"He was the man" - Former Texas Tech baseball star reminiscences about Patrick Mahomes' incredible multi-sport athletic ability in college
Before spending his time as the poster boy for the NFL, Patrick Mahomes went to school at Texas Tech where he played football and baseball. Today, we are taking a look at what his teammates from his time with the Red Devils had to say about the two-time Super Bowl champ and NFL MVP.
Patrick Mahomes: The campus star
Kansas City Royals pitcher John McMillon also attended Texas Tech and briefly coincided with Patrick Mahomes, who, by that time, was already known nationally for his collegiate football exploits. Mahomes also played ball with the Red Devils during a brief stint in 2015. He is famous for having been an atrocious relief pitcher.
By the time McMillon strolled onto campus, Mahomes had set the Big 12's passing yards record in a single game for a freshman with 568 against Baylor. In his sophomore year, he was the leading Big 12 passer with 364 pass completions on 573 attempts for 4,653 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. In that final season, he would be the FBS passing yards leader and would earn second-team All-Big 12 honor and the Bert Bell and Sammy Baugh Awards.
Speaking about the impact Patrick Mahomes had on campus, McMillon said:
"Dude, he was the man, THE man. That’s Mr. Texas Tech, for real. He’s earned it. He’s a beast. He’s the best. And guess where he’s from: East Texas."
The Kansas City Chiefs superstar was also inducted into the Texas Tech Ring of Honor last year. In his last season with the Red Devils, Patrick Mahomes would throw for 5,052 yards with 41 TDs a QBR of 157, and a completion percentage of 65.7%.
When asked about his famous co-alumnni's baseball performance, McMillon had this to say:
"They told me about it when I got there,” McMillon said. “And from what I heard, he would like just show up at baseball practice right after football practice. I think with what he was doing at football, he kind of knew what was up. He knew before everyone else (how good he’d be at football)."
McMillons season with the Royals
McMillon was called up by the Royals earlier this month. He had been playing Double-A ball with the Northwest Arkansas affiliate. This has been a good season for McMillon, who made his debut in a 6-4 loss to the Mariners, where he struck out two batters. The 25-year-old started the season playing with the Class-A Columbia Fireflies.