Chiefs strong safety Tyrann Mathieu received a call from his incarcerated father on his birthday. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Tyrann Mathieu appreciated birthday call from his incarcerated father

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 5/13/20

Tyrann Mathieu grew up not really knowing his biological father, but the two appear to have established an amicable relationship in recent years. Mathieu hinted at that following the Kansas City Chiefs’ win in the Super Bowl, and he gave his father another shout-out on social media on Wednesday.

Mathieu’s father, Darrin Hayes, has been in prison for almost Tyrann’s entire life. Hayes was in jail for robbery when Mathieu was born, and he shot and killed a man the day he was released. Hayes was then found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Mathieu celebrated his 28th birthday on Wednesday, and he gave Hayes credit for always being one of the first people to wish him a happy birthday.

My father spent 28 years in jail, he always manages to tell me happy bday 1st. Sometimes he be like 2nd or 3rd but I lie to him & tell him he was 1st. All love ! Win the day!

— Tyrann Mathieu (@Mathieu_Era) May 13, 2020

Like his father, Mathieu’s mother has not been in his life since he was a young boy. Tyrann lived with his grandparents when he was a toddler and was then adopted by his aunt and uncle.

Mathieu got himself into trouble at college and wound up being kicked off the team at LSU, but he straightened things out and has enjoyed a successful NFL career. We saw with the tweet he sent after the Super Bowl that Mathieu has tried to make his father a part of his life, and the birthday shout-out is further evidence of that.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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