"I'll never forget Eric Berry coming up to me like, 'Damn, did you see the throw he made in practice today?'" Alex Smith laughs as he reflects on Patrick Mahomes' rookie season. On the most recent episode of 'The Ryen Russillo Podcast' (October 25, 2024), Smith talks about his final season with the Kansas City Chiefs, which would forever change the course of NFL history.
Mahomes' Early Commitment
In 2017, Smith would walk into the Chiefs' facility every morning to find his rookie understudy already there. "Patrick was just like glue to that quarterback room," Smith says. The young quarterback shadowed Smith at film sessions and team dinners, even ordering Coors Light at bars, much to Smith's amusement.
Behind the Stats
Although Smith's season on the statistical side was impressive, the story behind it remains a story of mentorship. As Coach Andy Reid puts it candidly: "Patrick owes him like a new home. He showed Patrick how to be a professional." That was huge when Mahomes was starting out.
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It was not even a month ago that Mahomes broke the 49-year-old franchise mark set by Len Dawson back in 1962 for passing yards. Fourteenth on Chiefs history lists Smith, with 17,608. "What you've done for this team, this city and everyone who has ever had the honor to wear that Chiefs jersey is nothing short of incredible," Smith says in a video message he sent. # The Ripple Effect
About Mahomes, he said that he came in relying on his talent and was only watching Alex work: "I came in and was just relying on my talent. Then I watched Alex work… I'm still doing the exact same process that he was doing that first year."
By his third month, Mahomes was totally glowing in practices. "Man, you are a rookie," thought Smith while seeing how quickly Mahomes took the stride of becoming a professional. Smith's mentoring way was not about secrets but an example. That is the recipe for Mahomes' explosive 2018 season where he threw for 5,000 yards and won NFL MVP.
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