We now see why the Kansas City Chiefs traded away Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith. Because Patrick Mahomes is the real deal!
Or maybe “real deal” is not be the best way to describe him. How about “the next face of the NFL”? Future league MVP and Super Bowl champion might suffice, too.
After taking the NFL by storm in his sophomore season, Patrick Mahomes has become one of the most recognizable names and faces in the league. But how much do we really know about the 10th overall pick from 2017?
Here are 15 Facts you probably didn’t know about Patrick Mahomes.
15. Family Genetics
Mahomes’ father, Pat, was also a professional athlete back in the day. He was a pitcher that played in the majors from 1992 to 2003. Mahomes Sr. won 42 games and recorded 452 strikeouts.
The younger Patrick Mahomes was born while his dad was playing for the Minnesota Twins.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NFL stories via Google! Follow Us
14. (Best) Friendly Competition
Most of us had some form of intense competition with our best friends in school. It’s the nature of being close with somebody. The only important thing is you don’t let the competition ruin your friendship.
At Whitehouse High School in Texas, Mahomes and best friend Ryan Cheatham vied for the starting QB job in their junior season. A story from the Kansas City Star detailed that Mahomes hung around a lot at the Cheatham family household, which made them a lot closer. Coaches would rotate both Mahomes and Cheatham in their baseball championship games, too.
Head coach Adam Cook decided to roll with Mahomes over Ryan, which obviously hurt everybody involved. Ryan admitted he couldn’t do the stuff Patrick did. They remain close friends to this day.
13. The Scouts Were Wrong
Hard to believe, but the scouts weren’t so high on Mahomes in the early going. He was only ranked as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com. And in his class, the speedy and athletic Mahomes was placed as ONLY the 12th-best dual-threat QB.
Who’s laughin’ now?
12. Putting “Pro” in Pro Day
At his pro day, a month before the NFL draft, Mahomes took advantage of every little opportunity to please the scouts. It was all highlighted by this 80-yard pass during his Pro Day at Texas Tech.
11. A Little Unlucky
Mahomes’ college career saw him back up Davis Webb at Texas Tech. But when the latter went down with an injury in a game against Oklahoma State, Mahomes had to come on in relief.
And uh, this really strange, won’t-happen-ever-again play took place:
See? First impressions don’t always matter.
10. Rocket Arm
In case you haven’t noticed, Mahomes’ release, velocity and accuracy is really good. He put it on display before the 2017 draft, going up against former NFL quarterback David Carr to see who could throw the ball faster. Of course, Mahomes won. His fastest throw was clocked at 62 miles per hour.
9. Patrick Ma-No-Hitter
Chicago White Sox flame-throwing pitcher Michael Kopech played baseball against Mahomes in high school, referring to him as a “bulldog” and “a stud.”
Turns out, Mahomes beat Kopech in an epic pitcher’s duel, in which the latter gave up just one run and a single hit. Mahomes somehow topped Kopech’s performance, throwing a no-hitter and leading his team to victory.
8. Almost Not Famous
Football would sure be different right now if there was no Patrick Mahomes. Alex Smith would still be in Kansas City. Perhaps Kirk Cousins stays in Washington. Maybe Case Keenum stays in Minnesota, too?
Per Sports Illustrated, Mahomes’ mother Randi revealed that he almost quit football before his junior season in high school. That’s because Mahomes, who played safety, felt like he wasn’t getting a fair shot at playing the quarterback position.
He eventually became the starting quarterback, and the rest is history. So don’t tell us that the coaches are always right. When a player knows, a player knows.
7. I See You, Aaron Rodgers
A month before the 2017 NFL Draft, Patrick Mahomes did an interview with Sports Illustrated and revealed that he modeled his game after Green Bay Packers star and two-time MVP, Aaron Rodgers.
Mahomes said he watched all of Rodgers’ games while in college, detailing the latter’s ability to “extend plays.” Mahomes certainly looks like a younger version of Rodgers on the field. Talk about being a real role model, Mr. Rodgers.
6. And the Role Model Is…
While many baseball fans around the country despise former AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, Mahomes revealed that he actually looks up to the disgraced baseball star.
Mahomes said that he modeled his game and work ethic after Rodriguez, since they both played shortstop. Just don’t go hanging a photo of yourself depicted as Centaur, Patrick…
5. FORE Fun
In an interview with 610 Sports Radio, Mahomes mentioned that his favorite offseason hobby is golf. Even though he probably can out-drive papa Pat by significant distances, the Chiefs’ superstar struggles to beat his dad.
Mahomes said in the interview that he had only beaten his father once. At least Patrick is better at football. Duh.
4. Part of an Exclusive Club
When the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Todd Blackledge with the No. 7 pick in 1983, nobody could have thought that it would be 34 years until they’d take a QB again in the first round.
But that’s exactly what happened. With the exceptions of Trent Green and Alex Smit, the Chiefs were changing quarterbacks non-stop during that 34-year span. When they moved up to get Mahomes with the 10th pick in 2017, the Chiefs ended their lengthy drought of NOT taking a QB in the first round.
3. Special Godson
Mahomes is the godson of LaTroy Hawkins, the former MLB closer who played professionally with Pat Sr. in Minnesota. Hawkins’ career spanned two decades, and he finished with 983 career strikeouts and 127 saves.
Hawkins and Mr. Mahomes played together for the Twins in the 1995 and ‘96 seasons.
2. Almost Professional
As you know by now, Mahomes was a star in baseball and probably could have made it big if he pursued a career on the diamond. Mahomes was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round in 2014, but he decided not to sign with them.
1. Armed Robbery Victim
Just weeks after being drafted by the Chiefs, Mahomes and friends returned home after seeing a baseball game at the University of Texas. While going to one of their friends’ places, Mahomes’ group was robbed by a man who pulled into the driveway.
Thankfully, Mahomes and his friends weren’t injured. The suspect was later found by police and sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Patrick Mahomes & More
Patrick Mahomes is quickly becoming the new face of the NFL, but there’s so much more to the phenom quarterback than what we see on the field every Sunday — as these 15 facts prove. I hope we helped you learn a thing or two about the Chiefs quarterback that you didn’t already know.
If you’d like to stay on top of everything about Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the NFL (including trade rumors and the craziest plays as they happen) be sure to check out our NFL page regularly.
S
