Sometimes, the lines between truth and fiction can get blurry in sports—especially when big names are involved. This happened recently when Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes found himself having to correct some claims made by President Donald Trump and Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville. In the days leading up to Super Bowl LIX, both Tuberville and Trump made comments that made it seem like Tuberville was key to Mahomes’ college career. Mahomes, however, was quick to set the record straight.
In a speech, Trump praised Tuberville, saying, “Tommy Tuberville, a great coach…his quarterback was named Mahomes. He made me into a great coach.” While Tuberville did coach at Texas Tech, where Mahomes played college football, he didn’t coach Mahomes directly. Mahomes played for the Red Raiders from 2014 to 2016, but Tuberville had already left the school in 2012 for a coaching job at Cincinnati.
The confusion didn’t stop there. Tuberville later claimed that he recruited Mahomes during his time at Texas Tech. But here’s the thing: Mahomes wasn’t recruited by Tuberville. In fact, Mahomes didn’t even remember meeting him. “He did not recruit me at the time,” Mahomes said in an interview. “I don’t remember if I ever got to meet him or not.”
Trump: Tommy Tuberville is a great coach. You know, his quarterback was named Mahomes, he was a great college coach.
Tuberville: I recruited him.. I got to be very good friends with him
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— Acyn (@Acyn) February 6, 2025
Simply put, Tuberville wasn’t involved in bringing Mahomes to Texas Tech. The quarterback was first offered a scholarship to Texas Tech while he was still in high school—well after Tuberville had moved on to Cincinnati. So, while Tuberville did have a hand in Texas Tech’s football program at one point, Mahomes was recruited by the next head coach, Kliff Kingsbury.
This is not the first time sports figures have made exaggerated or mistaken claims about their involvement with players. For example, former NBA player Michael Jordan’s relationship with his college coach, Dean Smith. While Jordan credits Smith for shaping his skills, there are many stories of other coaches who claimed to have “discovered” Jordan. The truth is that Jordan’s legendary career was shaped by many people, not just one coach. In fact, Jordan didn’t even start as the star player in his first year at North Carolina. But with time, his talent became undeniable.
Going back to Tuberville and Mahomes, it’s clear that the two didn’t have much of a relationship during Mahomes’ recruitment. Tuberville did coach at Texas Tech from 2010 to 2012, but by the time Mahomes was recruited in 2013, Tuberville had moved on to Cincinnati. So, to set the record straight, Mahomes never played under Tuberville, and the recruiting credit should go to Kingsbury.
Mahomes, now a Super Bowl champion, has clearly made his mark in football. And while he’s always respectful of coaches and mentors, he wants the truth to be told about his path to greatness. As he said himself, “He’s not just a good athlete. He’s a very good example for a lot of our young youth across this country.”
Featured image via Screengrab