KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- As thousands of fans gear up to cheer on the Chiefs, one fan from Texas has been cheering on quarterback Patrick Mahomes for years, even before he ever picked up a football.
Randi Mahomes, Patrick Mahomes' mother, is the original "Mahomie" and probably the one person Chiefs fans should thank for the quarterback wearing the red and gold.
"I knew when it came to sports he was going to be able to reach whatever level he wanted," she told FOX4 in an exclusive one-on-one interview.
But she said football wasn't his first choice.
"Before his junior year in high school, he came to me that summer wanting to quit football. But I just said you`re going to regret it if you quit," she told him.
Randi Mahomes said her son has never been a quitter. He is always striving to win and he's never a show-off.
Number 15 has always been a team player except when he occasionally got benched -- by mom.
"I had to ground him from practicing when he got in trouble as a kid," she said.
And she added that he never liked to be the center of attention.
"He's really a private person. He was always a good kid, I will say," she told FOX4.
She also said he was always good to other kids, which is why she wasn't surprised his foundation "15 and the Mahomies" donated $15,000 to buy equipment for an inclusive playground at Children's Mercy Hospital, a charity close to Randi Mahomes' heart.
Patrick Mahomes is the oldest of his siblings. His brother, Jackson Mahomes, is 19 and his sister, Mia, is 8.
"I used to tell Patrick and Jackson to find a kid at school -- I'm not saying to go pick every kid -- find one that just seems to sit by themselves or something, say, 'Hi,' every single day," Randi Mahomes said.
She also said she tried to keep her kids grounded with family time as a top priority.
"I am proud of the football, but the family part of it -- I'm way more proud and that`s something that I definitely don`t get enough of," she said.
Randi Mahomes said she doesn't look at her son any differently than she does her other children.
"I don`t think it's really hit me because he's still my son," she said. "He is still Patrick, and my other two are still my kids. I don't look at him any differently today than I did five years ago."
But number 15 is different, and his mom says she is slowly getting used to the idea, but she added that Patrick Mahomes will always be her baby, her first-born.
"I am very, very proud," Randi Mahomes said. "I always say we're blessed. He's blessed to be able to do his dream -- to live doing exactly what he loves."
