KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County, including Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.
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Patrick Mahomes will never forget his stay at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa six and a half years ago.
He was there for a week as the Kansas City Chiefs prepared for Super Bowl LIV and a defining moment in his NFL career.
Mahomes was in his third NFL season, his second as a starter, and had led Kansas City back from double-digit deficits in every playoff game — just as he would again in the Chiefs’ 31-20 win against the 49ers, earning the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
That win, as much as any, set the stage for Mahomes to become the face of the NFL.
But its heartbeat was gathering teammates in his hotel room to binge-watch shows while they were sequestered ahead of the big game.
“That team bonding, you’ll never forget that,” Mahomes said.
Those moments flooded back to Mahomes when he returned to the Turnberry ahead of Sunday’s 24-10 win against the Miami Dolphins.
“Same hotel room, same room number — everything,” Mahomes said. “It was cool. I didn’t even feel the nostalgia until I got there and you see the room. I was taking pictures and sending it (the photo) to teammates."
Rosters change, teammates come and go, hotel rooms become a blur for a professional athlete, but championships last forever and so do those bonds.
“It was cool to kind of send it (a photo) to those guys and tell them I’m back there,” Mahomes said.
Led by Mahomes, the Chiefs have been to four more Super Bowls, winning two.
Kansas City is in the midst of a new NFL dynasty, including the first back-to-back titles in two decades, with Mahomes leading the Chiefs to Super Bowl LVII and LVIII victories.
For those wondering, Mahomes didn’t request the same room.
“I don’t ask for any of the rooms,” he said to laughter in the room. “It just kind of happened that way.”
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