Tyrann Mathieu took high road after former GM’s cold take from 2013 draft resurfaced
This is one of the coldest takes in sports history.
On Monday, a video from the 2013 draft coverage was shared on Twitter that showed former Colts general manager Bill Polian saying it would be a huge mistake for any team to pick Tyrann Mathieu.
Citing on- and off-the-field reasons, Polian said he would never have considered adding Mathieu to a team.
A bit of background: After being a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2011, Mathieu was kicked off LSU’s football team for violating the school’s substance abuse policy for athletes, as ESPN reported before the start of the 2012 season.
Nevertheless, the Arizona Cardinals selected Mathieu in the 2013 NFL Draft, and he’s become a star. Mathieu was an All-Pro with the Cardinals and helped Arizona make the 2014 playoffs.
Mathieu joined the Texans in 2018 and again appeared in the playoffs. Before the 2019 season, the Chiefs signed Mathieu because of his on- and off-the-field leadership.
In seven seasons in the NFL, Mathieu has made two All-Pro teams, was named to the all-Decade Team and helped the Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV.
That’s why Twitter user Erick Fernandez tweeted the video of Polian’s cold take in which he called Mathieu a “poor teammate and a poor risk. I don’t know why you’d want him at any price.”
Mathieu saw that tweet and could have taken the opportunity to say “I told you so.” Instead, he took the high road and highlighted his accomplishments.
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 8:47 AM.
