Longtime Kansas City Chiefs star safety Tyrann Mathieu is now with the New Orleans Saints. And as Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes prepares to play against him for the first time in his career, he had some pretty high praise.
During his press conference this week, Patrick Mahomes did not hold back his true feelings on his former teammate and upcoming opponent as he offered some very kind and complimentary words for Tryann Mathieu.
“Just seeing that type of leader, I think, was something that I will forever remember,” Mahomes said. “The way he inspired guys, the energy that he played with — obviously, he is a great football player — everybody can see that — but he is truly a great leader, one of the best leaders I’ve ever been around. He pushed to get the best out of everybody every single day, he treated practice like games, he tried to get better every single day, and that’s something that has helped me become who I am.
“A great football player, man. I’m hoping that he gets out there, not for me and my sake because he’s a great football player and always around the ball, but I think Kansas City getting to see him come back and be on that field again would be special for the city.”
Mahomes said that Mathieu was particularly helpful to him early in his career.
“I watched him when he was in college and he dominated college football, and then getting into the NFL, and all the great plays that he had made, and then being able to see him on a day-to-day basis — you want to see those guys that are the top of the top and how they prepare every single day,” Mahomes said.
“And he was one of those guys that you knew why he was great when you saw him practice and how he went about his business.”
While they will be competitors this weekend, it sounds like there is still a lot of love between Mathieu and Mahomes.
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