't really know what he was talking about if he didn't at least try smoking pot...so he caved.

He went out with a group of guys to the country. There were probably as many as 5 or maybe even 6 guys in that car. They passed around one joint and each person may have gotten as many as 3 hits. As they returnted to the city, the guy was chiding his friends...telling them that apparently "getting high" was all in their heads...because he didn't feel anything.

Well...to make a long story a little shorter...he was invited out the next night by one of the guys who had been there the previous night. The other guy didn't think he had gotten high, so he took him out and made sure that he got high this time. He succeeded.

The guy had a weird "first time" experience, and eventually he got the munchies and then went home and slept like a baby. He woke up the next morning and he felt like a million bucks...not hungover. He was like, "Hmmm?"

The last time I saw that guy...yesterday...he was lighting up a joint.

Re: Tyrann Mathieu: Pressure led to use
 

Mattheiu had a rough start in life with an awful homelife and wahtever for parents.
I heard though eh was rescued by having a super aunt and uncle raise him. Good luck and chance #1.
Getting to LSU was a good luck chance #2.
He messed up this time and many times. Hopefully, he has learned a lesson and will value his talent and good fortunate. I saw the post below of what teams might be a good fit for him.
I heard that he is going to try to be drafted.
If so, more money, more time, more "bad people", chances and ways to mess again and more seriously so.
Time will tell.

That depends in where he ends up.
His teammates are going to be important in keeping him straight the first few years. Wouldn't surprise me to see him at the Bungles with a late pick,they don't mind taking chances