Before Patrick Mahomes II was a franchise quarterback, NFL MVP, and Super Bowl LIV champion, he was a three-sport athlete at Whitehouse High School in Tyler, Texas.
His prolific arm and ability to avoid sacks were present in East Texas long before he was playing for the Texas Tech Red Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes' High School Highlights
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Watching this highlight tape, it is clear that Mahomes had potential, even in high school football. He was elusive and never afraid of making an unconventional throw off of his back foot, traits that have endured during his NFL career.
Shockingly, Mahomes almost quit the sport entirely before his junior year. He was a prolific baseball player, much like his father. Pat Mahomes was an MLB pitcher and played for 13 seasons.
As a junior, Mahomes once threw a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts, suggesting that he could play Major League Baseball with the right amount of development.
Thankfully, Mahomes thought twice and remained the starting quarterback of Whitehouse.
In 2013, he led his team to the third round of state playoffs, putting him on the map as the Texas High School Player of the Year and the MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year.
In his senior year, he threw for 4,619 passing yards and 50 touchdowns. His talent was so prolific and mythical that classmate Spencer Shaw wrote in his yearbook that he would be excited to see Mahomes' Super Bowl ring in the future. He was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the MLB Draft, but he chose to play college football for Texas Tech under head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Surprisingly, besides the Red Raiders, only the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Rice Owls made scholarship offers to Mahomes.
Patrick Mahomes in College
Patrick Mahomes was able to thrive in Kliff Kingsbury's "Air Raid" offense.
While he had 36 touchdowns as a sophomore, he also had 15 interceptions, meaning that his best play was yet to come.
He received national recognition when the Red Raiders lost to Oklahoma. During the game, he tied the FBS record with 734 passing yards.
In his junior year, Texas Tech had one of the best offenses in college football history, and Mahomes declared for the NFL Draft.
Patrick Mahomes in the NFL
Congrats to @PatrickMahomes for becoming the fastest player in NFL history to 100 career passing touchdowns! pic.twitter.com/B7KzVS0PS4
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) November 9, 2020
Mahomes was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Following Alex Smith's trade to Washington, Mahomes became the starter and is now one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
In 2018, he won the NFL MVP after throwing 50 passing touchdowns, though he was stopped by the New England Patriots in the playoffs.
Last year, he and the Kansas City Chiefs rolled into the playoffs. He led a miraculous comeback against the Houston Texans and beat the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship Game. After a great showing against the San Francisco 49ers in Miami, the Chiefs won their first Super Bowl since 1970. Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP.
With weapons like wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce, the offense will remain potent for years.
Kansas Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been an outstanding signal callerat every stop in his career. His high school football highlights reflect that success.
If he continues on this trajectory, he will go down as one of the greatest players of all time.
