The young baseball pitcher who rose to the position of NFL spokesperson is Patrick Mahomes.
His first interest was baseball, the sport that his father played professionally for 11 years. Naturally, he was rather skilled at it.
In old film, a young Patrick Mahomes can be seen racing around ballparks with a baseball stuck to his hand, decked out head to toe in the uniform of the team his father was then playing for, be it the Boston Red Sox or the New York Mets.
The cornerstone for Mahomes' growth as a terrific athlete and the current "Showtime" sensation was his unique access to the world of top athletics.
He also began to grow the gigantic right arm that would become his signature while on the diamond.
sporting initiation
As soon as Mahomes entered high school, scouts began to take an interest in his athletic skills, whether it be in football or baseball.
Ironically, baseball always seemed to command attention.
In a no-hitter in 2014 while pitching for Whitehouse High School and producing reported speeds of 93 mph, Mahomes demonstrated his ability to succeed in the major leagues.
It seemed inevitable that Mahomes would carry on the family heritage and follow his namesake into the Major League Baseball.
Mahomes Sr. recalled taking his kid to practice by saying, "I just remember him being so happy to get to the yard every day.
He was itching to get out there, so I'd have to hold him back just so I could get in the car before we went.
And when he arrived at the clubhouse, put on his jersey, and was among the first players on the field, I had to play catch with him of course.
However, Mahomes' journey changed course while he was a college student.
Mahomes chose to enroll at Texas Tech University over a scholarship offer from the Detroit Tigers, who had picked him in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
The young pitcher there really began to develop into the capable quarterback he is now.
Mahomes managed to balance his baseball obligations with his football responsibilities. Even though he wasn't very good, he made one freshman appearance as a pitcher for the college team.
Mahomes tossed 15 pitches before being removed from the game, according to ESPN. It's safe to say that it doesn't rank among his best athletic accomplishments.
In the lead-up to Super Bowl LVII, Mahomes told reporters, "I came into the game, I think I walked the first guy."
"I hit the second player, gave him a double, and they scored a run before I was removed from the game," the player said.
"I believe my ERA is infinite, which is probably not a good thing. I'm not very proud of having it on my record.
Fortunately for football fans, Mahomes' baseball career never really got going and ended completely once he became serious about making it to the NFL.
During his time at Texas Tech, Mahomes smashed records and had a 13-19 record while playing for the Red Raiders. As a junior, he had four games with at least 500 throwing yards.
His performance versus Baylor in his final game—which served as a launching pad for future success—saw him throw for 586 yards, six touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Mahomes was selected by the Chiefs in the 2017 NFL Draft after proving his value at the collegiate level.
Many teams at the time hesitated to select the unconventional quarterback because they saw him as a bit of a danger.
It turned out to be a gamble that was worthwhile.
gamble that was successful
Since being selected, Mahomes has won the Super Bowl, collected the MVP award from that game, been voted the league's Most Valuable Player twice, and helped the Chiefs become one of the league's top offensive powerhouses.
He is on the verge of winning the Lombardi Trophy once more, but the Philadelphia Eagles stand in his way on February 12. He is now the face of the NFL.
Mahomes is familiar with both the joy of winning the Super Bowl and the agonizing emotion of failing at the very last hurdle.
gamble that was successful
Mahomes has won the Super Bowl, twice been awarded the league's Most Valuable Player, and won the Su
In 2021, Tom Brady outperformed him as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
After the game, he told reporters, "This is the worst I've been defeated in a long time," before recalling the lessons he had learnt as a youngster.
"My father competed in the World Series but kept fighting and being himself. Undoubtedly, it hurts now, but things will get better. This cannot be our identity."
Another illustration of Mahomes' top mindset is how he responded to the setback. It has been as deadly to his opponents during his career as his right arm.
Mahomes doubled down after the loss in 2021, finishing the current season as the league's leading passer in passing yards (5,250) and touchdown passes (41).
Nothing, not even Mahomes' own body, appears to be able to stand in the way of him obtaining a second Super Bowl ring.
In order to lead his team to victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals and go to the championship game, he once again shown his passion by playing while suffering from an ankle injury.
It's doubtful that he'll be totally healed by the Super Bowl, but it would be bold to pass up the opportunity to play him on the grandest platform of them all.
After all, Mahomes is eager to impart his abundance of expertise to his teammates.
"I'm just trying to lay out for them how the week will go. Obviously, it's on the schedule, but Mahomes, who is wise beyond his years, told reporters before the big game that he wanted them to experience it from the perspective of a player.
"The Super Bowl week is fantastic, but winning the game comes first. It's not about going down there for the Super Bowl week. Men, please keep that in front of their mind.
Enjoy the entire week, but make sure you're ready to play your best football when you get out there.
That little Texas child who was following his father around the baseball diamond has had quite the journey.
The positions have now been reversed after all those years.
After seeing his son lead the Chiefs to this year's Super Bowl, Mahomes Sr. exclaimed from the field, "My darling boy did what he usually do."
You can count on him to come up and perform, and I'm simply delighted he did.
The-CNN-Wire
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