Tyrann Mathieu: I could hold Calvin Johnson to five catches
Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has spent his time at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianpolis trying to prove to NFL teams that he still holds value, despite having not played in an actual game since 2011. When he did play, Mathieu had the best ball skills of any defensive back in the nation. However, there have always been questions about how his size would translate to the professional level.
Through all of his struggles off the field, Mathieu seems to have remained confident. On Tuesday, he talked about whether or not he could hang with the NFL’s best receivers.
“I feel like if I was to check somebody like a Calvin Johnson, he’ll make his plays, but I’m definitely going to get mine, too,” Mathieu told the NFL Network, via MLive.com. “He’s going to catch his five balls, but I’m going to get my two turnovers, so we’ll be even.”
Mathieu ran a 4.5 in the 40 and reportedly looked solid in drills, so the Combine was not a failure for him. He is only 5-foot-9, 186 pounds, so his expectations of how he would match-up against Megatron could be unrealistic. He’d be giving up an incredible amount of size, which is the type of situation that Johnson has feasted on since coming into the league. Mathieu also sent out a tweet as a follow-up:
You got to understand I have the ultimate respect for Calvin Johnson.. He is a freak of an baller & the best in the game but I’m gon compete
— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) February 27, 2013
What would you expect him to say? The artist formerly known as the Honey Badger has more to prove than most NFL prospects, so at the very least he needs to show teams he is still confident in his abilities. Nobody wants to hear Mathieu say he’d stand no chance against someone like Johnson, even if it may be true.