Tyrann Mathieu pledges $1 million to LSU if Derek Stingley wins Heisman or Thorpe Award

Tyrann Mathieu says he’ll donate $1 million to LSU if cornerback Derek Stingley wins the Thorpe Award or the Heisman Trophy in 2021.

Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu has high hopes for another up-and-coming Tiger star.

Derek Stingley Jr. is set to wear the iconic LSU No. 7 in 2021. Mathieu believes Stingley will live up to that tradition by being one of the best athletes in college football this year.

More than that, Mathieu is tipping Stingley for the Jim Thorpe Award and the Heisman Trophy.

LSU fans already were going to root for Stingley to grab all the national honors he possibly could. Now there’s even more at stake.

Tyrann Mathieu backs Derek Stingley as the next great LSU No. 7

The Thorpe Award is presented each year to the nation’s best defensive back. LSU has produced three winners in the past 10 years, including Grant Delpit in 2019, Morris Claiborne in 2011 and Patrick Peterson in 2010.

When it comes to the Heisman, college football’s most prestigious award, the Tigers have two. Bill Cannon won it in 1959, while Joe Burrow ran away with it in 2019.

Stingley is already a favorite for the Thorpe. If Mathieu has to pay up, it’s most likely that’s the one to hit.

Stingley, who is one of LSU’s most promising pro prospects, could be worthy of the Heisman, but defenders are at a severe disadvantage in the voting. The last defensive player to win it was Charles Woodson for Michigan in 1997. His victory came thanks in large part to his skill as a punt returner.

Granted, Stingley is a talented return man. He ranked third in the SEC in return yards in 2020 while averaging 16.2 yards per return.

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