How Patrick Mahomes Became The Face of Millennials
Some people are just born winners and Patrick Mahomes seems to be one of those guys. As I watch his young career, I found some great qualities he possesses that has earned him to be the “new face” of the National Football league. You too can be like Pat Mahomes. Well, not quite like him, but the way he handles his business can be a great example to young millennials who are trying to figure life out or anyone who is in the beginning stages of developing a professional career. Whether you are fresh out of law school, working at an entry level position in Corporate America, or looking to becoming an entrepreneur, there are five essential steps that will catapult your career as it did for Patrick Mahomes. Let’s begin.
Be patient. Do you know what Mahomes’ signature moment was as a rookie? He doesn’t have one, because he didn’t start his rookie year. After getting drafted in 2017 by the Kansas City Chiefs, he was able to play in Week 17 against the Chargers who were still playing in San Diego at the time. Aside from his one start, Mahomes was a backup quarterback to Alex Smith. I’m sure there were times during a game where Mahomes looked at Smith and thought, “I could have made that throw with my eyes closed!” However, he continued working each and every practice and even crediting Smith as an early ignitor and mentor to him in his young career. After defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV, Mahomes mentioned in his postgame press conference that he learned a lot from Alex Smith and looked up to him as veteran player, and a mentor off the football field.
The connection? As young adults, we tend to be over anxious when it comes to the perfect career option and rightfully so, the work you put in to be where you are now wasn’t easy, but everything takes time to develop. Whether you went to college, learned a trade, or even trying to start your own business, keep in mind that the Rome wasn’t built in a day. I can speak on this because I too have fell short of being over anxious, thinking I had to have it all figured out right after college. I learned that it’s a continuous process. Rome might have not been built in a day, but a brick was being laid every hour. With that being said, continue to put in the work needed to accomplish your goal and be patient. Your time will come.
Take risks. One of the things that allows Mahomes to stand out is his tenacity when it comes to throwing the football. Senior draft analyst, Charlie Campbell from Walterfootball.com had plenty of positive things to say about Mahomes when he was being evaluated for the NFL, however the one setback that was mentioned was a sentiment that many analysts and pundits shared. They all said he was a “gunslinger and can be reckless with the football.” If your familiar with the quarterback position, you know the term “gunslinger” can either work in your favor or against it. Either way, a true gunslinger builds their reputation on approaching the position in an aggressive manner, trying to connect on deep risky passes. The opposite of a gunslinger is usually referred as a “game manager.” Game managers are your quarterbacks who play within a system. Usually the game manager’s job is to not take unnecessary risks. They are there to hand off the football and make the appropriate throw when needed. Mahomes on the other hand, has played two full seasons and throwing for 76 touchdowns and nearly accumulating 10,000 yards. That is unheard of from a quarterback this young. He was also one penalty away against the New England Patriots from reaching the Super Bowl back to back years.
The connection? When it comes to your career, no matter what route you take, you eventually have to take risks. You have to put the situation on your shoulders and “take over the game.” Sure, there are plenty of successful game managers that played the game with decorated careers, but they aren’t really credited for the team success. For example, when you think of the lopsided game of Super Bowl XXXVII between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders, you think of that daunting Tampa Bay defense led by Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice, John Lynch, and Ronde Barber. Casual fans probably wouldn’t remember that Brad Johnson was the starting quarterback who played for Tampa. This is no disrespect to Brad Johnson at all, but when it comes to your career decisions, be aggressive and go for it all!
Be a leader. The quarterback position is more than just someone who calls the plays and delivers the football; they have to be the galvanizers of the offense and depending on the situation, sometimes the whole team. It’s a position that receives plenty of praise because of the weight it holds, and because of that, they are known as leaders of men. Not only do you need the proper mechanics, but you have to be intelligent to play the position at a high level. Although most NFL quarterbacks are gifted with athletic ability, it’s usually not their athletic ability that separates the average quarterbacks from the great ones, it’s their ability to lead. When a quarterback loses, they take accountability for the loss and when they win, they credit the team for their success. I would like to focus on a particular playoff game that Mahomes played in against the Houston Texans on January 12, 2020. After Houston was up 24–0, it looked as if the game was over. Mahomes was then seen yelling at his teammates trying to wake them up and motivate them to play with a sense of urgency. Not cursing them out or belittling them, but letting them know that they were great and it was time to show up. Some of his teammates stated the last thing he said was “Let’s do something special!” What happened next? Mahomes played insane and finished the game with 5 touchdowns, being the youngest quarterback in NFL history to ever throw for 5 touchdowns in a game. His leadership galvanized his team to come back and win 51–31 after being down 24–0.
The connection? When you face obstacles in your career, do not point fingers. Take responsibility and hold yourself accountable. Be an example. Show others that you aren’t afraid of stepping up to the moment. Sure, not everyone can be a leader in every situation, after all if you are just getting started in your career, not many people in will trust your ability to take the lead. However, you don’t have to be an appointed leader to display leadership qualities. Prove to yourself, workmates, or business partners that you have what it takes to overcome obstacles and deliver successful results. Do not be afraid to step up where you see a need for it. It’s time to take the lead.
Find what works for you. Here is where you have the ability and power to make a decision that Mahomes or any other professional athlete can’t make, and that is the ability of navigating your career for your own benefit. What do I mean by that? When a player gets drafted, they don’t decide where they want to go. They showcase their skills, workout in front of scouts who evaluate their mechanics, and interview with management and staff members of different teams that show interest in that particular player. Andy Reid, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs has the reputation known as “the quarterback whisperer” and a genius play caller. With someone like Mahomes who has the ability to make any throw and isn’t afraid of taking a risk, Reid knew he was able to take that raw talent and mold it into a Super Bowl MVP. Am I implying that Reid made Mahomes? Absolutely not, however the right coach and the right system can help develop a player into being great, and this is what Andy Reid did for Mahomes. It’s a perfect match!
The connection? Unlike a player waiting to hear their name being drafted,you have the power to decide what you want to do and how you go about doing it. For example, you decide to pursue nursing as a profession but after obtaining your nursing degree, you come to the conclusion that you don’t want to be confined working in a hospital. Sounds like a problem, right? Actually, not at all. There are plenty of positions that do not require you to work in a hospital setting such as: a registered nurse health coach, a nurse esthetician, a legal nurse consultant, a medical script nurse, just to name a few. There are endless positions you can do in any field and in the age of innovation, more lanes are being created each and every day. Kansas City and Mahomes is a perfect match, now it’s your turn to find yours.
Capitalize off your value. On July 6, 2020 Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year contract extension that is valued for a total of $503 million. The stipulations guarantee him $477 million with a no trade clause. He is the first half a billion-dollar player in sports history. Aside from him being the age of 24, what’s most impressive is that a deal like this was made in the NFL. The average career of an NFL player lies between 3 to 4 years. You may have even heard of the acronym for the NFL also meaning “Not for Long” due to average span of a professional football career, so for a team to invest so much into a player like this shows how valuable he is. You see, a game manager usually will never be able to capitalize off his value because they are easily replaced. Similar to the NFL, the real world will humble you and make you realize you aren’t as great as your parents told you that you were, but it also makes you realize you aren’t as bad as you pressure yourself into thinking that you are. Just stay focused and continue to grind because the time is going to come where an opportunity presents itself but you have to make sure you are ready to accept it and “strike while the iron is hot” so you can capitalize off of it as much as you can. Will Patrick Mahomes be the best quarterback to play the game of football? Only time will tell, because we have seen plenty of pantheons play this position at a high level. What’s important is realizing that in a career where the next play can be your last play, he capitalized off his value.
The connection? Let’s be honest, your career’s lifespan is much longer than the NFL’s so your prime might occur after you were bounced around or fired a couple of times. Keep grinding it out and recognize your value. Venture out, network, and continue to sharpen your skillset as you work toward your goals. Yes, it takes plenty of hard work, however if it is something you love to do, it will come easier and more importantly, your return on investment will be more bountiful!
I’m sorry if you hate the game of football and don’t understand my analogies, but I hope you gained some confidence after reading this. You do not need to have all the answers, neither do you need to acquire a certain amount of wealth to prove your worth. Continue to have fun, put in the work, and be committed to what you intend on accomplishing in your career. Remember, don’t be a game manager — Be Patrick Mahomes!
