NFL Scouting Combine 2013: Patrick Peterson Pushing Tyrann Mathieu
By Mike Dyce
August 2, 2012; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers cornerback Tyrann Mathieu (7) during the fall camp practice at the Charles McClendon Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Tyrann Mathieu is trying to relaunch his football career after missing an entire season. Not due to injury but his own off the field demons. In an effort to get ready for the upcoming draft he has been training with former LSU corner back and current Arizona Cardinals player Patrick Peterson. The two were also teammates at LSU.
Patrick Peterson’s father Patrick Peterson Sr. has been monitoring and overseeing their training.
“Patrick goes at him hard; he’ll push him on the ground or whatever he’s got to do to get Tyrann prepared,” Peterson Sr. said, via NOLA.com. “NFL wide receivers are a whole other animal with Julio and Megatron. He’s a small guy already and they’re going to want to take advantage of his size. But Tyrann is very tough, a tough guy to muscle because he’s pretty strong himself.”
Patrick Peterson (6-1 and 219 lbs) has been getting physical with Mathieu (5-9 and 175 lbs) making him play him tough. This is to help Mathieu transition to the NFL where he will face a whole different level of talent at the wide receiver position like Julio Jones and Calvin “Megatron” Johnson who will try to take advantage of the size difference.
Mathieu is a one time Heisman finalist, and certainly is a quality college player. Unfortunately he now has to overcome two hurdles in his efforts to have an NFL career, his size and now off field issues.
“He’s going to be good. He’s going in strong,” Peterson Sr. said. “He’s looking like Tyrann. He’s staying away from the off-field stuff and he’s focused.
“He looks like he means business, very locked in. He knows he can’t get another strike. He’s conformed to our rules, working out and trying to get better.”
Most notably, Mathieu ran a 4.47 time in the 40 yard dash recently.
“We were real proud of that time,” Peterson Sr. said.
NFL Network draft analysis Mike Maycock weighed in on Tyrann Mathieu’s draft prospects.
“Tyrann Mathieu is a really interesting wild card this weekend,” said Maycock. “My gut tells me he’s a better football player than he is an athlete. He’s small. I’m not sure he’s going to run real well. So I think teams are going to look at him as kind of a nickel and a kick returner.
“I don’t think he’s going to run better than the 4.5 or 4.55. If he does, that will help him. So most teams that I’ve talked to have him more in the fourth round because they don’t think he’s very big and he’s not going to run very fast, and he’s had off-the-€‘field issues.”
If that time is accurate it looks like he is certainly on his way.