Who is Patrick Mahomes?
Prior to being drafted into the NFL in 2017, Patrick Mahomes initially played college football and college baseball at Texas Tech University. In 2018, he received the NFL's Most Valuable Player award. In 2020, following his third season in the league, he was chosen as the Super Bowl MVP. Due to his performance, he later committed to the Chiefs with a 10-year contract. As a result, during the 2019-20 playoffs, he led his team to victory. Being the second African-American quarterback and youngest overall to get the honor, Mahomes' performance earned him the Super Bowl MVP. Mahomes was able to accomplish a lot for himself thanks to his dedication.
Early Life
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II was born in Tyler, Texas on September 17, 1995. He is the son of former Major League Baseball pitcher Patrick Mahomes Sr. and Randi Martin Mahomes. His family frequently stayed in hotels and apartments in the cities where his father played for various MLB teams. In his junior year at ​ Whitehouse High School, Mahomes was a standout baseball player and starting quarterback. Though he was a successful football player, college coaches still thought his future was in baseball. In 2014, he enrolled at Texas Tech, where he continued to play baseball to later declare for the MLB draft. But after a successful year as a starter for the football team, he changed his focus and gave up baseball. Mahomes ultimately decided to forgo his senior year at Texas Tech and instead enter the NFL draft.
NFL
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Mahomes with the 10th first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He was voted the NFL's Most Valuable Player in 2018 after becoming just the second quarterback in NFL history to toss for 50 touchdowns and 5,000 passing yards in a single season. He was the first member of the Chiefs to get the league MVP award. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl in February 2020, in which Mahomes made his Super Bowl debut. Due to this victory, the Chiefs finalized a 10-year deal with him. For the second year in a row, Mahomes and the Chiefs earned a spot in 2021’s Super Bowl LV however didn’t win.
Activism
Mahomes declared the launch of a nonprofit organization named the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation in April 2019. The purpose of this organization is to help children. Along with other NFL players, Mahomes starred in a popular Black Lives Matter video that criticized police brutality in July 2020. He soon joined NBA star LeBron James' More Than a Vote organization, aiding in voter suppression and registration campaigns. In preparation for the 2020 general election, His 15 and the Mahomies Foundation divided the cost of new voting machines in Kansas City that fall. Sports Illustrated named Mahomes a 2020 Sportsperson of the Year in recognition of his activism.
"Who is Patrick Mahomes?"
Written by :Samiha Haque
FluentRadio 2022 Spring Intern