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We’ve all grown to know Kansas City Chiefs star safety Tyrann Mathieu by his well-publicized mantra the Honey Badger. The nickname has in many ways preceded his own name. The nickname followed Mathieu in his meteoric rise from undersized and unheralded recruit to Heisman Trophy finalist.
From being kicked off the LSU football team, to becoming a star in the NFL, to sustaining multiple ACL injuries, he’s now playing arguably the best football of his career, in the biggest game of his career, Super Bowl 54. The Honey Badger has always been there alongside Mathieu, adding fuel to his fire and determination to achieve greatness, while keeping that chip on his shoulder.
However, where did the Honey Badger nickname originate? The story may come as a bit of a surprise.
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The Origin of Tyrann Mathieu Becoming the Honey Badger
The simple answer as to how Tyrann Mathieu earned his nickname the Honey Badger is through his on-the-field play during his time at LSU. Mathieu had a knack for forcing turnovers. His almost pesky and scrappy play, willingness to go toe-to-toe with superior physical specimens and for the most part, come away victorious, is why the nickname stuck.
Oh, and the blonde mohawk that he sported during the time, drew some visual comparisons as well. Yet, as Mathieu told reporters at the Super Bowl 54 Opening Night, he was anointed the nickname in the first place mainly due to his former college defensive coordinator getting his hands on a then-viral video (*video includes explicit language).
“We played West Virginia one night on ESPN,” Mathieu stated. “I got on the bus after the game, and our defensive coordinator, John Chavis, was on the internet — coaches always tell you not to get on the internet, but they read everything on the internet. So anyway, he’s going to blogs, all the gossip sites, and he says, ‘Hey man, this is your new nickname!’ “I’m like, ‘What?’” Mathieu said. “He showed me the video and goes, ‘Trust me, go with it, you’ll make a lot of money one day.’”
The next question Mathieu was asked by a reporter was “have you made a lot of money?” Mathieu responded, “I made my fair share.” Made his fair share he has. Mathieu signed a lucrative three-year, $42 million contract with the Chiefs this past offseason. His average yearly salary of $14 million through the completion of his contract ties him as the third-highest paid safety in all of football.
Mathieu Previously Tried to Distance Himself From the Nickname
Following his dismissal from the LSU program years ago, Mathieu was looking to distance himself from the Honey Badger mantra at one point, as he hoped to portray a cleaner and more mature image for NFL franchises looking to possibly take a chance on him.
However, once you earn a nickname, it tends to stick. Mathieu has learned that throughout his NFL career. While he still may have not fully embraced the Honey Badger, he’s learned to live with it, as you can see in the video shown below.
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Tyrann Mathieu’s Nickname: How the Honey Badger Was Born