Ex-NFL player reveals how he nearly died after drinking bleach to try and pass a drug test in college
Tyrann Mathieu is one of the greatest players to ever put on an LSU uniform. But his struggles with drug use led him to extreme methods to beat testing.
Mathieu was one of the most dominant players of his era in college - earning a rare feat for a defensive player when the safety was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore.
Despite his success on the field, Mathieu played only two years in Baton Rouge - getting dismissed from the team before his junior season began due to reports of repeated drug test failures.
Mathieu tried everything to beat those drug tests, including one method he says he nearly died from.
On an episode of his 'In The Bayou' podcast, Mathieu explained one extreme method he went through to try and pass.
'I done tried everything in the books,' Mathieu explained. 'You know, I've used other people['s] urine, they got the fake penises.'
Former NFL star Tyrann Mathieu says he once drank bleach to try and beat a drug test
Mathieu was a star at LSU, but was kicked off the team over his frequent use of drugs
Mathieu then pivoted to one story that he initially called 'funny' before quickly retracting that sentiment and admitting he 'could have died'.
'A couple tests before I realize they was gonna kick me out of school, I'm sitting in a circle and I'm on Google trying to figure out "man, how the f*** do I pass this test? These folks keep threatening me."'
'And I'm just scrolling, scrolling. And I come across some s**t that said just put some bleach in the [bottle] top... and put it in your Coca-Cola.
'And so I did that, and I'm like "yo what the f***?" Like it felt like my whole insides was just erupting, you know what I'm saying? I end up throwing that s**t up. At that point, I was like man, f*** it I ran out of tricks. I don't know what to do.
'I remember sitting in front of that building man, with a f***ing cap full of bleach in a Coke bottle. I thought that was gonna save my life. It didn't, it backfired.'
Eventually, Mathieu was dismissed for violating team rules before the 2012 season. In October, he would be arrested along with three other former LSU players for possession of marijuana.
His drug use led to him falling down draft boards, but he did have an accomplished pro career
Mathieu ended up winning a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs among other honors
Despite these personal issues, Mathieu was talented enough to be drafted. A first-round talent, his character flaws led to him being picked in the third round, 69th overall to the Arizona Cardinals.
Mathieu would go on to have a decorated NFL career - being named a first-team All-Pro three times, an All-Pro second-teamer once, a Pro-Bowler three times and won Super Bowl LIV with the Kansas City Chiefs.
He suited up for the Cardinals, the Houston Texans, the Chiefs and his hometown New Orleans Saints before retiring in 2024.
