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Dec 8, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals player Tyrann Mathieu (32) reacts as he is taken off the field after suffering an injury in the third quarter against the St. Louis Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Rams 30-10. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrann Mathieu tears ACL against the St. Louis Rams December 8, 2013

To say Mathieu was a steal in the third-round of the 2013 NFL draft for the Cardinals would be an understatement.  Sure he had his demons he needed to expel before he could go pro out of LSU.  The Cardinals took a chance on him, thanks in part to cornerback Patrick Peterson, also out of LSU.

Mathieu quickly became a team player.  He hasn’t had one run in with trouble off the field since being drafted and has now become a pillar of the community.  He is doing public service annoucements.  His play on the field has also endeared him to many fans in and out of Arizona.

He plays hard and takes his performances personally.  So when in his rookie season of 2013 he went out with a torn ACL in December against the Rams, naturally there was a lot of concern.

To see him carted off like that in a career that was just starting to blossom was a hard thing for Cardinals fans to stomach and see.  He was able to make it back to the field by the time the 2014 season started but he was brought back into the fold very slowly.

It wasn’t until towards the end of 2014 that we really began to see the Tyrann Mathieu on the field we had grown accustomed to seeing in 2013.  Now with the way he has started 2015, you can see why losing a safety like the “Honey Badger” is a big blow to a team with championship aspirations.

Next: The beginning of the end to a championship quest