Alex Smith was still the quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs when the team drafted Patrick Mahomes. But for numerous members of the Chiefs, Mahomes was already a star before Kansas City even selected him.

When Smith was in the quarterback room, he remembered now GM Brett Veach and head coach Andy Reid showing tape of Mahomes. It was only his freshman year, but all parties were enamored with Mahomes and enthralled with the idea of playing with the Chiefs.

As a freshman with Texas Tech, Mahomes threw for 1,547 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions. But from there, he only got better. Mahomes had 4,653 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 15 interceptions as a sophomore. He culminated his journey with the Red Raiders throwing for 5,052 yards, 41 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

His stats and numerous accolades was more than enough to convince Veach and company to select Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft. The quarterback spent his rookie season sitting behind Alex Smith, learning the ropes. But he became the starter a year after and hasn’t looked back. Mahomes has made the Pro Bowl every year since 2018. He has won two MVP awards and two Super Bowl trophies.

Patrick Mahomes will have an opportunity to add more silverware to his trophy case when Kansas City takes on the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. The quarterback’s play has been a driving force in getting the Chiefs to the top of the NFL.

While hindsight is 20/20, Brett Veach and Andy Reid had an inkling of the quarterback Mahomes would be after just one season at Texas Tech. Smith couldn’t believe his eyes either.