four summers ago, i made Pilgrimage to Whitehouse, Texas to Work on “Beyond the Arm” Piece About Patrick Mahomes As he was rising to superstardom with the Chiefs.
Through interviews with people who have known him over the years, a fascinatingly mixed picture emerged. It’s been told how I’ve come to regard him ever since but still amazes me.
The traits that make Mahomes a generational genius on the field and truly a special individual intertwine, if not, in fact, exactly the same.
His “superpowers” in either situation, as forever trainer Bobby Stroup put it, include his ability to do real-time problem solving. And as described by Chad Parker, a longtime close family friend, Mahomes is guided by a “geospatial magic box” – Parker’s term is derived from national intelligence concepts and suggests that he is able to control the environment around him. Makes for quick analysis…and what to do about it.
Put it all together, and it speaks to a supernatural consciousness of where it is and feels, what it can and cannot control and a sixth sense of how to move forward.
All this brings us to how he is countering the allegations against his younger brother, Jackson, who was indicted earlier this month in Johnson County District Court on three felony counts of sexual assault and one misdemeanor count of battery.
“Honestly, it’s a personal thing that I’ll keep to myself,” he said during the chiefs’ voluntary organized team activity session on Wednesday. “I mean, at the end of the day, I come here to play football and at the same time try to take care of my family.
“So I keep it to myself and when I’m in the building I just go out there and play football.”
I’m not sure what I expected him to say when I asked him about it. I knew it had to be thoughtful and respectful and informative in some way or another. And it was – even though he didn’t elaborate.
Simply put, I believe he recognized the adage that prudence is the better part of valor. and that they took into account all those affected by the situation, including the alleged victim.
And he knew that effectively not commenting would be the most civilized and sensitive approach.
Instead maybe speak very openly. Or suggest anything that alludes to a rather serious situation. Or get stuck with words that can be misinterpreted one way or the other.
Mahomes is rarely reluctant to engage a topic, by the way, even a difficult one. For that matter, few offer a more detailed self-criticism than a two-time NFL and Super Bowl MVP when something goes awry on the field.
But his approach to it reflects the sophistication of having a process, instinctive or otherwise, of knowing when and how to address a given situation.
“I think it’s a process that everyone has to navigate in life,” he said. “Obviously, I’m on a big stage. But at the same time, it’s your family (and) you have to come here and have a job. And that’s what I try to do every day.
So, no, we don’t have any direct information about what it’s like for her.
But whatever he feels about the situation, it can be inferred that he has some means of resolving it while on mission.
Because you can see how grounded and driven husband and father of two continues to inspire his team, Evidence of the ongoing flexibility he expressed about his contract so well on Wednesday and most recently hosting their second annual “Camp Mahomes”. And how he otherwise remains locked in on maximizing his game — as was evident in his blazing quickness during practice on Wednesday.
Even with two Super Bowl wins in three berths in the past four years, he’s still as strong as he’s ever been.
“He’s made it a habit, which is a positive…” said coach Andy Reid. “He’s 100% in and going after it. He challenges himself, and he challenges the people around him to be great on both sides of the ball.
“So everything out there is alive and moving fast.”
But Mahomes has never been too quick on or off the field, the trait that sets him apart from most.
