Tyrann Mathieu

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and Tyrann Mathieu was lucky in that regard. He grew up without his parents present, but other family members stepped up to get Mathieu where he needed to go in life. Mathieu’s father was incarcerated when Mathieu was just a kid, so he lived with his grandparents in New Orleans for most of his childhood.

He was adopted by his aunt and uncle later on in life, but that’s not the end of his life’s tragedy. A New Orleans native, Mathieu was there when Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. He lost his home and most of his belongings in the aftermath of the hurricane, like many other residents of the city. As a result, he and his family were forced to move to Texas and experienced homelessness for a year. In a full-circle moment, Mathieu signed with the Houston Texans in 2018 for $7 million.