Mahomes still a big Brady fan
PATRICK MAHOMES took inspiration from a Tom Brady pep talk to help drive Kansas City to Super Bowl glory last season.
Two years ago, Brady’s New England Patriots knocked the Chiefs out of the playoffs one step short of the big game, which New England went on to win for Brady’s sixth title.
But after the Chiefs lost that game in January 2019, Brady went to their dressing room to offer words of encouragement to the young quarterback.
Mahomes returned last season to help KC blow away the competition, leading the team to a first Super Bowl win in 50 years.
Brady is now with Tampa Bay, who host the Chiefs tonight, and Mahomes still recalls Brady’s advice.
Mahomes said: “He grabbed me after the game. He talked about how he respected that I did everything the right way.
“It’s cool to have a guy of that stature who has respect for your game as much as you have respect for his.
“It was definitely a cool experience that I was able to know that I was doing things the right way early in my career.”
Mahomes may be five Super Bowls short of Brady, but having just turned 25 he has many more years to catch the 43-year-old.
He added: “I don’t know if I’m on his level yet. He is a global star. I just go out there, put in the work and try to win games. I try to be a normal guy and live it up with my teammates and have fun doing it.”
SAM SIMMONDS once again stole the show as Exeter Chiefs thumped Bath 40-3 last night.
The No.8 – who scored a hat-trick last week – continued this red-hot form with two more tries against their west country rivals.
Simmons (above) was overlooked by Eddie Jones for England but he gave the Red Rose coach another nudge in the one-sided Gallagher Premiership win.
Exeter scored six tries in all to lead the way with two bonus-point wins from two games as the domestic and European champions start the season with a bang.
Wasps boss Lee Blackett believed there were few positives to take from the 40-24 loss at Gloucester.
Billy Twelvetrees’s 20-point haul helped the Cherry and Whites coast home.
Director of rugby Blackett said: “The only pleasing aspect of the game was our character and fight at the end to get a losing bonus point.”
Gloucester coach George Skivington said: “The boys were hungry to make tackles as Wasps are a massive attacking threat.”
Marcus Smith inspired Harlequins to a first win at Franklin’s Gardens in eight years as Northampton’s woeful home form continued.
Fly-half Smith set up two tries before scoring Quins’ sixth and final try in their 49-29 win to condemn Northampton to an eighth consecutive home defeat.
Bristol saw off Worcester 30-13 thanks to a strong second-half display.
Piers O’Connor was among the try scorers for the Bears.