'I Really Felt That I Needed To Be In This Video' — Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Discusses #StrongerTogether Video
While Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes spoke with media on Wednesday for the first time since the killing of George Floyd on May 25, it wasn’t the first time people heard from him.
Following Floyd’s death and public protests, a coalition of players — including Mahomes and Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu — put together a video challenging the NFL to take action against racial injustices and atone for their past mistakes.
“I can’t watch the entire George Floyd video through and through,” Mahomes said. “I’ve watched it in parts but it hurts me too much to my soul to see him and feel like I can’t help, I can’t do anything to help the horrible situation that happened.”
That’s when Mahomes decided enough was enough and that he needed to take action. He said he confided in his father (11-year MLB pro Pat Mahomes), godfather (21-year MLB pitcher LaTroy Hawkins), and Head Coach Andy Reid on his course of action.
“I’ve been given this platform and I want to make sure I can do whatever I can to make the world a better place in whichever way that is,” Mahomes said.
The Chiefs’ signal-caller recognized the influence that he has in and around the league and acknowledged the fact him being the reigning Super Bowl champion and MVP would carry some weight. So when Mahomes was pitched the idea of the video from New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, he knew what the next step would be.
“I really felt that I needed to be in this video and I needed to show my support to unite with the players and show that we care,” Mahomes said. “That’s kind of how we came to make that video. Obviously, the NFL has come back and made a video supporting what we said and we think that’s the first step, but we want to make sure it leads to action.”
