Matt Viator is mostly remembered for his wins and losses over 10 seasons as the head football coach at McNeese State.

Many believe he’ll be a monster win for the program in terms of victories and championship play.

However, some of Viator’s unknown stories say much more about the man than his record ever could.

Just days before the start of the 2012 season, a troubled all-American football player at LSU was kicked off the team for allegedly failing drug tests. That player’s future was in question, and he was looking for a soft landing spot.

On a Friday afternoon, he drove to McNeese, thinking Lake Charles would be just that spot. He was so convinced that he loaded his car with his possessions and was ready to move his whole life.

The player met with Viator and was ready to become a Cowboy. It would be a huge win for McNeese, one that would perhaps give it the best player in program history.

Getting that player to sign on the dotted line would have been easy. But it didn’t happen. Why? Viator said he didn’t think about his team or his record; he thought about the kid.

While many coaches would’ve tucked Tyrann “the Honey Badger” Mathieu in for the night at a Lake Charles hotel, Viator suggested the all-American take a deep breath, head home, and take the weekend to think about it.

“Things were moving very fast and I wanted him to be sure about what the right move for him was next,” Viator said at the time.

By the following Monday, Mathieu decided to take a different path: he would go to rehab and fix his issues. Viator prioritized the needs of a player he’d just met over his own interests.

It worked out as Mathieu, a safety in his 12th NFL season and third season with the New Orleans Saints, went on to have a long career and won a Super Bowl (LIV) with Kansas City.

Mathieu’s gone on to do great things both on the field and off, especially in his hometown of New Orleans, where he’s a community leader.

Twice over his career, including last season with the Saints, Mathieu was named his club’s Man of the Year winner for his charitable work.

It’s hard to say what Viator’s selfless move did for Mathieu, but one could guess it must have affected the man and player he has become.

That story tells you what kind of man McNeese State rehired last week.

Nobody knows how this second go-round with Viator will go, but it’s important that we know the character of the man the Cowboys got.

Viator’s wins and losses will tell a story, but it won’t ever tell the entire story.

The important thing? We can count on him to do what he believes is right, no matter what it means for him.

Just ask the Honey Badger.

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Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese State athletics for the American Press. Email him at jimgazzolo@yahoo.com