Anyone monitoring Arizona Cardinals training camp couldn't have been surprised when rookie Tyrann Mathieustole the show in Friday's preseason-opening victory over the Green Bay Packers.
Count Cardinals coach Bruce Arians among those impressed with Mathieu's playmaking performance.
"He was all over the field," Arians said Sunday, via the Cardinals' official website. "That's the way he's been practicing every day."
Arizona's third-round draft pick now says his goal is to be the best player on the team, not just pound-for-pound.
"The expectations can never amount to mine," Mathieu said. "I want to play a big role. Everybody always has something to say, whether it's good or bad. I just leave it at that and do what I do best, which is play football."
The next time you see the artist formerly known as "Honey Badger," be prepared for a new look. Thanks to typical rookie hazing, Mathieu is sporting a shaved head and a missing left eyebrow.
"Long story short, couple veterans took advantage of me," Mathieu explained. "The deal going into it they would leave the Mohawk. But once I sat down, the rules were out the window."
"I tried to disguise it. I tried to wear a band-aid over my eyebrow; that doesn't work. Tried to wear a hat low; can't see where I'm going. Hopefully in the next week, my eyebrow comes back and I can be myself again."
The Around The League Podcast is now available on iTunes! Click here to listen and subscribe.
