Getty/Instagram Patrick Mahomes' mom and dad knew there was something different about their son.
Patrick Mahomes was familiar with the life of a professional athlete as the Chiefs’ quarterback grew up in MLB clubhouses. Patrick’s dad, Pat Mahomes Sr., spent 11 seasons as an MLB pitcher playing for the Twins, Red Sox, Rangers, Mets, Cubs and Pirates.
Patrick opted to create his own path on the football field, but he had plenty of opportunities to play baseball. Patrick turned down money after he was selected in the MLB draft to follow his passion of playing quarterback.
“I mean, I was with him,” Pat Sr. told New York Daily News. “I saw him turn down life-changing money and he said ‘Dad, I want to play football.’ He made the decision. He’s always been a kid that was very responsible with the decision that he made. Once he made the decision, I changed my hat and we decided to the best we could.”
Patrick’s brother, Jackson Mahomes, also played basketball at Whitehouse High School, the same place where the Chiefs quarterback dominated on the football field.
Patrick’s Mom, Randi, Talked Him Out of Quitting Football
It may be hard to imagine, but there was a time when Patrick wanted to quit football. Prior to his junior year of high school, Patrick wanted to walk away from football, but his mom, Randi Martin, encouraged him to give it one more chance, per Fox 4 Kansas City. It is advice Chiefs fans are thankful the quarterback listened to as he stuck with the game.
“Before his junior year in high school he came to me that summer wanting to quit football, but I just said you`re going to regret it if you quit,” Randi explained to Fox 4.
Things did not work out between Patrick’s parents as the couple divorced when he was 11 back in 2006, per Sports Illustrated. Randi and Pat Sr. remain on good terms as they continued to work together to raise Patrick.
The spotlight might be a bit bigger, bur Randi emphasizes that her son has remained the same. Bigger than his play on the field is Patrick’s desire to keep his family roots.
“I am proud of the football, but the family part of it–I’m way more proud and that`s something that I definitely don`t get enough of,” Randi noted to Fox 4. “…I don`t think it`s really hit me because he’s still my son. He is still Patrick, and my other two are still my kids. I don`t look at him any differently today than I did five years ago.”
The Chiefs QB Played 1 College Baseball Game at Texas Tech & Was Selected in the MLB Draft
Despite giving up the sport to focus on football, Patrick did play one college baseball game at Texas Tech. Patrick’s lone outing took place on February 21, 2015 against Northern Illinois, but it did not go as planned as The Athletic detailed.
Mahomes’ final line: 15 pitches, 11 balls, two walks, one hit batter, no outs. All three baserunners scored, leaving him with a college ERA of infinity.
The Detroit Tigers ended up selecting Patrick in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB draft despite his insistence that he was only focused on playing football. Baseball America provided a scouting report on Patrick coming out of high school.
His [Pat Mahomes Sr.] son has a bigger, more physical frame at a listed 6-foot-2, 214 pounds and has shown a low-90s fastball on the mound while also showcasing excellent arm strength when he plays right field. Some evaluators like him better as a hitter who is an average runner with plus raw power from a raw offensive approach.