Patrick Mahomes: From Texas Tech to NFL Legend

Patrick Mahomes II, born on September 17, 1995, has rapidly ascended to become one of the most prominent figures in the National Football League (NFL). Widely recognized for his exceptional talent and record-breaking performances, Mahomes has solidified his place among the league's elite quarterbacks. Before his professional success, Mahomes honed his skills at Texas Tech University, where he showcased his potential and laid the foundation for his future accomplishments.

Early Life and High School Career

Patrick Mahomes grew up immersed in the world of sports. His father, Pat Mahomes Sr., was a professional baseball pitcher who played for several Major League Baseball (MLB) teams between 1992 and 2003. As a teenager, Mahomes attended Whitehouse High School in Whitehouse, Texas, where he excelled in football, baseball, and basketball.

In his role as quarterback, he helped the school claim its first district football title in program history. Mahomes's performance as a member of the school's football team drew the attention of several college football programs. Also a talented baseball pitcher, Mahomes was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the thirty-seventh round of the 2014 MLB Draft but did not sign with that franchise, instead choosing to further hone his athletic talents in college. He graduated from Whitehouse High School in 2014 and committed to Texas Tech University.

College Career at Texas Tech

Mahomes came to Lubbock as a three-star recruit out of high school, opting to forgo a chance in MLB after being drafted in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers. Mahomes' father ― Pat Mahomes ― was a former MLB pitcher. A marketing major, Mahomes initially played both baseball and football at Texas Tech. However, he decided to focus solely on football after his freshman season.

2014 Season: Freshman Year

Mahomes entered his freshman season at Texas Tech as a backup to Davis Webb. In the Red Raiders' fourth game, he saw his first career action against the Oklahoma State Cowboys after Webb left the game with an injury, completing two of five passes for 20 yards for one touchdown and an interception. After Webb was again injured, Mahomes started his first career game against the Texas Longhorns. He completed 13 of 21 passes for 109 yards in the 34-13 loss. Mahomes remained the starter for the season's final three games.

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Mahomes backed up Davis Webb in his true freshman season, appearing in seven games and four starts. He made his first collegiate start against Texas on Nov. 1, 2014. Mahomes also split time with the baseball team as a freshman.

In a loss to Baylor, Mahomes completed 30-of-56 passes for 598 yards and six touchdowns. He had thrown for 949 yards in his previous six games and threw for 63% of that total in that one game. "Patrick Mahomes set a Big 12 freshman record with 598 yards passing and threw for six TDs in a 48-46 loss to No.

Here’s a look at Mahomes’ stats from his freshman season with the Red Raiders:2014: 105 of 185 passing (56.8%) for 1,547 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions | 46 rushes for 104 yards

2015 Season: Sophomore Year

As a sophomore, Mahomes earned the starting role and led the Red Raiders to a 7-6 record. He recorded 10 games with over 350 passing yards, including four with over 400. Mahomes led the Big 12 Conference in pass completions (364), yards (4,653), touchdowns (36) and interceptions (15). He also appeared in three games, logging two hitless appearances and allowed three runs in his only appearance.

Mahomes began his sophomore season at Texas Tech as the starting quarterback. Mahomes helped lead the Red Raiders to a 7-6 season with numerous productive outings throughout the season. He recorded ten games going over 350 passing yards, including four games going over 400.

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Mahomes built off his last three games as a freshman and threw for at least 320 yards in each game as a sophomore. Also, he threw for at least 300 yards 10 times in 13 games, including four 400-yard games. "The Red Raiders lived up to their fast-scoring, run-and-gun reputation by tallying a school-record 776 yards of total offense (515 passing, 261 rushing)," wrote The Des Moines Register's Tommy Birch.

Three weeks later in a loss to Oklahoma State, Mahomes was 38-for-55 for 480 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions. "Texas Tech locked up a spot in a bowl with a 59-44 win over Kansas State on senior day in Lubbock," the Austin American-Statesman reported. "Patrick Mahomes completed 33 of 42 passes for 384 yards to lift the Red Raiders (6-5, 3-5 Big 12).

Here’s a look at Mahomes’ stats from his sophomore season with the Red Raiders:2015: 364 of 573 passing (63.5%) for 4,653 yards, 36 touchdowns and 15 interceptions | 131 rushes for 456 yards and 10 touchdowns | One reception for three yards

2016 Season: Junior Year

Before the 2016 football season, Mahomes announced he was done with baseball to focus solely on football. He put together four 500-yard passing performances in his junior season, including a 734-yard performance against Oklahoma on Oct. 22, 2016, which tied an NCAA record. He finished with 5,052 passing yards and 53 total touchdowns, both leading the NCAA. Despite the gaudy numbers, the Red Raiders finished 5-7.

Mahomes had a very productive junior season. In the month of September alone, Mahomes passed for 18 touchdowns to three interceptions while rushing for four touchdowns. He averaged 442.5 passing yards per game that month, which included a 540-yard game against the Arizona State Sun Devils in the Red Raiders' second game. Mahomes started the month of October with 504 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and three rushing touchdowns in a losing effort to the Kansas State Wildcats.

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On October 22, Mahomes set multiple NCAA, Big 12, and school records in a 66-59 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners at home. Mahomes broke the NCAA FBS records for single-game total offense with 819 yards. He tied the NCAA record for single game passing yards with 734. He fell one short of the record for most attempts at 88. Overall, the game set NCAA records for most combined yards of total offense with 1,708 combined passing yards, and total offense by two players (the other was Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield). The 125 combined points are the second most all time involving a ranked team.

Following the Oklahoma game, the Red Raiders defeated the TCU Horned Frogs before dropping three consecutive games to finish outside bowl eligibility with a 5-7 record. Mahomes finished the season leading the country in yards per game (421), passing yards (5,052), total offense (5,312), points responsible for (318), and total touchdowns (53). For his performance, he was awarded the Sammy Baugh Trophy, given annually to the nation's top college passer, joining head coach Kliff Kingsbury, Graham Harrell, and B. J.

Here’s a look at Mahomes’ stats from his junior season with the Red Raiders:2016: 388 of 591 passing (65.7%) for 5,052 yards, 41 touchdowns and 10 interceptions | 131 rushes for 285 yards and 12 touchdowns

Cumulative College Stats

Here’s a look at Mahomes’ cumulative stats in his three college seasons with Texas Tech:Passing: 857 of 1,349 passing (63.6%) for 11,252 yards, 93 touchdowns and 29 interceptionsRushing: 308 rushes for 845 yards (2.7 yards per attempt) and 22 touchdownsReceiving: 1 catches for 3 yards

Key Statistics and Records

Mahomes' college career was marked by several impressive statistics and records, including:

Most yards gained (game): 734 yards vs. Oklahoma, Oct.
Most passing yards by two opposing players (passing): 1,279 yards - Patrick Mahomes (734) and Baker Mayfield (545), Oct.
Most yards gained by two opposing players (total): 1,383 yards - Patrick Mahomes (819) and Baker Mayfield (564), Oct.
Most plays (game): 100 vs. Oklahoma, Oct.
Most yards gained (game): 819 yards vs. Oklahoma, Oct.
Most yards gained against one opponent (career per game): 553.0 vs.
2nd in single-game pass attempts: 88 attempts vs. Oklahoma, Oct.
T-9th in single-game completions: 52 completions vs. Oklahoma, Oct.
T-11th in single-game total offense: 625 yards vs.
T-21st in single-game passing yards: 598 yards vs. Baylor, Nov.

Decision to Enter the NFL Draft

On Jan 3, 2017, Mahomes announced he would forgo his final year of college eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

Coaching at Texas Tech

Mahomes was coached by Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech, who coached the Red Raiders from 2013-18. Mahomes played at Texas Tech from 2014-16. Kingsbury after Mahomes became the Red Raiders' starting quarterback in 2014: "Patrick is a tremendous athlete. He can extend plays and throw it downfield. He's so young, so it's not always pretty, but I think he has a knack for making plays … It all moved very fast for him. Kingsbury: "There's no guru; there's no camps.

Kliff Kingsbury

Mahomes was coached by Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech. Kingsbury's offensive system, known for its emphasis on passing and high-scoring games, proved to be a great fit for Mahomes' skill set. Kingsbury's influence on Mahomes' development is widely recognized, as he helped refine his raw talent and prepare him for the challenges of the NFL.

After his time in Lubbock, Kingsbury made the jump to the NFL to coach the Arizona Cardinals, where he went 28-37-1 in four seasons. After a one-year stint with USC, Kingsbury has again become a desirable NFL head coaching candidate thanks to his hand in developing Jayden Daniels as Washington Commanders offensive coordinator.

Recruiting

Per 247Sports' Composite rankings, Mahomes was the No. 389 player in the class. He's also the No. 22 pro-style QB and No. 50 player from the state of Texas.

Mahomes was ranked as the No. 398 prospect in the 2014 recruiting class, per 247Sports, which placed him as the No. 29 pro-style quarterback prospect and the No.

Overall: No. 389 in 2014 recruiting classPosition: No. 20 pro-style QBState: No. 50 player from state of Texas

NFL Draft and Early Career

Following his junior season at Texas Tech, Mahomes was selected by the Chiefs with the 10th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears selected Mitch Trubisky with the second-overall pick, while DeShaun Watson went to the Houston Texans two picks after Mahomes.

The Chiefs had the 27th pick in the draft and traded it, along with the 91st overall pick and a 2018 first-round pick, to the Buffalo Bills to select Mahomes.

Mahomes was projected to be a first or second round pick by the majority of analysts and scouts. During the throwing drills at the NFL Scouting Combine, his passes were clocked at 60 mph, tying Logan Thomas and Bryan Bennett for the fastest pass ever recorded there. Mahomes was ranked second best quarterback by SI.com, third by ESPN, and fourth by NFLDraftScout.com. Representatives from 28 NFL teams attended his pro day at Texas Tech.

When Mahomes was drafted, the Chiefs still had Alex Smith at quarterback. Smith led Kansas City to a 12-4 record in 2016 but still saw the Chiefs draft his successor. Mahomes did not start in his rookie season, as Smith led the Chiefs to a 10-6 record.

2018 Season: Becoming the Starter

In 2018, after the Chiefs traded Smith, Mahomes became the starter and threw for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He became the first quarterback to achieve over 5,000 passing yards in both college and the NFL, and joined Peyton Manning as the only players to record 5,000 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in an NFL season.

The following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mahomes threw for 326 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 154.8 in the 42-37 victory. After throwing his fifth touchdown in the game, he broke the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a quarterback's first three career games. In week 4, against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, he passed for 304 yards and a touchdown and had one rushing touchdown in the 27-23 comeback victory. In week 6, against the New England Patriots, he passed for 352 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in a 43-40 loss on Sunday Night Football. In the following game, Mahomes and the Chiefs bounced back with a 45-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. On January 12, 2019, the Chiefs defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-13 in the Divisional Round, giving the Chiefs their first home playoff win since the 1993 season. Mahomes threw for 278 yards with no interceptions and rushed for one touchdown. The win allowed the Chiefs to host the first AFC Championship held at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes's performance for the season earned multiple awards.

2019 Season: Super Bowl LIV Victory

In the 2019 season, Mahomes led the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl in 50 years, defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Mahomes was awarded the Super Bowl MVP for his performance, becoming the youngest quarterback and the second Black quarterback to earn the honor.

Playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the season opener, Mahomes threw for 378 yards and three touchdowns in the 40-26 win despite star receiver Tyreek Hill's injury in the first quarter and Mahomes's second quarter ankle sprain. In week 2 against the Oakland Raiders, Mahomes threw for 278 yards and four touchdowns in the second quarter alone, the most passing yards in any quarter since 2008. Mahomes finished the game with 443 yards and was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. For the second consecutive season, Mahomes was named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for September after leading the Chiefs to a 4-0 start (10 passing touchdowns with no interceptions). Mahomes dislocated his patella in week 7 against the Denver Broncos. The following day, an MRI revealed no significant structural damage.

In the Divisional Round against the Houston Texans, the Chiefs faced a 24-0 deficit early in the second quarter. The Chiefs then went on a 51-7 run, including 41 unanswered points, to win 51-31. Mahomes threw for 321 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 53 yards. In their second AFC Championship, facing the Titans, Mahomes threw for three touchdowns and rushed for a 27-yard touchdown, the second longest run of his career and longest in the playoffs. He sparked a comeback from 17-7 in the second quarter to a 35-24 victory. The Chiefs made their first Super Bowl appearance since Super Bowl IV in 1970. In Super Bowl LIV, the Chiefs trailed 20-10 against the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter with 8:53 remaining. It was their third straight game facing a 10+ point deficit. With just over 7 minutes to play, a successful 49ers challenge of a completed catch left the Chiefs facing 3rd and 15 on their own 35-yard-line. Mahomes asked his coaching staff to call the play Jet Chip Wasp, and successfully completed a deep pass to Tyreek Hill for 44 yards.

2020 Season: Contract Extension

In 2020, Mahomes signed a 10-year contract extension worth over $450 million, making it one of the largest contracts in sports history. That season, the Chiefs returned to the Super Bowl but lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.

On April 30, 2020, the Chiefs picked up the fifth-year option on Mahomes's contract. On July 6, he signed a ten-year extension worth $477 million with an additional $26 million in potential bonuses for a total of $503 million.

In the Chiefs' week 2 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes achieved his fourth fourth-quarter comeback. The Chiefs trailed 17-9 entering the fourth quarter before winning in overtime 23-20. The comeback was the NFL record sixth time he overcame a 10+ point deficit to win. In a week 3 win over the Baltimore Ravens, he threw for 385 passing yards, passing for four touchdowns and rushing for one. In the game, he became the fastest quarterback to surpass 10,000 career yards.

In the Divisional Round against the Cleveland Browns, Mahomes left the game in the third quarter after being tackled by Browns linebacker Mack Wilson. He was diagnosed with a concussion, and as per NFL rules he was unable to return. The Chiefs would win the game 22-17 with backup quarterback Chad Henne. Later that week, Mahomes announced in a press conference that he had cleared concussion protocol, saying, "Everything has been good.

In the AFC Championship in a highly anticipated matchup against the Buffalo Bills and their dual-threat quarterback Josh Allen, Mahomes threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns, while leading the Chiefs to a 38-24 victory and their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. In Super Bowl LV against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Mahomes threw for 270 yards and two interceptions in the game as the Chiefs lost 31-9.

2021 Season

In week 1, Mahomes had three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and 337 yards in a 33-29 win over the Cleveland Browns, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week. In the Chiefs' week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, he threw his first interception in the month of September of his career. The 36-35 setback marked Mahomes's first loss in the month of September in his career. In a week 5 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Mahomes set career highs for rushing yards with 61 and passing attempts with 54. The 38-20 loss was only his second loss by double digits in his career and his first in the regular season. Two weeks later, the Chiefs lost to the Tennessee Titans 27-3. The Chiefs' three points were the fewest points a Mahomes-led team scored since he became the starter. It was his sixth consecutive game with an interception, the longest streak of his career. He had two fumbles in the second half which gave him the most turnovers he has had in a season only seven games into the season.

In the Chiefs' week 9 victory over the Green Bay Packers, Mahomes threw for 166 yards, which was a career low in games he finished. By not throwing an interception for the first time since week 1, he ended a career worst streak of six consecutive games throwing an interception. Mahomes bounced back the following week in a 41-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, where he threw for 406 yards and five touchdowns, an NFL record-tying third game throwing for at least 400 yards and five touchdowns. He joined Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana, Dan Marino, and Peyton Manning as quarterbacks that accomplished the feat. In the Chiefs' week 15 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, he threw for 410 yards and three touchdowns, including the game winning 34-yard touchdown pass in overtime to Travis Kelce. It was his seventh 400-yard game of his career. The Chiefs hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round, the first time he participated at that stage of the playoffs.

2022 Season: Super Bowl LVII Victory

With the number 1 seed in the AFC, the Chiefs earned a bye week in the first round of the playoffs. In the Chiefs' Divisional Round victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, a high ankle sprain sidelined Mahomes for much of the first half, but he returned to the game in the second half helping lead the Chiefs to victory. In the AFC Championship game, the Chiefs defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, ending a three-game losing streak (including playoffs) to the team, to advance to their third Super Bowl in four seasons. Against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII, Mahomes re-aggravated his ankle late in the second quarter as the Chiefs went into halftime trailing by 10. However, Mahomes stayed in the game and led Kansas City to a touchdown on their first three drives of the second half, leading the Chiefs to a 38-35 win over the Eagles. He was awarded his second career Super Bowl MVP for his efforts.

In Week 1 against the Arizona Cardinals, Mahomes threw for 360 yards and five touchdowns in the Chiefs' 44-21 victory, his sixth 5+ touchdown game.

2023 Season

On September 18, 2023, the Chiefs and Mahomes agreed to restructure his contract, giving him $210.6 million between 2023 and 2026, the most money in NFL history over a four-season span. In Week 4 against the Jets, Mahomes passed for his 200th career touchdown, becoming the fastest player in NFL history to reach that milestone, having done so in just his 84th start. Despite meeting these milestones, Mahomes had his worst statistical season to that point in several categories, including yards per attempt (7.0), passing yards per game (261.4), interceptions (14), and passer rating (92.6). His receivers struggled at several points throughout the season; going into Week 18, they led the league in dropped passes.

2024 Season

Mahomes and the Chiefs entered the 2024 season looking to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowl championships. In the NFL Kickoff Game against the Ravens, Mahomes passed Len Dawson as the Chiefs' all-time passing yards leader in a 27-20 win. In Week 3, Mahomes won his 77th regular season start in a victory against the Atlanta Falcons. With the win, Mahomes passed Tom Brady and Roger Staubach for most victories by a quarterback through their first 100 starts. In Week 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Mahomes reached 30,000 career passing yards, doing so in just 103 regular season games. This was faster than any other quarterback in NFL history, surpassing the previous record of 109 games set by Matthew Stafford. Mahomes helped lead the Chiefs to a 9-0 start, tying the best start to a season in franchise history. In Week 11, the team suffered their first setback with a 30-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills. In Week 14, Mahomes helped lead the Chiefs to a ninth consecutive AFC West title with a 19-17 win over the Chargers. With a 29-10 win over the Steelers in Week 17, Mahomes and the Chiefs clinched…

Personal Life and Off-Field Endeavors

Mahomes announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Brittany Matthews, a former professional soccer player and a part-owner of the Kansas City National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team, in 2020. The couple married in 2022. Their first child, a daughter named Sterling Skye Mahomes, was born in 2021; and their son, Patrick Mahomes III, was born in November 2022. Mahomes lives with his family in Kansas City.

In 2019, Mahomes established the 15 and the Mahomies Foundation to support underprivileged youth with initiatives that focus on improving health, wellness, and access to resources. In July 2020, Mahomes became a part owner of the Kansas City Royals MLB franchise.

Impact and Legacy

Widely recognized for his contributions to professional football, Mahomes set several records during his first seven seasons with Kansas City, including becoming the franchise’s first quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in 8 consecutive games, breaking the franchise record for most single-season passing touchdowns with 31, and becoming the fastest player in NFL history to earn 5,000 passing yards, completing that milestone in just 13 career games. In 2023, he became the fastest quarterback in NFL history to achieve 200 passing touchdowns, hitting the milestone in the eighty-fourth game of his career. He also received several honors for his work during the 2018 season, including recognition as the NFL Associated Press offensive player of the year. He was awarded the ESPY for Best NFL Player at the ESPN award show in 2019 and 2023, as well as won the ESPY for Best Male Athlete in 2023. In 2022, Mahomes received both the league MVP award and the Superbowl MVP award. He attained his third Super Bowl MVP title in 2024. Mahomes was ranked fourth in the NFL Network’s NFL Top 100 list of players for 2019, a ranking determined by active NFL players. He retained his number-four ranking in the following year’s NFL Top 100 list. In 2022, Mahomes was ranked number eight. He was ranked first in the NFL Top 100 list in 2023.

In addition to his performances on the field, Mahomes gained recognition for speaking out against racial injustice-calling specifically for the NFL to condemn racism-during the aftermath of George Floyd’s death by Minneapolis police officers and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protests.

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