It's been said that Honey Badger don't care, but what may be more accurate is that Honey Badger don't play - at least not for the LSU Tigers.
The team, which played in last year's national college football championship game, announced this afternoon that their top player and arguably the nation's best cornerback, Tyrann Mathieu, has been dismissed for violating team policy.
“This is a very difficult day for our team,” head coach Les Miles said. “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."
Miles added, “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.”
LSU did not say which team rule Mathieu broke. The 20-year-old All-American ran into trouble last year when he and two other players violated the team's drug policy. ESPN reported at the time that the trio tested positive for synthetic marijuana.
Mathieu and the others were suspended for their team's game against Auburn.
Despite missing the game, Mathieu was still a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, awarded to college football's best player, as a sophomore. In addition to winning the Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the top defensive player, he came in fifth in Heisman voting with 34 first-place votes and was the only defensive player among 10 finalists.
According to LSU, the Columbus, Ohio, native who attended high school in New Orleans, has registered 133 tackles - 16 for a loss - in 26 games for the Tigers. He also has four picks, 11 forced fumbles and eight fumble recoveries, as well as four touchdowns, two on punt returns and two on fumble returns.
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Mathieu got his nickname for his fearlessness on the gridiron. Honey badgers are known to scrap with animals many times their size, including lions, and even tangle (successfully) with poisonous snakes.
Said the Dallas Cowboys' Morris Claiborne, a former teammate of Mathieu's: "Tyrann deserved the nickname ... because the honey badger takes what it wants, and Tyrann takes what he wants on the field," ESPN reported today in a profile.
The sports network had to add an editor's note, saying, "This story was published prior to Tyrann Mathieu's dismissal from LSU's football program on August 10."
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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His career shouldn't be over and I hope it won't be....suspend him but don't destroy a young man's future. Youth has to be given some break sometimes. Repeated offenses is a different matter. Just my opinion. As an example read about Anthony's Hargrove's story in college at the U.
Uh...this *is* a repeat violation!! Did you not understand that when you read them saying he was suspended last year for the Auburn game? This is August. He's screwed up again. He let his team down once...for the Auburn game. Now he's *really* let them down.
The young man should have learned the first time. I'm sorry he didn't.
"but don't destroy a young man's future"? The are rules. Rules that we are all responsible to follow regardless of our personal gifts. You sound like a bleeding-heart. HE is destroying HIS carareer. Stop trying to hold other people responsible for the consequences HE has earned.
I respect LSU and Miles for their actions. A class act school!
And the comment got removed in the time it took me to post that *I* had reported it
Just another example of LSU punks-School be nothin but the garbage-puff it and pack it
This is a second offense. Let him go to the NFL and be tested on a regular basis.
After the problems at OSU and Penn State no one will dare pick him up unless they are looking for trouble. College football is under fire and this guy is high risk material.
He could always go to PSU. They're running a little short in Happy valley. Happy valley<pfsst.
Get a life. Oh, and I'm white. Another thing, stop using all caps for certain words. It devalues your statements....not that your ramblings had value to begin with.
Worthless pothead.
Agreed. Any drug offense should be immediate termination of their scholarship and expulsion from the university. Drugs are illegal and the scourge of our society.
What do you suppose a kid has to do at a school like LSU to get kicked off the football team?
I thought this article was going to be about that one gay guy from youtube
I find it curious that Honey-B's career went down the dumper at just about the same time a large sink hole appeared below Baton Rouge.
Quite surprised that he was dismissed. Sounds like C. Miles was forced his hand. I applaud the SCHOOL for making the call. Too many football players getting away with too much for too long...
The SEC has to raise academic standards across the board!!!
deserves it.
dont feel sorry for him.
he deserves it.
dont feel sorry for him.