Patrick Mahomes' road to NFL stardom started on an East Texas baseball diamond

Patrick Mahomes arrived at Whitehouse High School in East Texas as a promising athlete, but not yet a quarterback of legend or frankly of much recruiting renown. A dominant baseball player with a 93-95 mph heater, Mahomes seemed destined to follow in the footsteps of his father, former MLB pitcher Pat Mahomes. 

Scouts projected him as a potential third- or fourth-round pick in the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft, and for a while, football was merely a side project.

In his early days on the high school gridiron, Mahomes wasn't even a quarterback -- he played safety, a spot that hardly showcased the talents that would later make him a generational football star. Whitehouse head coach Randy McFarlin admitted Mahomes wasn't the best at the position but kept him there in an attempt to keep him engaged. The real question was whether Mahomes would ever truly commit to football. He had a choice to make entering his junior year: continue prioritizing baseball, playing fall ball to further his exposure to scouts, or take the risk of pursuing football as a college quarterback. 

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Ultimately, the allure of playing the most demanding position in sports proved too strong. Mahomes focused on football and despite early struggles, his natural ability surfaced in spectacular fashion. As a junior, he threw for 3,839 yards, 46 touchdowns, and only nine interceptions, solidifying himself as a rising star in Texas high school football. It was then he realized football wasn't just something he was good at. It was something he loved.

"I just like how hard it is," Mahomes told 247Sports of playing quarterback in 2016.

His transformation into an elite quarterback wasn't just about arm talent; it was about instinct. One of his defining high school plays came in a playoff game against Wylie East. As the pocket collapsed, Mahomes scrambled backward 10 yards, evaded defenders to his right, spun back left, and sprinted to the opposite hash mark before launching a 52-yard pass to wide receiver Dylan Cantrell. The play ended in a touchdown and left McFarlin, who had been yelling for Mahomes to throw the ball away, speechless.

Those types of plays -- improvised, instinctive, breathtaking -- became Mahomes' signature. Blessed with a sixth sense for evading pressure, a gunslinger's fearlessness, and an arm talent unmatched by his peers, he redefined what was possible on the high school field.

Yet, despite his production and growing reputation, Mahomes was still considered just a three-star recruit, ranked as the No. 21 pro-style quarterback in the 247Sports Composite. He signed with Texas Tech, where he continued to dazzle with absurd highlight-reel throws and a fearless, freewheeling style.

By the time he left Lubbock -- he played football and baseball his freshman year but opted to focus on football exclusively as a sophomore -- Mahomes had thrown for 5,052 yards and 41 touchdowns in his final season, setting records and hinting at what was to come. The unheralded Texas high school quarterback turned Texas Tech star would go on to redefine the sport at the highest level, winning Super Bowls and becoming one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

"I didn't even think I'd be playing football in college," Mahomes said. "It's crazy that life takes you directions you don't expect."