There was no player ever at LSU like Tyrann Mathieu. Like his namesake wild animal, the Honey Badger, he took what he wanted during brief, brilliant career.

Mathieu announced his retirement from football this week after spending the last three years of his NFL career with his hometown team.

Mathieu’s NFL career came to a surprising end Tuesday afternoon when he announced his retirement on the eve of start of Saints’ training camp. His retirement leaves a hole at the safety position, giant shoes for someone to try to fill. This would have been Mathieu’s fourth season with the Saints and his 13th in the NFL.

Tyrann Mathieu, most recently with the New Orleans Saints, retired Tuesday after 12 seasons in the NFL. Mathieu first gained fame not far from where his career ended, starring for the LSU Tigers down in Baton Rouge,

Tyrann Mathieu, the diminutive 33-year-old safety, announced his retirement on Instagram on Tuesday in a stunning move that comes a day before the Saints open training camp.