Less than a month ago, 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist Tyrann Mathieu, also known as Honey Badger, was fired from the LSU football team for failing drug tests. He’s not the first high-profile college athlete to be kicked off his team for violating team rules, and he certainly won’t be the last. In fact, several schools began this season with players suspended for violations of team rules ranging from citations for alcohol and drugs to arrests for robbery or assault.
According to Arrest Nation, as of early 2012, Oklahoma State University leads in athlete arrests and citations for major universities with nine to date. Close behind are the University of Georgia, Iowa and Washington state, all with seven arrests/citations to date. Typically, when a player is dropped from his team for repeated infractions, he transfers to a lower division school where he is immediately eligible to compete in hopes of keeping his career aspirations alive.
This is where Tyrann Mathieu’s decisions after his dismissal set him apart. He could have enrolled and become immediately eligible at a lower division school, which would have had the potential to prepare him for the 2013 NFL draft. Instead, he decided to go to Houston and check into the Right Step recovery center run by highly respected former NBA player and coach John Lucas, who battled drug and alcohol problems during his career.
Just this week, Tyrann returned to LSU and signed up for classes as an undergraduate. It is believed that if Mathieu stays out of trouble and keeps his grades up, he will have a chance to rejoin his old team in 2013. By taking the long road, rather than the convenient one chosen by most people in his position , Tyrann has drastically improved. he increased his chances of having a happy and productive life, as well as a lucrative career.
Unfortunately, most people in similar situations are more focused on their goals than the process required to achieve them. Mathieu said: “I’m still going to train and work out really hard, but it’s not going to be my focus right now. Instead, I’m going to stay humble, stay grounded and watch football from a different angle this time. So I can appreciate it more when I get a chance to play it again.” Based on this quote, it seems that Mathieu fully understands the importance of focusing on the process now.
There are no guarantees that you can stay on the path you are on, but by choosing this path, you give yourself the best chance of living your dreams. It will also undoubtedly set a new precedent for dealing with serious problems in life and serve as an inspiration to many others if it is successful.
Hopefully things will go as he plans and he will end up better than ever as a person and as a player.
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