#7 Tyrann Mathieu Season 2024

2013 Third-Round NFL Draft PIck (Arizona Cardinals) – No. 69 Overall
2011 Heisman Memorial Trophy Finalist | Details
2011 Bednarik Award Recipient | Details
2011 Walter Camp National Player of the Year Finalist | Details
2011 First-Team All-American at Cornerback (AP, FWAA, Sporting News, Walter Camp, CBSsports.com, ESPN.com, FoxSportsNext.com, Rivals.com, SI.com)
2011 First-Team All-American at Return Specialist (CBSSports.com, Rivals.com, SI.com)
2011 National Defensive Player of the Year (FoxSportsNext.com, Rivals.com)
2011 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year (AP) | Details
2011 First-Team All-Southeastern Conference (AP, Coaches)
2011 SEC Championship Game Most Valuable Player | Details
2011 Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week (at West Virginia, vs. Arkansas)
2011 SEC Defensive Player of the Week (vs. Oregon, vs. Arkansas)
2011 Rivals.com National and SEC Player of the Week (vs. Arkansas)
2011 Jim Thorpe Defensive Back of the Week (vs. Oregon) | Details
2011 Rivals.com SEC Player of the Week (vs. Oregon)
2011 Cotton Bowl Defensive Most Outstanding Player | Details
2010 First Team Freshman All-America (FWAA, Rivals.com) | Details
2010 Freshman All-Southeastern Conference (Coaches)

CAREER
One of the most electric playmakers in LSU football history despite playing just two years with the Tigers … Played in 26 games with 14 starts for the Tigers as he became a fan favorite who played well beyond his size with tremendous heart and talent … Was expected to be a contender for National Player of the Year honors in 2012, however he never made it to the field as a junior … Instead, was dismissed from the team on Aug. 10 for “violation of team rules” just a week into preseason training camp … In just two years (26 games), he created a total of 14 turnovers (eight fumble recoveries, four interceptions, two forced fumbles recovered by a teammate) and scored four touchdowns (two punt returns, two returns of fumbles) … Owns the school record of 11 forced fumbles, which is four better than the previous record … The 11 career forced fumbles ranks as the seventh-highest total in NCAA history and is tied with Guss Scott of Florida for the SEC record … Of his 11 forced fumbles, he recovered six of them and eight of the forced fumbles resulted in turnovers … … His eight career fumble recoveries is tied for third in school history and just short of the school record … Recorded 133 career tackles with 93 of those being of the solo variety … Added 16 tackles for loss of 90 yards, including six sacks for a loss of 48 yards … Proved to be a dynamic punt returner as well, boasting a 15.6 per return average (27 returns for 421 yards) with two touchdowns … Has started 14 career games – 10 of those at cornerback, three at nickel back and once at free safety … As a sophomore, earned 2011 National Defensive Player of the Year honors, was a unanimous first-team All-American and recipient of the Bednarik Award … Became the first defensive back to be invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York since Charles Woodson of Michigan in 1997 … Finished fifth in the 2011 Heisman Trophy voting with 327 total points and 34 first-place votes.

JUNIOR SEASON (2011)
Dismissed from the team on Aug. 10, 2012, during camp for violation of team rules. | Details

SOPHOMORE SEASON (2011)
A unanimous first-team All-American and recipient of the Bednarik Award as the nation’s top defensive player, representing the second straight year an LSU player has won the honor … Became LSU’s first Heisman Trophy finalist invited to New York since Charles Alexander in 1977 … The 2011 SEC Defensive Player of the Year as voted upon by the Associated Press … Started 13 games and missed the Auburn contest … Led the SEC in forced fumbles with six and fumble recoveries with five … Shattered his own school record in single-season forced fumbles and finished second in LSU single-season fumble recoveries … Ranked No. 1 nationally in fumble recoveries and was fourth nationally in forced fumbles … Ranked second in the SEC and fourth nationally in punt return average at 15.6 yards per return and added two touchdowns … His 421 punt return yards on 21 attempts finished as the sixth-highest total yardage in LSU single-season history … Team leader in total tackles with 76, including 59 of the solo variety … Also notched 7.5 tackles for loss of 45 yards, 1.5 sacks, two interceptions and nine pass breakups … Named the SEC Championship Game MVP against Georgia after he returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown, finished with 119 return yards, posted four solo tackles and recovered a fumble … Became just the second player to return a punt for a TD in the game’s history and the first defensive player to win the MVP award since 1994 … Received Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week and SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors after he posted eight solo tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery against Arkansas in his first career start at safety … Also returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown against the Razorbacks, which equaled the third-longest punt return in school history … Missed the Auburn game for a violation of team rules … Picked off his second pass of the season and added six tackles and one TFL against Florida … Showed his game-changing abilities again versus Kentucky as he forced two fumbles, recovered and returned one for a 23-yard touchdown and posted an eight-yard sack … Named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week after he came up big once again at West Virginia with a forced fumble that he recovered and an interception on a pass he tipped and returned to the WVU 1-yard line … Leading tackler for LSU at Mississippi State with a career-high tying 10 stops, nine of which were solo, and one TFL … All over the field against Northwestern State with four tackles, 1.5 TFLs, one PBU, one QB hurry and he combined with Sam Montgomery to record LSU’s first sack of the season … Picked up where he left off in 2010 by recording a career-high and team-leading 10 tackles in the season-opener against Oregon and also forced a fumble on a punt that he returned for his first career touchdown … Earned SEC Defensive Player of the Week, Rivals.com SEC Player of the Week and the Thorpe Award Defensive Back of the Week honors after his phenomenal performance against Oregon in which he also added a half tackle for a loss and two pass breakups.

FRESHMAN SEASON (2010)
Made an immediate impact as a true freshman, serving as a reserve cornerback and as the nickel back … Played in all 13 games with one start at left cornerback against Louisiana-Monroe … Ranked first in the SEC and fifth nationally with five forced fumbles and tied for first in the conference in fumble recoveries with three … Led the team with seven pass breakups … Fourth on the team in tackles with 57 … Was an absolute playmaker on the season with 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, seven pass breakups, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions … Earned Cotton Bowl Defensive Most Outstanding Player award after the best game of his young career in which he recorded seven tackles, one tackle for loss, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one interception, one sack and one pass breakup … Narrowly missed his then-career high in tackles with eight at Arkansas to go along with a sack and two tackles for loss … Credited with six tackles, 0.5 TFL, one pass breakup that led to an interception and one QB hurry versus Ole Miss … Recorded four tackles and one PBU versus Alabama, and his PBU led to Kelvin Sheppard’s interception … Tremendous effort at Florida where he recorded two solo stops, forced a fumble that he recovered and broke up a pass … Made his first career interception and his first career fumble recovery against West Virginia … Was great against Mississippi State as he tallied four tackles, one six-yard sack, a forced fumble and a PBU … Outstanding in his first game as a Tiger, recording nine tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble in the opener against North Carolina … Showed great instincts and knowledge of the game during the fall and earned the No. 2 spot at right cornerback behind Patrick Peterson.

HIGH SCHOOL
One of the top defensive back prospects in the state … A member of the Rivals 250 and rated as the 13th-best cornerback in the nation by Rivals.com … Rated the No. 9 prospect in the state of Louisiana by Rivals.com … Named to the New Orleans Times-Picayune 2010 Blue-Chip List, the Baton Rouge Advocate Super Dozen and the Mobile Press Register Super Southeast 120 … Also a SuperPrep All-American … Participant in the inaugural Team USA vs. The World game … Recorded 32 tackles, five interceptions, one sack and one fumble recovery as a senior … Coached by David Johnson.

PERSONAL
Full name is Tyrann D. Mathieu … Born May 13, 1992, in New Orleans, La. … Parents are Tyrone and Sheila Mathieu … Has four siblings – Tyrone, Devon, Corey and Kerry.

CAREER HIGHS  
Total tackles: 10, twice (Last: at Mississippi State, 2011)
Tackles for loss: 2 at Arkansas, 2010
Sacks: 1, five times (Last: vs. Kentucky, 2011)
Interceptions: 1, four times (Last: vs. Florida, 2011)
Forced Fumbles: 2, three times (Last: vs. Arkansas, 2011)
Fumble Recoveries: 1, eight times (Last: vs. Georgia, 2011)

MATHIEU’S CAREER TOUCHDOWNS
3-yard fumble recovery vs. Oregon (Sept. 3, 2011)
23-yard fumble recovery vs. Kentucky (Oct. 1, 2011)
92-yard punt return vs. Arkansas (Nov. 25, 2011)
62-yard punt return vs. Georgia (Dec. 3, 2011)

Tyrann Mathieu‘s Career Forced Fumbles (11)
9/4/10 vs. #18 North Carolina – Forced fumble in 4th qtr
9/18/10 vs. Mississippi State – Forced fumble in 1st qtr, Miss. State recovered.
10/9/10 at #14 Florida – Forced fumble and recovered it in 2nd qtr, led to FG (3 pts)
1/7/11 vs. #18 Texas A&M – Forced fumble in 1st qtr, A&M recovered.
1/7/11 vs. #18 Texas A&M – Forced fumble, recovered and returned 10 yds in 4th qtr
9/3/11 vs. #3 Oregon – Forced fumble 2nd qtr, he recovered for a TD (6 pts)
9/24/11 at #16 West Virginia – Forced fumble, he recovered it
10/1/11 vs. Kentucky – Forced fumble 2nd qtr, he recovered for a 23-yard TD (6 pts)
10/1/11 vs. Kentucky – Forced fumble 4th qtr
11/25/11 vs. #3 Arkansas – Forced fumble 2nd qtr, recovered by Ron Brooks
11/25/11 vs. #3 Arkansas – Forced fumble 4th qtr, he recovered and returned 19 yards

What They’re Saying…

“The best player in college football in 2011. The most dynamic non-offensive player we’ve seen since Michigan’s Charles Woodson.”
– Desmond Howard, ESPN analyst and 1991 Heisman Trophy winner

“Tyrann Mathieu, LSU. A spark, tiny with tremendous power to create sudden combustion. Energy transforming all around him. Tyrann Mathieu is instant impact. 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.”
– Chris Fowler, ESPN at the 2011 Heisman Trophy presentation

“Tyrann Mathieu comes as close to anybody I have seen or played with – in college or professional ball — to being 100 percent prepared mentally and physically to deliver on any given play.”
– Billy Cannon, LSU’s 1959 Heisman Trophy Winner

“Very few guys have a knack for making these kind of plays so often, and they don’t come around much. Charles Woodson has it. So does Ed Reed. Troy Polamalu too. Mathieu is like a combination of the three.”
– Bruce Feldman, CBSSports.com

“Mathieu is a phenomenon – he makes more big plays per touch of the football than anyone I can remember … one of the most impactful defensive backs college football has ever seen.”
– Pat Forde, Yahoo Sports

MATHIEU’S CAREER DEFENSIVE STATISTICS

MATHIEU‘S CAREER RETURN STATISTICS