This communicative is based connected an question and reply pinch Kandra Mathieu, 27, from New Orleans. She is joined to retired NFL subordinate Tyrann Mathieu, 34. The speech has been edited for magnitude and clarity.
My mom was ever a die-hard instrumentality of the New Orleans Saints. And erstwhile I first started making love my now-husband, Tyrann, nicknamed "The Honey Badger," she despaired of me.
It's a moving joke that she said, "I wish you had my brain," because I had nary thought astir football, which she lives and breathes.
I understand the gist now, but the logistics spell wholly complete my head. I'm clueless if anybody asks maine to explicate the rules.
Still, I knew capable astir the Saints to admit Tyrann erstwhile we first met by chance astatine a clothing shop successful the autumn of 2022.
We had a batch successful common
Being from the city, you cognize the pillars of New Orleans. We struck up a conversation, and he asked really I was doing. There was a spot of polite back-and-forth, and he ended up taking my telephone and tapping successful his number.
At first, it was texting and a fewer telephone calls, and past he asked maine retired to dinner.
We had a batch successful communal because we were some raised successful New Orleans, successful the aforesaid area. Our relatives lived 1 aliases 2 streets apart, though our paths didn't cross. It was astir apt owed to the property difference.
Tyrann was dedicated to his sport
Tyrann didn't unit shot connected me, but we watched a fewer games together astatine the opening of our relationship. I asked him if it bothered him that I knew perfectly thing astir it.
He said he thought it was cool because he could thief explicate it to me. Maybe he recovered it refreshing.
It didn't return agelong for maine to recognize his commitment. We'd spell to a edifice astatine 6 p.m. truthful he could beryllium location early to mentally hole for the crippled the pursuing night.
His fare was strict, and he'd eat cautiously portioned potatoes, asparagus, and a steak. It was awesome to spot the dedication he put into his sport.
I ran track, but it's specified an individual activity compared to being connected a team. You person to aftermath up each time wanting to win, not for yourself, but for everyone else, too.
The ambiance wrong the stadium was ever awesome erstwhile I watched Tyrann play earlier his status successful July 2025. I really enjoyed the camaraderie.
People person asked if I minded fans interrupting america by coming up to him for autographs and photos. I loved their passion. I was ever the first personification to say, "You want a picture? Let maine return it."
Still, it was stressful being successful the crowd and worrying he mightiness get injured. He sewage a concussion successful January 2025. He'd antecedently been concussed, but he'd ever been allowed backmost connected the field.
He retired from the NFL astatine 33
This clip was different, and he had to beryllium taken off. You spell to cheer your loved one, but it's your worst fearfulness that they will get hurt. Seeing them being carried disconnected connected a stretcher is thing I ne'er want to witnesser again. Thankfully, Tyrann was OK.
He decided to discontinue from shot astatine 33, astir a week aft our girl was calved past year. He said he thought he'd been doing it for agelong enough.
He'd mentioned it to maine a fewer times, but for illustration the fans, I was genuinely taken aback erstwhile he went done pinch it.
It's rubbing to publication each the posts connected societal media asking him to return to the Saints. Fans from his erstwhile teams will opportunity things like, "We miss you and request you again."
Tyrann and I laughter that his status has turned america into recluses — successful a bully way. We've slowed down and spent a batch of clip chilling astatine location pinch the children.
Our days revolve astir each other. We watch a batch of black-and-white movies and TV shows.
Neither of america knew really to cook, truthful we're learning together. We effort to make accepted New Orleans meals, specified arsenic reddish beans and rice, chickenhearted and gravy.
I'm building my societal media
We haven't tried gumbo yet — that's a small overzealous for america — and attraction connected mini dishes.
Other times, we spell for walks successful the grounds of our house. There's a swamp and a dock, and it's beautiful to research the greenery pinch the kids.
Meanwhile, I'm building my Instagram. I studied aesthetics, which inspired maine to admit style and beauty. It's only for nosy astatine the moment, but I'm looking guardant to wherever it mightiness lead.
I'm successful a spot of rediscovery, letting group spot maine for who I americium alternatively than arsenic the woman of personification everybody knows.
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Jane Ridley is simply a analogous connected Business Insider’s Life team, wherever she tackles parenting, health, careers, and existent property pinch a reporter’s separator and a storyteller’s instinct.She’s known for her signature As Told To narratives — raw, first‑person accounts shaped from intimate, revealing interviews.Before Business Insider, Ridley spent a decade astatine the New York Post and six years astatine the New York Daily News, wherever she wrote exclusive, standout features.Born and raised successful the UK, she moved to the US successful 2005 aft 7 years astatine The Daily Mirror successful London. Her reporting has taken her everyplace from Tokyo and Beijing to Sydney, Bangkok, Athens, and Madrid.
