On May 13, longtime Arizona Cardinals Edward and Maria Ortiz fans welcomed their new baby girl, Ariana, into the world.
That date is also Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu’s birth date. The Ortiz family are true fans of the Arizona Cardinals. They did not miss a single day of training camp last year.
Naturally, when they heard Mathieu was signing autographs at a local furniture store, they brought their newborn to meet him. The Ortiz couple shared with Mathieu the coincidence, to which the second-year pro responded to with excitement.
“We’re birthday twins,” Mathieu told Ariana’s parents. “She’s pretty because she was born on the same day as me.”
Mathieu was so touched, he posted this picture on Instagram sharing the unspoken bond between he and his new birthday twin.
The connection between the Ortiz family and the Arizona Cardinals did not end there. While Maria Ortiz was pregnant she ran into Cardinals’ running back Andre Ellington at Phoenix Baptist Church. Ellington wished Ortiz a safe delivery.
Arizona Cardinals RB Andre Ellington
Like so many lifelong sports fans, Ariana is already wearing a cardinal and white jersey — in a onesie of course, and is destined to carry on the family tradition.
At a young age, Mathieu learned that his path to adulthood would be far from perfect as he was estranged from both of his biological parents. He was adopted when he was five years old by his aunt and uncle who nurtured and protected Mathieu from that point on.
His father had a troubled past with the law and has been incarcerated for the majority of Mathieu’s life
Peterson and Mathieu’s relationship spans far beyond their days as Cardinals teammates, as they played together at Louisiana State University. Mathieu the nickname “Honey Badger” from fans while he played at LSU.
The honey badger analogy seems to definitely apply as the badger’s characteristics directly align with Mathieu’s both on and off the field: relentless, fierce and fearless. Mathieu developed each of those traits over the course of his life.
Peterson has been an advocate for Mathieu, who was dismissed from LSU after multiple incidents of Mathieu violating substance abuse policies. Peterson’s father, Patrick Peterson Sr., opened his home to Mathieu and mentored him while he prepared for the NFL Combine.
Peterson gave a special birthday shout out to his dear friend and teammate on Twitter.
In the tweet, Peterson referenced Mathieu getting back on the field. In Week 14 of the 2013 NFL season, Mathieu returned a kickoff in the third quarter of the Cardinals game against the St. Louis Rams.
As he was getting tackled, Mathieu suffered a gruesome hit where his leg bent awkwardly. Though he attempted to shake it off as he walked to the sideline, it was clear that it was not a minor injury.
Mathieu sustained an ACL and LCL tear injury in his left knee. Mathieu was immediately declared out for the rest of the season and began treatment to return to the field.It was recently reported that Mathieu is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation treatment. It was recently reported by Cardinals general manager Steve Keim that Mathieu is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation treatment.
Cardinals GM Steve Keim believes FS Tyrann Mathieu has a chance to return from his knee injury to play in Week 1 this season. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 20, 2014
Prior to the injury, Mathieu was a contender for Defensive Rookie of the Year. During his rookie season, Mathieu showed his versatility as he seamlessly switched between nickel cornerback and safety, totaling 67 tackles, five tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and two interceptions.
When Mathieu does return to action, he will have one more fan cheering him on from the stands decked out in cardinal and white. One can only wonder if his new birthday twin is a sign of a new birth for the “Honey Badger.”
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