Shortly before his fourth and most unusual NFL training camp, back in August 2020, Patrick Mahomes invited his closest friends and family members to his Texas-sized, Dallas–Fort Worth–area mansion for a socially distant pool party/barbecue. He knew he wouldn’t visit with most of them in person again until after the season ended. Understanding the collective and personal sacrifices ahead, he left his own party for much of the afternoon to go see his paternal grandparents, who couldn’t be at the gathering. He planned all this to eliminate any lingering obligations. After all, he had another Super Bowl to win.
The quarterback’s private chef laid out a proper brunch spread, featuring fruit and pastries and made-to-order omelets. Everyone jumped in the pool, swimming and lounging and dividing into volleyball teams, until the party’s host returned. Then the chef grilled cheeseburgers. Mahomes doused his in ketchup, proving at once how much had changed (look who did the grilling) and how much had not (the menu, along with the condiment he could eat by itself).
As Mahomes continued his professional evolution, from starter to league MVP to international fame, analysts focused on the numbers and accomplishments. They didn’t know that many of his most important transformations in the most transformative year of his life would take place away from the field.
