Patrick Mahomes is making us all proud. The Super Bowl MVP is the epitome of class. He gives others credit for his team's success. He is polite. He is respectful. Somehow he remains cool, calm and collected when he should be falling apart.
He seems too good to be true!
I am biased when it comes to young Mr. Mahomes. He is from Whitehouse, my home town. All of us who ever graduated from WHS are quick to claim him as one of our own.
I am thrilled that Patrick is America's newest No. 1 role model. But I am not surprised. He was raised right.
In a 2014 story in this magazine (then called IN Magazine), Patrick, his college coach, Kliff Kingsbury, and his parents, Pat Mahomes and Randi Mahomes, talked about his life off the field. At the time, Patrick was the star quarterback at Texas Tech University.
Here are excepts from the story by Maya Golden.
Kingsbury said his quarterback impresses him off the playing field.
"He's always been a very humble, well-spoken nice kid who his teammates love because he never tries to place himself above them."
Patrick said he learned from his father, a professional baseball player, how to deal with pressure. "I watched my Dad do it. I got to watch him and watch how he handled it. I don't really feel the pressure."
"I think the moment is never too big for him," his father said.
Patrick said he is comforted that his parents will always be there to support him.
"My dad supports me everywhere," Patrick said. "He'll drive to Iowa State to watch us (Texas Tech) play and that's the craziest thing."
Said Pat, "I think it is important for him to know there's someone there to support him at all times — good or bad, win or loss."
His parents are also the voice of reason when it comes to Patrick's life off the field.
Pat said he warns his son: "Whatever you tweet out, whatever you put on Facebook, whatever you do, it's going to be out there and everybody is going to have access to it. Everybody has a phone, everybody has a camera, so make sure you're not doing anything you're not embarrassed about."
Randi, his mother, and Pat are proud of the way Patrick conducts himself.
Pat says Patrick is respectful to everyone. "It's not a blowoff ever. He is going to take his time to thank you for coming to his game, thank you for talking to him."
Randi tears up when she talks about his faith in God.
"In middle school, he got real involved with his youth group," she said. "He got saved. There was a night at church, he had his hands raised to the Lord and he was singing. I just felt overcome with this most awesome moment, more than any football game, because I knew where his heart truly is."