It’s been an LSU reunion in New Orleans this offseason as the Saints have added a pair of former Tigers in safety [autotag]Tyrann Mathieu[/autotag] and receiver [autotag]Jarvis Landry[/autotag], who were teammates in Baton Rouge at one point.
Both are from the area — Mathieu is from New Orleans proper, while Landry hails from nearby Lutcher — and their returns to the bayou has been highly anticipated by Louisiana sports fans, understandably so.
With NFL squads kicking off organized team activities this week, we got our first look at the former as Mathieu took the practice field for the Saints. Check out this footage, courtesy of WVUE’s Garland Gillen.
Our first time seeing Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) rock the Saints jersey in action. Mathieu goes from the Purple and Gold of St. Aug and LSU, to the Black and Gold of New Orleans. @FOX8NOLA pic.twitter.com/JcY1KntyCs
— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) May 26, 2022
Mathieu is a three-time First-Team All-Pro selection, most recently earning those honors in 2020. He’s coming off a Pro Bowl appearance with the Kansas City Chiefs — with whom he won Super Bowl LIV — in 2021, but the 30-year-old hit free agency this offseason.
He had a productive season with the Chiefs, totaling three interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown) and six pass deflections to go with 76 total tackles, the most he has earned in a season since 2018.
In his two seasons with the Tigers, Mathieu made quite an impact. In 2011, he was named the SEC Player of the Year and won the Chuck Bednarik Award. He also earned Consensus All-American and First Team All-SEC honors during that campaign.
Mathieu remains one of the top safeties in the game, and he should bolster a secondary that already includes four-time Pro Bowl corner Marshon Lattimore.
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