by What if Patrick Mahomes Wasn’t in the NFL? Exploring His Other Career Options
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Patrick Mahomes has taken the NFL by storm since becoming the starting quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. In just a few short years, he has established himself as one of the best and most exciting players in the league. At only 26 years old, Mahomes is already a Super Bowl champion and has multiple MVP awards to his name. He seems destined for greatness and a likely future Hall of Famer.
But what if Mahomes had chosen a different path than the NFL? What other careers might he have pursued with his unique skills and interests? Let’s explore some potential alternative career options for the superstar quarterback if he wasn’t dominating on the football field.
Baseball Player
In high school, Mahomes was actually considered a better baseball prospect than a football player. The multi-sport athlete lettered in both baseball and football at Whitehouse High School in Texas. As a pitcher and outfielder for the baseball team, Mahomes showcased elite arm talent and athleticism.
Impressively, Mahomes was selected in the 37th round of the 2014 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers right out of high school. While most players taken that late don’t make the majors, Mahomes’ raw abilities as an athlete led scouts to take a chance on his potential. Had he fully committed to baseball after high school instead of choosing a football career at Texas Tech, Mahomes likely would have spent several years in the minor leagues developing his skills.
With his work ethic and dedication to improvement, there’s a good chance Mahomes could have made it to the big leagues as a pitcher or outfielder. His strong and accurate arm would have translated well to throwing heat from the mound. In the outfield, Mahomes’ athleticism and hand-eye coordination would have served him well tracking down fly balls. Like in football, his competitive fire and ability to perform under pressure are traits that often separate MLB stars from average players.
While baseball requires a different skill set than football, Mahomes’ physical gifts and mental makeup suggest he could have enjoyed success as a professional baseball player if that’s the path he had chosen instead. Scouts were intrigued by his raw talents on the diamond, so with focused development, Mahomes may very well have found stardom in America’s pastime.
Sports Analyst
Even if Mahomes hadn’t pursued a playing career in either football or baseball, his knowledge of and passion for sports would have likely led him to remain involved in the industry in some capacity. With his charismatic personality and ability to break down X’s and O’s, a career in sports media and broadcasting seems like a natural fit.
Mahomes has proven himself to be one of the smartest quarterbacks in the NFL based on his pre-snap reads and adjustments. He sees the field in a way that few others can and understands all the intricacies of offensive and defensive schemes. That type of football IQ and analytical mind would serve him very well as a sports analyst on TV or radio.
Paired with his charisma and communication skills, Mahomes looks like he was born to be in front of a camera. He’s shown a knack for explaining the game in a way that even casual fans can understand. As an analyst, he would excel at breaking down plays in a digestible manner while also providing entertaining commentary.
Mahomes’ knowledge, on-air presence, and celebrity status would have undoubtedly landed him a prime analyst role with a major network like ESPN, Fox Sports, or NBC Sports. Fans would tune in just to hear his perspective, much like they do now with stars like Tony Romo or Troy Aikman in the booth. While being an analyst isn’t quite as glamorous as starring in America’s biggest sporting event, it’s a career path that would have allowed Mahomes to remain heavily involved in the game he loves.
Entrepreneur
Even from a young age, Mahomes has displayed an entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen beyond his years. While still in college at Texas Tech, he launched his own clothing line called “Mahomies.” More recently, he’s invested in a variety of companies across different industries like property development, fitness, and more.
If football hadn’t panned out, Mahomes likely would have pursued entrepreneurship full-time. He seems to have the right mindset, work ethic, and growing network to succeed in business. Mahomes is constantly looking for new opportunities, has an eye for emerging trends, and isn’t afraid to take risks. Those are all valuable traits for an entrepreneur.
Some potential business ventures Mahomes could have founded or invested in include:
– Sports performance training company to help athletes reach their potential
– Technology startup focused on sports, gaming, or another passion area
– Restaurant group, building on his love of food
– Real estate development, an industry he’s already getting involved in
– Sports/lifestyle apparel brand to capitalize on his celebrity
With his star power, work ethic, and growing business acumen, Mahomes has the makings of a very successful entrepreneur if he had chosen to fully commit to that path instead of professional football. His passion, intelligence, and charisma would serve him extremely well in the business world.
STEM Field
While football and business seem to come most naturally to Mahomes, he has also expressed interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. In interviews, Mahomes has discussed his fascination with aerospace engineering and how planes and helicopters work. He clearly has an analytical, inquisitive mind.
If football hadn’t panned out, Mahomes could have explored STEM career options with his combination of athleticism, intellect, and work ethic. Some potential paths may have included:
– Aerospace Engineering: Design and testing of aircraft, as he’s discussed being interested in. His analytical mind would be an asset.
– Biomedical Engineering: Applying engineering principles to medicine. Could leverage his knowledge of the human body from sports.
– Computer Science/Software Engineering: With his interest in gaming and tech, careers in coding may have appealed.
– Data Analytics: His ability to process information quickly could lend itself well to analyzing large data sets.
– Physics Research: Applying scientific method to discover new principles. Intellectually stimulating for his curious nature.
While STEM careers require lengthy education, Mahomes’ intelligence and determination suggest he could have succeeded with the right mentorship and resources. His diverse interests and adaptability would have served him well across various technical fields.
The Final Play
While we can only speculate, it’s clear Mahomes possesses the rare combination of physical gifts, work ethic, charisma, and business acumen to succeed in a variety of fields beyond just football. He’s proven himself as not just an elite athlete but also an intelligent, driven young man.
In the end, Mahomes made the right choice for his prodigious talents by committing to football. But if injury or other factors had pushed him down a different path, it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t find similar success through his other passions of baseball, business, media, or STEM. No matter the venue, Mahomes was built to be a star and will undoubtedly leave his mark on any industry he chooses to fully commit to.
For now, we football fans are lucky to have front row seats watching Mahomes’ Hall of Fame career continue unfolding on Sundays in the NFL. But it’s fun to imagine the other roads he could have traveled and heights he may have reached if not under center for the Kansas City Chiefs. His extraordinary abilities, work ethic and character suggest greatness would have found Mahomes one way or another.
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