Tyrann Mathieu has done it all. The defensive back was a star for the LSU Tigers before almost losing it all, only to find himself as the stalwart of a Super Bowl-caliber defense for the Kansas City Chiefs.
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The "Honey Badger" isn't quite the kid he was when he won the Chuck Bednarik Award for college football's best defensive player or nearly won the 2011 Heisman Trophy at Louisiana State University. Now, the 28-year-old has kids and is about to become a married man.
Through it all, Mathieu has been involved with Sydni Paige Russell. The two began dating while Mathieu played in college, and they were engaged in 2019.
Let's meet Tyrann Mathieu's fiancée.
Tyrann Mathieu's Fiancée
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RELATED: Tyrann Mathieu's High School Days Made Him The "Honey Badger"
Mathieu and Russell met at LSU in 2011. At the time, the "Honey Badger" was the talk of the college football world for both his success and his antics.
While attending school, Russell worked as a dancer for the NBA's New Orleans Hornets' Honey Bees. Following graduation, she left Louisiana and followed her boyfriend to Arizona, where he would begin his National Football League career. Russell now works as the curator of Jill Marie Boutique, an online fashion store with operations based out of Kansas City.
After several years of dating, Mathieu proposed in 2019.
Not long after, Mathieu won a Super Bowl with the Chiefs in February 2020 over the San Francisco 49ers. Russell was right there on the field afterward, and shared some kind words about her future hubby.
"Never taking this moment for granted! Since I met you Tyrann, you have been super human! So sometimes I forget how incredible you are because I am so 'used to' your greatness! But when I reflect, I'm so grateful that I'm even surrounded by you and your effortless ability to shine so bright. You are a magnet to EVERYONE!," she wrote on Instagram.
How Many Kids Do They Have?
The couple has two children together. Their son, Tyrann Mathieu Jr., was born in 2014, and their second child, a baby girl named Mila Jill Marie, came into the world in 2019.
Russell posts pics of Mathieu and their family on social media quite often. Russell has been there for each of Mathieu's stints with the Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, and Kansas City Chiefs. Tyrann Mathieu Jr. takes after his dad, because he loves all things sports, and plays football, baseball and soccer, judging from his Instagram account.
Mathieu also has a third child, a son named Noah Thomas, that he fathered with ex-girlfriend Megan Edwards, per NOLA.com.
Sydni Already Had NFL Family Ties
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Russell is no stranger to the NFL.
NFL coach Todd Bowles, according to AZCentral.com, was married to Russell's mother, Jill Jenkins Bowles, before she passed away in 2017. Bowles notably served as Mathieu's defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-14 before becoming head coach of the New York Jets. He currently serves as the defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who Mathieu's Chiefs are facing in Super Bowl LV.
Small world.
According to Heavy, Russell's mother and Todd Bowles were married from 2000-07 and had two sons together: Todd Jr. and Troy Bowles.
Tyrann Mathieu's Football Career
Back-to-back games with an INT for Tyrann Mathieu! #ChiefsKingdom @Mathieu_Era
📺: #DENvsKC on NBC
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/TDkSnAgsvB pic.twitter.com/HIsSiDtyzs— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2020
Mathieu's journey to superstardom started at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, where he was a star cornerback. After his grandfather died in 1997, he was adopted and raised by his uncle and aunt, Tyrone Mathieu and Sheila Mathieu.
Following his ups (a fifth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy race) and downs (suspensions and dismissal) at LSU, he declared his intentions to play professionally. He was taken by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
In his eight-year career, he has earned three All-Pro nominations. Playing with Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs are a dynasty in the making. Head coach Andy Reid's team has made it to the Super Bowl in each of the last two seasons, and the matchup with Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Bucs promises to be one for the ages.
Tyrann Mathieu is an excellent football player, and he transformed his life in large part due to the relationship he has with Sydni Paige Russell.
The Honey Badger owns a reported net worth of $15 million (thanks to a massive five-year deal with the Cardinals worth $62.5 million) from his career that's spanned from Arizona to Texas and now Missouri.
Even if he retired today, he and his family would probably be set.
