Mathieu honored to have name on lounge
Just because he was booted out of the football program doesn’t mean Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu holds any ill feelings toward Louisiana State University and the Tigers.
Late last fall, for instance, he donated $1 million to the school’s football operations building.
As part of that gesture, Mathieu is about to have a portion of that building named after him.
The LSU Board of Supervisors on Friday is expected to approve a proposal renaming the football players’ lounge to the Mathieu Players’ Lounge. Teammate Patrick Peterson, who also played collegiately at LSU, has the school’s weight room named after him along with another donator.
“I think a lot of people, they would probably assume I had a bad relationship with LSU and I don’t think that was ever the case,” Mathieu said Thursday. “It was just some things I had to get through.”
Mathieu was excused from the football program after testing positive multiple times for marijuana use and, ultimately, going to jail because of it. He has since ditched his drug habit completely and has never tested positive for illegal substances since entering the league in 2013.
Mathieu said having the players’ lounge renamed after him is a huge honor and added, “It hasn’t really hit me yet.”
Reminded that his donation probably helped make it happen, he smiled.
“Well, money usually helps things,” he said.
Injury update
Defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche was limited in practice on Thursday and likely will be on track to play in Sunday’s season opener at Detroit. Nkemdiche had been slowed for a little more than two weeks because of a calf strain suffered at the end of training camp.
“Robert was limited today. Hopefully, he’ll continue to trend in the right direction to be ready for Sunday,” defensive coordinator James Bettcher said.
Bettcher was asked how comfortable he is with his defensive line considering Calais Campbell is gone as a free agent and Nkemdiche is still hobbled.
“Absolutely comfortable,” he said. “I love the mix of some very savvy veteran players and some young, energetic guys who are really chasing a bone, looking to make their mark.”
In other injury news, inside linebacker Deone Bucannon (ankle) remains sidelined and won’t play Sunday. Left guard Mike Iupati (triceps) was able to practice again on a limited basis on Thursday, although he said he expects to start against the Lions.
Listed as limited in practice on Thursday for Detroit was defensive end Ezekiel Ansah (knee), receiver Kenny Golladay (ankle) and tackle Corey Robinson (foot).
Lions coach Jim Caldwell confirmed that Ansah, Detroit’s best pass rusher, might be on a pitch count of sorts against the Cardinals.
“Obviously, that’s certainly a possibility,” Caldwell told reporters. “There’s no question about it. … Right now, to say it’s a possibility, sure it is. But have we determined that as of yet? No, we have not. We’re waiting to see where he is at the end of the week.”
Remember me?
The Cardinals will run into an old friend Sunday when they play against former teammate, tight end Darren Fells, who signed with the Lions as a free agent in the offseason. Fells spent the past three seasons with the Cardinals after giving up his career as a professional basketball player.
“I have nothing but respect for (the Cardinals),” Fells told reporters this week. “They helped me to get where I am. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here today.”