Former LSU greats Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu named to NFL’s All-Decade Team for 2010s

BATON ROUGE – Former LSU football greats Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu have been named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2010s, the NFL and Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Monday.

Peterson and Mathieu, both All-America defensive backs at LSU, were among 52 players along with two head coaches named to the 2010s All-Decade Team.

Peterson, drafted No. 5 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, has played his entire pro career with the Arizona Cardinals, earning first team All-Pro honors on three occasions and being selected to the Pro Bowl eight times. Peterson has started 138 games in his career, recording 25 interceptions, 438 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. He’s also scored five touchdowns, including an NFL-best four in punt returns for scores as a rookie in 2011.

Mathieu, who helped Kansas City win Super Bowl LV in February, had four interceptions and 89 total tackles for the World Champion Chiefs in 2019. During his seven-year NFL career, which spans stops in Arizona, Houston and Kansas City, Mathieu has 25 interceptions and 472 tackles.

Mathieu has twice been named first team All-Pro and has made one appearance in the Pro Bowl.

Peterson and Mathieu were both national award winners at LSU with Peterson claiming the Bednarik and Thorpe Awards in 2010, while Mathieu won the Bednarik Award in 2011 after helping the Tigers to a 13-0 regular season mark and the SEC title that year.

Mathieu went on to become a third round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2013.

Peterson and Mathieu are part of an LSU group of defensive backs dubbed “DBU”. During the decade that spans 2010-19, LSU had 15 defensive backs selected in the NFL Draft, which includes five first rounds picks, a group that consists of Peterson (No. 5 overall in 2010), Morris Claiborne (No. 6 overall in 2012), Eric Reid (No. 18 overall in 2012), Jamal Adams (No. 6 overall in 2017) and Tre’Davious White (No. 28 overall in 2017).

OFFICIAL NFL RELEASE:
NFL, Pro Football Hall of Fame announce 2010s All-Decade Team

Eight unanimous selections highlight the 2010-19 All-Decade Team, announced today by the National Football League and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

​*Unanimous selection

The 55-member team is the result of votes cast over the last several weeks by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 48-member selection committee. Only players who received at least one selection to a Pro Bowl, Associated Press All-Pro team or Pro Football Writers of America all-conference team during the 2010-19 seasons were eligible.

Eight unanimous selections – quarterback TOM BRADY, defensive tackle AARON DONALD, linebacker VON MILLER, running back ADRIAN PETERSON, offensive tackle JOE THOMAS, kicker JUSTIN TUCKER, defensive end J.J. WATT and guard MARSHAL YANDA – appear among the 53 players.

Brady and Green Bay’s AARON RODGERS, the two quarterbacks on the team, guided their respective clubs to the NFL’s top two win-loss records during the decade, including postseason. The Patriots were 141-42-0 (.770) while the Packers were 112-63-2 (.638).

Linebacker BOBBY WAGNER leads a parade of five Seahawks who spent all or most of the decade in Seattle. In addition to Wagner, Seattle is represented by former cornerback RICHARD SHERMAN, former safety EARL THOMAS and running back MARSHAWN LYNCH. Head coach PETE CARROLL, who led the team to eight playoff berths, two Super Bowls and one championship during the decade, is one of two coaches on the all-decade team.

The NFC West, which has sent a club to five of the last eight Super Bowls, is the most heavily represented division. Players who played primarily in the division on the all-decade team also include Donald (Los Angeles Rams), defensive end CALAIS CAMPBELL (Arizona), wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD (Arizona), running back FRANK GORE (San Francisco), punter JOHNNY HEKKER (Los Angeles Rams), linebacker CHANDLER JONES (Arizona), cornerback PATRICK PETERSON (Arizona), tackle JOE STALEY (San Francisco) and linebacker PATRICK WILLIS (San Francisco).

In addition to Carroll, the other head coach on the team is BILL BELICHICK, now one of two coaches ever to appear on multiple all-decade teams, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer CHUCK NOLL (1970s and 1980s). Belichick and Pro Football Hall of Famer TONY DUNGY were the coaches on the 2000s team.

Joining Belichick are four other Patriots who combined to guide New England during the decade to five Super Bowls, more than any team. Brady, former kicker STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI, former tight end ROB GRONKOWSKI and former guard LOGAN MANKINS also spent all or the majority of the decade with the club.

Belichick and Brady join kick returner DEVIN HESTER, punter SHANE LECHLER and defensive end JULIUS PEPPERS as the five individuals to make the team in each of the last two decades.

DARREN SPROLES, selected as both an offensive flex player and a punt returner, is the fourth individual ever to appear on an all-decade team at multiple positions, joining MEL GRAY (kick returner and punt returner in 1990s), DANTE HALL (kick returner and punt returner in 2000s) and Pro Football Hall of Famer DEION SANDERS (cornerback and punt returner in 1990s). The NFL replaced fullback on the 2010s team with the flex position, reflecting the evolution of the game. The flex is defined as a player who fits several offensive roles for his club. Sproles tied for second among NFL players during the decade with five punt-return touchdowns.

The KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, who captured Super Bowl LIV in February, placed five individuals on the team, former safety ERIC BERRY, punt returner TYREEK HILL, tight end TRAVIS KELCE, defensive back TYRANN MATHIEU and running back LESEAN MCCOY, who also played for Philadelphia and Buffalo during the decade.

Two clubs placed multiple offensive linemen on the all-decade team. The DALLAS COWBOYS were represented by both guard ZACK MARTIN and offensive tackle TYRON SMITH while the CLEVELAND BROWNS were led by unanimous selection JOE THOMAS at offensive tackle and ALEX MACK, who played center from 2009-15 before signing with the Falcons.

Also, three players who earned the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year during the decade made the team: Campbell (2019), Fitzgerald (2016) and Watt (2017).