and certainly liked the idea of playing on the same team as Peterson. He had grown close to another former LSU defensive back, Steelers safety Ryan Clark, and wouldn't have minded going to Pittsburgh. Anywhere, Mathieu figured, that had an older player to guide him through the journey. The Honey Badger was most certainly self-aware.

When draft weekend arrived, Mathieu was in New York. A couple of teams – he didn't say which – told Mathieu they would likely take him late in the first round. Mathieu believed. Then it didn't happen.

He went back to New Orleans and sat through the second round, waiting, hoping, hurting. Mathieu insists he just wanted a chance and would've played as an undrafted free agent. But the sting of his draft status hasn't totally waned.

"You see 15 (defensive backs) drafted before you, it's heartbreaking," Mathieu said.

For the Cardinals, Mathieu's drop was fortuitous. Before the draft, the Honey Badger was on the radar. In the second round, the Cardinals went after LSU linebacker Kevin Minter and waited to see if Mathieu would last until pick No. 69.

He was, and the decision was all but automatic.

"There's a thing on now, 'What was your favorite call?' " coach Bruce Arians said. "In my 30 years, he was my favorite call. Because I knew what it meant to him to get that opportunity. You could feel it over the phone."

A year has passed. Mathieu's excellent rookie year was cut short when he wrecked his knee in December, but he comes to the facility daily to work on his rehab believing he will somehow be back sooner than expected. Whenever it is, he will be part of the team's future.

He is a starter in the defensive backfield, but Mathieu's career goes beyond football. He has more than just stayed clear of any further trouble. He already is one of the most popular players on the roster. A year ago, Keim and Arians talked about the risk of drafting the Honey Badger. Now, he's one of the players the team put on their live TV draft special last week. The team had him record a video to send to season-ticket holders. Mathieu might have taken the rough road, but the NFL has been a good fit.

"I feel like I've been in the league four or five years already," Mathieu said. He smiled. "My coaches are asking me these veteran questions and I need to provide a veteran answer. Got to talk to Steve (Keim) like a veteran, not a 21-year old."

This year's draft doesn't hold a lot of interest for Mathieu. He wants to know where some of the guys he knows will end up – Jadeveon Clowney, Johnny Manziel, LSU receiver Odell Beckham – but he has little use for draft analysis. He heard plenty of that last year.

Injury aside, Mathieu is happy. The draft put him in the right place.

"It all came together on draft day," Mathieu said. "That's why I was crying.