Patrick Mahomes II has generated a lot of buzz in the recent past, making history in the National Football League and winning the Super Bowl in 2019. Fans of the young quarterback may not realize that his father is also a legend, although in a different sport. Learn more about Pat Mahomes: Sr. and Jr., an incredible father and son duo.
Who Is Pat Mahomes?
Patrick Lavon Mahomes was born on Aug. 9, 1970, in Bryan, Texas. He entered the minor leagues in the late 1980s, joining the Elizabethton Twins as the organization’s starting pitcher. Mahomes worked diligently to improve his skills and reached the Triple-A league three years after entering the league. He joined the Portland Beavers, which competed in the Pacific Coast League. His skills drew the interest of several major league teams, prompting an invitation to spring training before the start of the 1992-1993 season.
Major League Career
After making it through spring training, Mahomes earned a spot on the Minnesota Twins’ final roster. In the sixth game of the season, he made his major league debut against the Texas Rangers. He pitched six innings of that game, although it ended with a no-decision. The team got their first win of the season a few weeks later against the Seattle Mariners. Over the next four seasons, Mahomes played in 114 games and made 217 strikeouts in nearly 367 innings. In late August 1996, the Twins traded Mahomes to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Brian Looney, another pitcher.
As part of the Red Sox organization, Mahomes served as a relief pitcher. He remained with the team for two seasons, making 11 strikeouts in just over 22 innings. The Red Sox released him in June 1997, and he quickly signed with the Yokohama BayStars, a team that participated in Nippon Pro Baseball. Mahomes was with this team for half of the 1997 season and all of the following season.
In December 1998, the New York Mets signed him as a relief pitcher. During the 1999 season, he went 8-0 in his 39 relief appearances. Mahomes’ performance helped the team to reach the playoffs, where he made four appearances as a relief pitcher. During the eight innings pitched in the postseason, he struck out four players and recorded a 2.25 ERA. Despite his performance, the Atlanta Braves knocked the Mets out in the National League Championship Series that year.
During the 2000 season, Mahomes made 53 appearances with the team, including five starts. The team reached the World Series that year, although Mahomes was no longer with the team at that time. He became a free agent in December 2000, signing with the Texas Rangers the following month. While playing in his home state of Texas, Mahomes appeared in 56 games, making four starts and striking out 61 players in just over 107 innings. In November 2001, he became a free agent once again.
Several months later, he signed with the Chicago Cubs for a brief stint, making 16 appearances with two starts. His record with the team was 1-1, and he struck out 23 in nearly 33 innings. The Pittsburg Pirates signed him for his final stint in MLB, where he had 13 strikeouts in just under 22 innings. Over his major league career, Mahomes made 308 appearances during the regular season and completed 11 hits in 43 at-bats. His career ERA was 5.47 and he had 452 strikeouts in 709 innings pitched.
Return to Baseball
Although Mahomes didn’t return to MLB again in his career, he returned to the minor leagues in 2003. He joined the Nashville Sounds, which was the AAA affiliate team of the Pittsburgh Pirates. During that season, he did appear in nine games for the Pirates but moved on to pitch for two additional different organizations during the following season. These two teams were the Edmonton Trappers and the Albuquerque Isotopes, which fed into the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins franchises, respectively.
During the 2005 season, Mahomes pitched for the Las Vegas 51s, then joined the Long Island Ducks, a team in the independent Atlantic League. Although the Kansas City Royals signed him in August 2006, the franchise released him a month later. This brief stint in Kansas City would be the start of the success of another Patrick Mahomes, although this wouldn’t come until years later.
In the final years of his professional career, Mahomes played for the Sioux Falls Canaries, the Syracuse Chiefs, and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. In 2019, the Sioux Falls Canaries inducted him into their Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Mahomes married Randi Martin and had two children together, Patrick Lavon Mahomes II and Jackson Mahomes. Although the two later divorced, they remain active in the lives of their adult children. Throughout most of his life, Patrick Mahomes went by Pat, while his son went by Patrick to set himself apart from his father.
Who Is Patrick Mahomes II?
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II was also born in Tyler, Texas, and went to Whitehouse High School, where his athleticism shined and set him apart. In high school, he played basketball, baseball, and football. He played the same position as his father in baseball and even threw a no-hitter game during his senior year with 16 strikeouts. Despite his success in baseball, Mahomes II was a star quarterback, throwing 50 touchdowns and 4,619 passing yards during his senior season. He was seen as a dual-threat QB because of his ability to rush for touchdowns, scoring 15 rushing TDs that season.
College and Professional Career
Although Mahomes II was a top prospect in the 2014 Major League Baseball draft, he committed to Texas Tech University on a football scholarship. The Detroit Tigers actually selected him during a late round of that draft, but he never signed a contract with the team. At Texas Tech, Mahomes was the backup QB during his freshman season but got his first start after the starting QB suffered an injury. During his first two years in college, he played on both the football and baseball teams.
After a successful sophomore season, Mahomes II quit baseball to focus on football. This proved successful, as he set multiple NCAA FBS records, including the record for single-game total offense. In January 2017, he entered in the NFL Draft, where he was projected to get picked in the first or second round. After scouts watched him participate in throwing drills, he quickly moved up in the rankings and the Kansas City Chiefs used the 10th pick in the first round to draft him. He signed a four-year contract and made his first professional start in Week 17 of the 2017 season.
Becoming a Starter
When the Chiefs traded Alex Smith, their starting QB, Mahomes II took over as the starter. He had an impressive season, leading the team to host its first AFC Championship Game at its home field, Arrowhead Stadium. Despite falling to the New England Patriots in overtime, Mahomes II became the Chiefs’ first NFL MVP. He was also named to the 2019 Pro Bowl and earned the fourth spot on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2019 list.
During the following season, the Chiefs enjoyed great success once again. Mahomes II led the team to the postseason, where they overcame a 24-0 deficit against the Houston Texans to win 51-31. The Chiefs continued to the Super Bowl, where they faced the San Francisco 49ers. Again, the team found itself in a challenging situation, down by 10, with nearly nine minutes remaining in the game.
Led by Mahomes II, the Chiefs scored 21 unanswered points to secure the team’s first Super Bowl Victory in five decades. He became the Super Bowl MVP and was the third-youngest player and youngest QB in league history to win this prestigious honor. During the offseason, Mahomes signed a massive 10-year contract extension with the Chiefs. The team returned to the Super Bowl the following year, although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came away with the victory.
Mahomes II has broken many NFL records, making him one of the top-rated quarterbacks in the league. He made 100 career touchdowns in 40 games, made the most passing touchdowns of any QB in the first 50 games with 125, and was the fastest to 10,000 career passing yards, achieving that victory in 34 games. In his personal life, Mahomes II is married to Brittany Matthews, his high school sweetheart, and they have one child together. His father often attends home and away games to support the Kansas City Chiefs.
Fans can find the latest Kansas City Chiefs memorabilia and sports collectibles at Fanatics to represent their favorite quarterback on the team. The selection of officially licensed sports apparel and unique products also includes Major League Baseball and the original Pat Mahomes. Shop now to find items from all leagues and the teams that compete in them.
