It was easy to count Patrick Mahomes out of the Super Bowl when the Chiefs were trailing by double-digits late in the fourth quarter. Yet, if you consider Patrick’s dad, Pat Mahomes Sr., the young quarterback’s life has been preparing him for his Super Bowl moment.
Pat Sr. played 11 seasons as an MLB pitcher for the Twins, Red Sox, Mets, Rangers, Cubs and Pirates. Patrick grew up fielding balls for superstars like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. Maybe this all seems insignificant, but it is hard to imagine that Patrick’s experience growing up in pro clubhouses had anything but a positive impact on his career.
“It definitely helped me, just seeing professional athletes growing up,” Patrick noted at the NFL Combine, per Yahoo Sports. “You saw how hard they worked [and] when they got to the big leagues, how hard they worked to stay there. They really have shown me the way to be a professional athlete and that’s definitely something I feel is an advantage for me.”
It was not the exact Super Bowl Patrick had envisioned with two critical interceptions, but when it mattered most the Chiefs quarterback found Tyreek Hill on a deep pass in the fourth quarter to jump-start Kansas City’s comeback. If Patrick’s experience watching his dad as a pro athlete gave him any sort of advantage, it is significant given how close Super Bowl 54 was throughout the game.
Patrick Mahomes’ Dad Has Attended Nearly All of the Chiefs’ QB’s Games
Patrick’s father has attended nearly all of his NFL games since he took over as the Chiefs starting quarterback, per Fox 4 Kansas City. During Patrick’s first full season as a starter, Pat Sr. became very superstitious about his clothing choices for Chiefs games. This superstition included wearing white shorts even when the Kansas City cold started hitting as Sports Illustrated detailed in 2019.
Pat Sr. sat in the front row of the box on the far left—his customary seat, closest to the broadcast team. He is superstitious like that. He wore the same white khaki shorts all season, even as the temperatures dipped, until the Chiefs lost their second game of the season in Week 11 to the Rams. He sometimes watches a highlight reel of TV analysts calling his son a “project” and a “risk” and everything else they critiqued before the draft.
Alex Rodriguez Called Pat Mahomes Sr. One of His Favorited Teammates
Pat Sr. and Alex Rodriguez were teammates briefly with the Rangers during their baseball careers. Alex spoke highly of Pat Sr. calling him one of his favorite teammates.
“If anybody even threw near me, he would go hit someone on the other team,” Alex explained to the Kansas City Star.
One thing Alex also admitted was advising Patrick to stick with baseball over football. Thankfully, Patrick politely declined Alex’s advice and has become one of the top NFL quarterbacks. The Chiefs Super Bowl win made Patrick the youngest player to ever win both the Super Bowl and MVP award.
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Patrick Mahomes’ Dad Pat Mahomes Sr. Prepared Chiefs QB for Super Bowl