Tyrann Mathieu puts football dreams on hold to focus on personal life
Lousiana State University star cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has been the subject of much speculation over where his football career should head next, but Mathieu is putting football on the back burner for this season while he sorts out his personal life at former NBA star John Lucas‘ Treatment and Recovery center for drug rehabilitation in Houston. Lucas battled drug addiction during his career and has been helping wayward athletes with similar problems.
According to a report from USA Today, Mathieu’s uncle, who has been serving as his father since the star cornerback’s biological father is in prison, told Fox 8 News in Mathieu’s home town of New Orleans that his nephew has been at the center since Monday.
Mathieu was dismissed from LSU for rules violations and behavioral issues, but the specifics cannot be released due to student privacy laws. If he transfers to an upper division school, he won’t be eligible to play until the 2013 season. Mathieu visited lower division McNeese State last weekend where he would be eligible to play immediately, but apparently told those close to him that he wasn’t happy with the visit and was considering staying at LSU with the hopes of working his way back onto the team in 2013.
LSU coach Les Miles spoke with Mathieu by phone Tuesday night, letting him know the team at LSU supports him in whatever he wants to do and will help him where they can.
“At this point in time, he needs to do the things that make him happy and that make sense for his future,” Miles said. “If he does that, we’ll all be happy.”
Even if he doesn’t play at an upper division school, Mathieu could enter the 2013 NFL Draft and is projected to be selected in the first three rounds by draft experts.
