In Patrick Mahomes’ latest conversation with wearable tech giant WHOOP’s founder Will Ahmed, an interesting observation emerged. Will revealed that during this year’s Super Bowl, the QB’s heart rate peaked at a whopping 191 BPM. Surprisingly, though, it spiked not during his own performance but when Harrison Butker attempted his score-tying 29-yard field goal.
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This is a very unique insight into Mahomes’ psyche. While most people feel the pressure when the responsibility is on them, Mahomes experienced the most stress when the game was out of his control. Unsurprisingly, this trait of the QB was confirmed by Mahomes himself during the interview.
He said:
“I love Butker, I know he can make all those big kicks for us but whenever it’s out of your hand and it’s in those moments, man… your heart gets going a little bit”
But does this mean that the QB was not stressed when he had the opportunity to be the difference-maker during the game? Not at all. In fact, data from WHOOP shows that the Chiefs QB’s heartbeats went higher and higher with every passing quarter.
As revealed by WHOOP’s founder, Mahomes had a perfectly normal heart rate of 120 before entering the field. The number then rose to 138 by the end of the first quarter. As the 49ers gained control of the game, Mahomes’ heart rate shot up, reaching 145 by the end of the first half.
The halftime break, per data, was fruitful for Mahomes as it calmed him down a bit. He then re-entered the field at 133, but as we all know, the game went on to be quite the roller coaster. So it was not surprising to see Mahomes’ heart rate reach 156 in the third quarter and approach 160 in the fourth quarter.
What’s surprising, however, is that the QB barely felt the climbing heart rate until the fourth quarter. He was so disconnected from his internal self that he failed to recollect his most stressful moment from the game.
But as Mahomes revealed, intense moments are advantageous to him because it allows him to simply focus on the game and nothing else. It’s a state of utmost focus for the QB.
“I think a lot of it was my body just responding. I think in the fourth quarter, I definitely felt the intensity of the game. I felt [my heart rate] picked up which it should [because] it’s the Super Bowl.”
“I feel moments like these are where the best comes out of you. The intensity I feel brings in focus, brings in calmness in a sense where all you can focus is on football and you’re not worried about everything else,” the QB continued.
If you are still not convinced with Mahomes being relatively unfazed during this year’s Super Bowl, his condition during the week of the big game will clear all question marks.
Mahomes was strangely comfortable during Super Bowl week
Before discussing his Super Bowl heart rate, Mahomes revealed that this was the most at ease he had ever been before a game. What worked for the QB was the familiarity with the Raiders facility and a host of other known elements that helped him stay calm.
“I felt the most comfortable throughout the entire week [before the Super Bowl]… It could have been [because] we were playing in the Raiders Stadium. I have been at that hotel several times in my career. l’ve been in that room before like it was a lot of common things and I was just very calm.”
Apart from finding a home away from home in Vegas, Patrick also benefited from the self-awareness that he was peaking at the right time. The three-time Super Bowl winner further revealed that thanks to the well-oiled machinery he had in Andy Reid & Co., being himself and expressing fearlessly was easy.
“It wasn’t like I was super anxious or nervous… I was focused on just going out there and being myself… We had a great plan for the entire week, we had a great plan for the entire season and I was peaking at the perfect time…”
While it is impressive to see Patrick’s ability to stay cool as a cucumber, the root cause for his confidence remains the belief he has in himself. So for countless aspiring athletes, the key takeaway from Mahomes’ latest interview, would be to develop an unwavering self-confidence.
