LSU Great Tyrann Mathieu Praises New Tigers Coach Brian Kelly

Since defensive back Tyrann Mathieu returned to New Orleans after signing a three-year, $33 million deal with the Saints earlier this month, the Honey Badger has been busy reconnecting with his roots.

One of the first stops he made in his home state was visiting Baton Rouge to observe the LSU football program and talk with Tigers’ first-year head coach Brian Kelly, who Mathieu says is a really “cool dude.”

“BK [Brian Kelly] is cooler than most people give him credit for,” Mathieu recently said on The Rich Eisen Show. “He’s definitely a bright mind, he’s smart.”

Mathieu played two seasons at LSU and won the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to college football’s best defensive player, in 2011. After he was dismissed from the team due to violating team rules in 2012, he declared for the 2013 NFL draft and was selected in the third round by the Cardinals.

He went on to play for Arizona, Houston and most recently Kansas City. Now closer to home, Mathieu said he aims to be more involved with the Tigers football program as they enter a new era under Brian Kelly.

“It’s always good to get back to Baton Rouge,” Mathieu said. “I’m hoping I can talk to the team more and be around those guys … because there’s so much talent in that Tigers building.”

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