‘Honey Badger’ Tyrann Mathieu Going Pro [Report]

Former LSU football star Tyrann Mathieu, nicknamed the “Honey Badger,” has decided to enter the 2013 NFL draft. He plans to make a formal announcement of his decision today according to ESPN sources.

Mathieu was dismissed from the LSU roster on August 10 for violating the school’s substance-abuse policy after apparently failing a drug test. He subsequently entered a rehab program. The expulsion arrived just several months after Mathieu won the Bednarik Award in his sophomore year. The Bednarik Award is specifically given to the nation’s best defensive player. Mathieu was also the first defensive back to be nominated as a Heisman finalist since 1997. The Honey Badger had 133 total tackles and four interceptions and forced 11 fumbles during his two years on the field with LSU.

The NFL draft will be held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25–27.

The star cornerback and punt returner had two years of college eligibility left. Instead of transferring, however, he continued at LSU this year as a student rather than a so-called student athlete. In late October, he was arrested in connection with marijuana possession.

At the time he was kicked off the time, head coach Les Miles (who just signed a big contract extension with LSU) said the following:

“This is a very difficult day for our team…. We lose a quality person, teammate and contributor to the program. However, with that being said, we have a standard that our players are held to and when that standard is not met, there are consequences. It’s hard because we all love Tyrann. We will do what we can as coaches, teammates, and friends to get him on a path where he can have success. We are going to miss him.”

Do you think it’s a good idea for the Honey Badger to go pro now rather than continuing to play college football at another school?