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As Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes passionately cheered for his alma mater Texas Tech from the stands of U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday night, the words he shared with Red Raider players earlier that day were top-of-mind as they battled their way to a 61-51 victory over Michigan State in the Final Four of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
“He came in our film session, and he said he’s proud of us,” sophomore Davide Moretti said. “We did something that nobody [at Texas Tech] has done before. He was cheering for us, and he said that we’ve got this, because he knows how hard we play and how hard we’ve worked for it. He’ll cheer his butt off for us.”
And cheer his butt off he did.
Broadcast cameras followed Mahomes — who was accompanied by his girlfriend Brittany, Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce and Kelce’s girlfriend Kayla Nicole — all night long, capturing some iconic moments and cheers from the NFL MVP.
Patrick Mahomes looks ready to give the Chiefs some snaps at linebacker next season too. pic.twitter.com/hK3dbuihzU
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 7, 2019
Mahomes Madness! @PatrickMahomes was HYPED watching @TexasTechMBB clinch a berth in the #NationalChampionship game! pic.twitter.com/G2A8hg54sD
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2019
Matt Mooney showing off his accuracy like @PatrickMahomes #FinalFour | @TexasTechMBB pic.twitter.com/70RZm3LmBk
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) April 7, 2019
“It was great,” said redshirt senior Norense Odiase. “He was excited. You could see his blood rushing, veins popping. He was turnt. Travis Kelce was there as well. It was a blessing to have those guys come.”
During Mahomes’ time as Texas Tech quarterback from 2014 to 2016, he threw for a total of 11,252 yards and 93 touchdowns — setting NCAA records for passing yards in a single game (734) and total offensive yards (819) in a win over Oklahoma in October 2016.
Now — in only his second NFL season — the 23-year-old star has made great strides as the starting quarterback for the Chiefs, which has only strengthened his already impressive legacy in the Texas Tech athletic community.
“Big time. He’s going to be a future Hall of Famer,” senior guard Brandone Francis said. “To me, maybe, one of the best quarterbacks out there. Him and Tom Brady, those are the top ones. It just feels amazing for him to take his time and come here and show love and support — we all appreciate him. Shout out to you, Pat!”
Texas Tech will now face Virginia for the NCAA National Championship Monday at 8:20 p.m. Arrowhead Time.