I'm always thankful for the stuff I went through and thankful for the people I've met, and I'm thankful even for some of the bad times because all of it helps get you to wherever you are in your life.
Tyrann Mathieu
I like chillin' by the pool.
I take great pride in being who I am. Whether I'm broken or not, I am who I am.
I want people who go through tough times, hard times, or didn't have everything right-things didn't fall in their lap or go in their favor-to know that they can still achieve their dream and go to the highest of the highs.
You will never see Lil Wayne in New Orleans. You will never see those type of guys in New Orleans because the hate and the jealousy is that real and it's that overwhelming.
I'm surrounding myself with people who want to do what I want to do, which is be a football player.
I've always wanted a perfect life.
I think me, as a leader, as a guy that's been cut, been humiliated, embarrassed, whatever you put on it, I think it's important just to embrace the guys around you, really support them, encourage them and then kinda give them that confidence. Let them know that you believe in them, and hopefully they'll get to believing in themselves.
I celebrate my teammates' plays more than I celebrate my plays.
Life is funny and weird.
I want to go somewhere where I can be completely immersed in football, and it's not too much about anything but winning - I want to be a part of winning culture, where you feel that all the time. That's all I want.
I know what it's like to be humiliated.
I'm always moving around. It's hard for offenses to get a grip on what I'm doing or where I'm at.
I want to be a beacon to kids like me, the ones who grow up without hope.
Walking alone, just thinking - that's treatment, man. That's the most comforting rehab I've known.
The people of Arizona, they've been very warm and welcoming.
There's not many people that I can't relate to and can't share experiences with.
I think Tom Brady is one of the greatest competitors of all time.
Everybody can't be Lil Wayne. Some of us have to pick up a book.
I do know that it takes a lot to look in that mirror and fix yourself.
I want to… help the young guys, help my teammates, help everybody be confident and make everybody feel like they're special.
I'd rather be a shooting star than a fading star.
It's about gaining that confidence back in myself. Believing in myself more than others may believe.
I take the good; I take the bad. I don't outweigh them. I just try to balance it all.
What you have to have is motivation and you have to have drive.
I'm the best player in the world. That's how I feel.
I want to be a great teammate, and I want to be the same leader on the field that I know I can be off the field.
I don't have anything against the 'Honey Badger.' It's just that 'Honey Badger' happened at such a dark time in my life. If the little kids out there want to call me the 'Honey Badger,' they can do that.
I don't want anyone to believe in me more than me.
But, most of the time it takes people to hit rock bottom for them to start believing in themselves, and start seeking help.
A lot of guys, they feed off me… I'm extremely prideful in what I do. I think a lot of guys take heed of that. They look up to that.
I just want to prove my point that I'm one of the best safeties in this league.
I was fortunate. And I hate using the word lucky, but I was very, very lucky. Because, all of those things were around me man. The violence, the drugs, the abuse of women. All these things were present in my life. And I take a step back and I try to reflect on my journey and what helped me out.
Many times I looked in the mirror and didn't see anything. Couldn't see anything. I didn't see anything in the mirror. It was me, but I didn't truly know my soul, my spirit.
I'm not one of those guys who gets stronger in the weight room.
I was a rock star. I was the president of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
My whole life, I've seen things I can't unsee.
But, yeah, I definitely want to get a Cardinals tattoo.
A lot of people do impulsive things. They just go with their moves. I used to do that. Once I was able to control my mind, I was able to control my actions.
I'm adopted by my uncle and aunt, who I look to as my parents and people who really did everything they could to put me on the right path. I'm really grateful to them.
At LSU, I was a true leader. I know I made some mistakes, but I think I was a leader for my teammates.
I want to be the same guy I am in the weight room that I am on the football field.
When you surround yourself with the wrong people it's going to backfire every time.
I moved to Humble under really unfortunate circumstances obviously, Hurricane Katrina, so our family was displaced here for four months. Humble was a home for us.
Not too many people have my story. And this is my story: A guy goes from unknown to a Heisman Trophy finalist. He gets kicked out of school. He absolutely rebounds himself. He becomes a millionaire. He's taking care of his family. And then he's getting injured.
I'm trying to reach out for help as much as I can. That's why I got into a rehab program. That's why I get counseling. That's why I have a sponsor.
I've got a variety of things I like to listen to. I like R&B. I like Chris Brown. I like Nas. I like Jay Z. Rick Ross. Kanye West. I try to mix it up.
Big-time college ball is a business, and they work you to death. You're in the gym at 7 A. M., got classes all morning, then five hours of practice a day.
My adopted parents were able to pay for me to go to a private school. So I had it better than most people.
I don't have any bad vibes with LSU. I learned so much there. I experienced so much there. I had so much fun. I met great people.
