REDWATER, Texas - Where a person is from is not as important as to where he is going.
Redwater native and Redwater High School Principal Brad Cook did not think he would ever coach a high school players who would become an NFL superstar and Super Bowl contender.
Patrick Mahomes, who has become a household name, will quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
"It just blows my mind that Pat is playing in the Super Bowl," Cook said. "I got into high school coaching to primarily shape and mold young men and women. To see someone like Pat who came through a small Texas community like Whitehouse is surreal. It doesn't surprise me because of how good he was, but, as a former coach, that was a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Cook coached at Whitehouse High School from 2006-17. He was Mahomes' quarterback coach in 2013, Mahomes' senior year.
"I was the offensive coordinator too, so I called the plays for him," Cook said. "I worked out with him every day; that was a fun time. Pat had great arm talent. Something most people don't see is that he is a cerebral player. He is very smart and sees things on the field that most people don't see."
Mahomes did not immediately star for the Wildcats. He earned the starting quarterback position during his junior year when he beat out his good friend, Ryan Cheatham. During his senior season with Whitehouse, Mahomes started every game; the team went 12-1.
"Pat had a game in which he went off and had a great showing," Cook said. "That is when he separated himself and became a true starter.
"Most things could not shake him and he was a well-rounded athlete. As a sophomore he played safety for us, and I think that helped him see the defensive side of things. Watching Pat during his senior season, along with seeing how he developed himself, he had tremendous confidence while remaining humble."
Cook's brother, Adam, was Whitehouse's head football coach during Mahomes' senior year. Mahomes was named the MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year in 2013.
"He has a certain swagger to him," Cook said. "But he has never been blatantly arrogant. One of the things I appreciate most about Pat-in watching the tremendously talented and successful athlete that he is-is that he will not act arrogantly. He is such a competitor and has been successful in anything that I ever watched him do.
"Pat made an incredible play in our first round playoff game against Arlington Seguin. We were down 38-31 in the fourth quarter and were facing a 4th-and-8. He tucked the ball, broke four tackles and scored from 30 yards out. Pat asks me, 'Are we going for two?'. My brother made the decision. We kicked the extra point and went on to win in overtime, 45-38."
The Chiefs' star quarterback was a top pitching prospect in baseball but was not expected to be drafted in the early rounds due to his commitment to Texas Tech. Mahomes was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th round of the 2014 draft, but he did not sign a contract.
"One of the things that was refreshing about coaching Pat is that he doesn't question a lot of the coaching decisions," Cook said. "He never questioned any of the play calls that we made. Pat sometimes adjusted the plays based on the defense, but he never changed the plays."
Mahomes played three years for the Red Raiders. He threw for 5,052 yards as he hit on 388 of 591 passes in his final illustrious college year. Mahomes threw 41 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions.
The former Whitehouse star quarterback has guided the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl appearance in 50 years.
The Chiefs (14-4) take on the San Francisco 49ers (15-3) in Super Bowl LIV in Miami, Florida, on Sunday at 5:30 p.m.