Chris Beard: Pat Mahomes' NFL success making Texas Tech 'so proud'
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have developed a fanatic following in Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech men's basketball coach Chris Beard knows it all too well. He lives with one: his girlfriend. The uptick in interest — despite the 700 miles separating the Chiefs from their newfound support base just south of the Texas panhandle — isn't hard to determine. It all centers around Kansas City's record-setting first-year starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Once the Red Raiders' star signal-caller, he's taken the NFL by storm.
Beard couldn't be happier for Mahomes.
"He's such a huge ambassador for Texas Tech," Beard said during his time at the Big 12's men's basketball media day Wednesday at the Sprint Center. "He's a guy who always goes above and beyond, not only for football, but our university basketball. He came to our NCAA Tournament games last year in Dallas, for sure. And I want to say he was planning on coming to Boston, but something popped up. I still get texts from him from time to time."
Last weekend, Beard said he sat down at a bar on campus, right across the street from Jones AT&T Stadium, the Red Raiders' home field. Where Dallas Cowboys memorabilia once dominated the walls and television screens of the bar, Beard said it's all been replaced by the Chiefs. Kansas City's schedule poster hangs for all to see, along with plenty of pictures of Mahomes.
And it's the same around town.
"You'll see Chiefs jerseys when you see kids getting out of elementary school or junior high," Beard said. "So he's the real deal."
Beard said he always though Mahomes had the ability to flourish in the NFL, even if he concedes no one could have predicted he'd play this well, this quickly. Much of the credit for it, Beard said, goes to Texas Tech football coach Kliff Kingsbury. Beard pointed to Kingsbury's track record.
He coached Johnny Manziel to the Heisman Trophy, calling plays as Texas A&M's offensive coordinator in 2012. Davis Webb, Texas Tech's starting quarterback from 2013 to 2015, now plays for the Jets. In freshman Alan Bowman, Beard sees another "Sunday kind of guy."
And then there's Mahomes.
"The story is Kliff Kingsbury," Beard said. "Our football coach is in the elite of the elite. ... Kliff, he's special. In our sport, (Gregg) Popovich gets credit for developing the international pipeline (to the NBA) years ago. Kliff Kingsbury, show me somebody else who can develop NFL quarterbacks like he can. Those of us who know Kliff like I do, and those of us who know Pat like I do, when those two guys get hooked up, it's special."
But Beard said it paring Mahomes down to simply his football gifts is a disservice. Regardless of Mahomes' on-field accomplishments, it's his way with people, and the way he carries himself, that Beard treasures above all.
"He's making Red Raider nation so proud, not just because he's having an MVP-type season, but because of what type of person he is," Beard said. "I tell guys to never forget where they come from, and he's maybe the best example I've ever seen. He does so much our university and so much for our city."
http://themercury.com/k_state_sport...al&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have developed a fanatic following in Lubbock, Texas.
Texas Tech men's basketball coach Chris Beard knows it all too well. He lives with one: his girlfriend. The uptick in interest — despite the 700 miles separating the Chiefs from their newfound support base just south of the Texas panhandle — isn't hard to determine. It all centers around Kansas City's record-setting first-year starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Once the Red Raiders' star signal-caller, he's taken the NFL by storm.
Beard couldn't be happier for Mahomes.
"He's such a huge ambassador for Texas Tech," Beard said during his time at the Big 12's men's basketball media day Wednesday at the Sprint Center. "He's a guy who always goes above and beyond, not only for football, but our university basketball. He came to our NCAA Tournament games last year in Dallas, for sure. And I want to say he was planning on coming to Boston, but something popped up. I still get texts from him from time to time."
Last weekend, Beard said he sat down at a bar on campus, right across the street from Jones AT&T Stadium, the Red Raiders' home field. Where Dallas Cowboys memorabilia once dominated the walls and television screens of the bar, Beard said it's all been replaced by the Chiefs. Kansas City's schedule poster hangs for all to see, along with plenty of pictures of Mahomes.
And it's the same around town.
"You'll see Chiefs jerseys when you see kids getting out of elementary school or junior high," Beard said. "So he's the real deal."
Beard said he always though Mahomes had the ability to flourish in the NFL, even if he concedes no one could have predicted he'd play this well, this quickly. Much of the credit for it, Beard said, goes to Texas Tech football coach Kliff Kingsbury. Beard pointed to Kingsbury's track record.
He coached Johnny Manziel to the Heisman Trophy, calling plays as Texas A&M's offensive coordinator in 2012. Davis Webb, Texas Tech's starting quarterback from 2013 to 2015, now plays for the Jets. In freshman Alan Bowman, Beard sees another "Sunday kind of guy."
And then there's Mahomes.
"The story is Kliff Kingsbury," Beard said. "Our football coach is in the elite of the elite. ... Kliff, he's special. In our sport, (Gregg) Popovich gets credit for developing the international pipeline (to the NBA) years ago. Kliff Kingsbury, show me somebody else who can develop NFL quarterbacks like he can. Those of us who know Kliff like I do, and those of us who know Pat like I do, when those two guys get hooked up, it's special."
But Beard said it paring Mahomes down to simply his football gifts is a disservice. Regardless of Mahomes' on-field accomplishments, it's his way with people, and the way he carries himself, that Beard treasures above all.
"He's making Red Raider nation so proud, not just because he's having an MVP-type season, but because of what type of person he is," Beard said. "I tell guys to never forget where they come from, and he's maybe the best example I've ever seen. He does so much our university and so much for our city."
