SEC Media Days: Tyrann Mathieu Becomes Topic of Discussion Despite Absence

Tyrann Mathieu is a lightning rod.

Even though he didn't participate in the 2012 Media Days, his name was brought up quite often. He didn't attend because of his Twitter rant last week, where Mathieu "humbly" dubbed himself as the best defensive player in college football. LSU head coach Les Miles gave his take on the matter.

“The only thing I can tell you is that our guys are certainly proud of their team and how they’ll want to compete. I think he probably represented that," Miles said.

And that's not the first time Mathieu grabbed headlines via social network. Last month, Mathieu and Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron exchanged some Twitter trash talking that had the college football world buzzing.

“I don’t know. I got lost in it. That's all I really want to say about it,” McCarron said at the 2012 Manning Passing Academy.

Miles chimed in on the matter at the 2012 SEC Media Days.

“I can tell you that no game is won in a Twitter page," Miles said. "It’s a nice, pleasant pastime, very much like Media Days. But it’s all about what you earn in the fall. I think certainly not only Tyrann, but those people that he was communicating with, they understand that as well.”

And while Mathieu wasn't available for comment because he didn't make the trip, his teammate Eric Reid had his back. Reid talked about how Mathieu lifts the defense with his proverbial trash talking, as well as the differences in their approach to the game.

“Tyrann’s a vocal leader. He gets everybody excited for the next play. I like to just sit back and do my job,” Reid said.

Even Zach Mettenberger couldn't escape what felt like Mathieu-mania. A reporter actually had the gall to ask Mettenberger why he was there rather than Mathieu. Mettenberger dodged the question brilliantly.

"I guess it demonstrates the confidence these coaches have in me," Mettenberger said.

And of course, more attention was drawn toward Mathieu when Mississippi State cornerback Jonathan Banks made the comment to ESPN's Mark Schlabach that he was the "best in the SEC" at the position.

Mathieu disagreed in, you guessed it, the form of a tweet.

Jake Martin is a Featured Columnist of Bleacher Report and an intern for the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, La. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials from the Concordia Sentinel.