Texas Tech Athletics
LUBBOCK, Texas – When Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt announced the creation of the Ring of Honor in 2012, he stated it'd be reserved for "the best of the best" in Red Raider football history.
Since then, Texas Tech has inducted seven Red Raider greats into its most prestigious club with one more set to join this fall as Patrick Mahomes II will be formally enshrined in the Ring of Honor on Oct. 28 during a formal ceremony on campus. His name will later be unveiled on the West Stadium Building of Jones AT&T Stadium the following day when Texas Tech hosts Baylor.
"When you look at the face of the NFL, that is Patrick Mahomes," Hocutt said. "Patrick's accomplishments at Texas Tech are well documented with his success as one of the top quarterbacks in college football history. Patrick is an NFL MVP and a Super Bowl champion, but he's, most importantly, a Red Raider who remains an avid supporter of our great university. We are excited to welcome home Patrick and his family later this fall to see his name formally honored inside Jones AT&T Stadium."
Mahomes will be inducted into both the Texas Tech Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor following a unanimous vote of the Ring of Honor committee. He will become the eighth member of the prestigious Ring of Honor, joining the likes of fellow greats such as Donny Anderson (2012), E.J. Holub (2012), Dave Parks (2012), Gabe Rivera (2014), Zach Thomas (2016), Michael Crabtree (2021) and Elmer Tarbox (2021).
Mahomes was informed of his upcoming induction following the Chiefs' second preseason game this afternoon versus the Washington Commanders. Mahomes returned from the locker room to a surprise video board presentation, featuring the likes of Hocutt, members of the Mahomes family and his former head coach Kliff Kingsbury officially welcoming him to the Ring of Honor and Hall of Fame.
"Patrick Mahomes is a once in a generation type talent at quarterback and a deserving inductee into the Ring of Honor," head coach Joey McGuire said. "From afar, you could see how talented he was as a star at Whitehouse High School and then his success leading one of the nation's leading offenses as a Red Raider. We are so proud he is a Red Raider and can't wait to welcome him back home this fall."
Mahomes led the nation in total offense his final two seasons as a Red Raider after starring at quarterback over three seasons from 2014-16. He threw for 11,252 yards and recorded 12,097 yards of total offense over his career, both of which rank third all-time among Tech quarterbacks. He accounted for 115 touchdowns during that span, 93 of which that came through the air and another 22 on the ground.
Mahomes became the 12th quarterback in NCAA FBS history, at the time, to pass for 5,000 yards in a season in 2016 when he did it in just 12 games. He is one of three signal callers all-time to reach 5,000 yards of total offense twice in a career, which ultimately pushed him into the national spotlight as the winner of the 2016 Sammy Baugh Award.
His tenure at Texas Tech wasn't only defined by touchdown passes and incredible plays, though, as Mahomes excelled in the classroom, garnering Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors and Academic All-America recognition following his 2016 junior season. In fact, Mahomes is one of 10 Red Raiders all-time and the first Ring of Honor inductee to be named an Academic All-American during his career.
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Mahomes with the 10th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft, making him only the seventh Red Raider at the time to hear his name called in the first round. Mahomes has rewarded the Chiefs since then, leading the franchise to a pair of Super Bowls and two additional AFC Championship game appearances in his four seasons as a starter.
Mahomes became the youngest player in history to be named an NFL MVP and win a Super Bowl after he led the Chiefs to a memorable come-from-behind victory over the San Francisco 49ers to conclude the 2019 season. It was only the second Super Bowl title in franchise history and the Chiefs' first since 1970 as Mahomes collected Super Bowl MVP honors after throwing for 286 yards while accounting for three touchdowns in the win.
His NFL career has been punctuated with many unforgettable moments from no-look passes to left-handed tosses on the run to numerous game-winning drives. Over his 63 games as an NFL starter, Mahomes has already thrown for an impressive 18,991 yards and 151 touchdowns with only 37 interceptions and a 66.7 completion percentage. He's also rushed for 1,189 yards and eight yards in that span.
Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns during his 2018 debut season alone to garner NFL MVP accolades. In the process, he became the first player in history to ever throw for 5,000 or more yards in a single season in both college football and the NFL. He was only the third quarterback in NFL history to total 5,000 passing yards and 50 touchdowns in the same season, joining a pair of fellow greats in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
His induction into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor will highlight an event-filled weekend on campus when the Red Raiders host Baylor. Texas Tech will host a luncheon to formally induct its Hall of Fame inductees on Oct. 28 and then follow with a ceremony for Mahomes later that evening.
Additional information regarding the Texas Tech Ring of Honor ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.
ABOUT THE TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL RING OF HONOR
The Texas Tech Football Ring of Honor was established in 2012 with the purpose of selecting an elite group of former players and coaches that made outstanding contributions to Red Raider Football. Candidates for the Ring of Honor are chosen and screened by a selection committee. Once the committee has determined a suitable candidate(s) for induction, the group makes a formal recommendation to the Director of Athletics. The Ring of Honor is proudly displayed on the West Stadium Building at Jones AT&T Stadium so that the accomplishments of the inductees are celebrated each year.
TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL RING OF HONOR
Donny Anderson (inducted 2012)
E.J. Holub (inducted 2012) also a Chief
Dave Parks (inducted 2012)
Gabe Rivera (inducted 2014)
Zach Thomas (inducted 2016)
Michael Crabtree (inducted 2021)
Elmer Tarbox (inducted 2021)
Patrick Mahomes II (induction set for 2022)