My husband is an NFL star. I still don't understand the rules of the game.

This story is based on an interview with Kandra Mathieu, 27, from New Orleans. She is married to retired NFL player Tyrann Mathieu, 34. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

My mom was always a die-hard fan of the New Orleans Saints. And when I first started dating my now-husband, Tyrann, nicknamed "The Honey Badger," she despaired of me.

It's a running joke that she said, "I wish you had my brain," because I had no idea about football, which she lives and breathes.

I understand the gist now, but the logistics go completely over my head. I'm clueless if anybody asks me to explain the rules.

Still, I knew enough about the Saints to recognize Tyrann when we first met by chance at a clothing store in the fall of 2022.

Being from the city, you know the pillars of New Orleans. We struck up a conversation, and he asked how I was doing. There was a bit of polite back-and-forth, and he ended up taking my phone and tapping in his number.

At first, it was texting and a few phone calls, and then he asked me out to dinner.

We had a lot in common because we were both raised in New Orleans, in the same area. Our relatives lived one or two streets apart, although our paths didn't cross. It was probably due to the age difference.

Tyrann didn't force football on me, but we watched a few games together at the beginning of our relationship. I asked him if it bothered him that I knew absolutely nothing about it.

He said he thought it was cool because he could help explain it to me. Maybe he found it refreshing.

It didn't take long for me to realize his commitment. We'd go to a restaurant at 6 p.m. so he could be home early to mentally prepare for the game the following night.

His diet was strict, and he'd eat carefully portioned potatoes, asparagus, and a steak. It was great to see the dedication he put into his sport.