Many NFL experts questioned the move. When the Arizona Cardinals drafted Tyrann Mathieu, it was considered risky at best. The defensive back was a star at LSU before marijuana charges led to him getting kicked off the football team and released from the university. Mathieu did everything he could to complete his comeback into football and the Cardinals were the team to give him a shot. Things are paying off now and Mathieu, paired with Patrick Peterson, is making a quick impact on the field.
Mathieu's presence was felt right away in the first quarter. The St. Louis Rams were setting up for the first score of the game. Quarterback Sam Bradford completed a pass to tight end Jared Cook who was headed for the end zone. However, coming out of nowhere, Mathieu forced a fumble with set up a scoring drive for the Cardinals. He simply shrugged off the big play.
"It's a typical play we practice in individual drills. I just try to take the things that we practice -- try to take them to the field," Mathieu said, via the team website. "I didn't make the plays I wanted to make after that. I think we can play better as a defense; we can create more pressure up front. On the back end, we definitely need to get our hands on a lot more balls. Overall, as a defense, I think we played pretty good. I think we just need to get off the field on those third downs."
It is that kind of humble attitude that has is teammates raving over him. Veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is certainly taking notice of the type of player Mathieu is becoming. He notes the rookie has the right attitude that will lead to a successful career.
"I absolutely love the kid," Fitzgerald said, via PFT Live. "I love him. I mean he works his tail off every single day in practice, he comes to work, he studies plays so hard. He's a tremendous kid in our locker room too. I mean he's on time, he's punctual, taking notes in meetings, just everything that you would expect out of a player of his caliber. Him and Patick Peterson together it's just really exciting. I'm so happy he's on our team."
Peterson has certainly played a large role in the overall success Mathieu is showing in Arizona. The two were teammates at LSU and it was Peterson that mentored the young defensive back while he worked his way back up the football latter. Cardinals should get used to more big plays from these two.
