re: For people who actually saw and remember both. Badger or Casanova?

They were eerily similar players with almost identical skillets. I think Casanova was a better punt returner overall than Mathieu. Remember that Mathieu was not the original punt returner that year. Les put him in that position late in the season.

Badger. Casanova was good, but he was nowhere close to the Honey Badger.

Honey Badger is a once in a lifetime football talent. He's the defensive GOAT to Joe Burrow who is the offensive GOAT.

Saw Casanova hit 240 lb Chuck Muncie so hard that they had to cut Muncie's broken eyeglasses out of Muncie's hair

I saw them both.
Casanova was the smoother athlete and the more impressive physical specimen.
Mathieu had the best instincts to the ball of anyone I ever saw.
Two of the greatest of all time.
Hard to compare players of different eras.

Tommy Casanova was my friend’s cousin. He used to play football in the street with us and would jump over people.

The Muncie story reminds me of Johnny Musso with Alabama. All-stud for Bama at the time, up until Casanova flattened him on the sideline one game. Musso tried to turn into Tommy, thinking the would run him over. Musso ended up on the bench.

Actually, Eddie Ray was the leading rusher. Tommy played tailback for a few plays most games, but he was a starting cornerback. Three year 1st team All-American at CB.

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have a friend of a friend whose wife was an LSU coed in the 1969-72 era

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What’s her name?

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Man I was able to see both. Like many others state two different times. Caz was great and is an all time best but the badger is one of if not the best as well. I give a slight edge to the badger but Casanova and the the badger are 1 and 1a for me.

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Like it or not, Chavis’ creativity had a lot to do with the success of Mathieu. He blitzed a lot with him especially in unlikely situations. Mathieu was not the defender Casanova was in coverage. If you recall the National Championship game where he was abused in coverage by the Bama TE (?) or receiver. Casanova could cover every position because of his size. He was bigger than Pat Pete and a hell of a lot more physical at the point of attack. Then at PR, he was so damn fluid. Then there was RB.

There literally wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. You put him in that supporting cast that Mathieu had in those 2 lock down corners and that dline and he roams.

Y’all forget how nasty that 2011 defense was outside of Mathieu. The reason why he did so much in 10-11 was because of people like the upper classman in Pat Pete, Mo Claiborne, Brooks, Taylor, Eugene. Then the other freshman in Reid, Loston, Simon. And the Dline and LBs? FILTHY NFL talent.
There was no comparison on the talent level of his teammates Mathieu had that allowed him to roam free.
Les waisted a ton of talent from those teams.

I’ve always believed, though athletes are bigger, stronger, and faster today— imho the best of them would’ve been the best of their time. If a player was the best in his time period, he would still be the best in any period of time. They’re were all on the same field (advantages, training, equipment, facilities) in their particular age of play.

I am proud of them both. Being a contempoary of Tommy, I urge youto remember when Johnniy Musso got loose in the backfield for Bama and Tommy hithim so hard that he came out of the game. Or watch as he launches himself vertically in the end zone to intercept a potential Notre Dame touchdwn.

Mathieu overcame a difficult and impoverished upbringing to become a great player and a model human being. Tommy was a star athlete, astate ssenator, and anoted opthalmologist.

Ii thank God for letting us know them both.