Meet the dads of the starting quarterbacks in this year's Super Bowl
Two quarterbacks will face off this weekend at the Super Bowl, but it's two men who will be off the field that have made a huge impact on the game.
"I鈥檓 not the man I am on the field and off the field, the quarterback I am, the leader I am. I鈥檓 none of that without him," said Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said his dad, who had an 11-year major league baseball career, set an example for him about how to survive in professional sports.
"He dealt with a lot of positives, he was in the MLB at an early age, but he also battled in the minor leagues for a long time and he just kept following his dream and following his dream and he was able to make it to a World Series," Mahomes said. "It showed me that no matter if you're not having success at that moment, if you continue to follow your dreams, you'll make it."
Patrick Mahomes Sr. described how he tries to support his son.
"I just try to make sure that he knows that you know that I'm in his corner, I'm going to be there," he said. "As long as he goes out there and does the best he can, he'll never hear a gripe from me."
Hurts' dad was his high school football coach. Jalen said he's been learning about leadership from his dad since the days he was just the ball boy for his dad's teams.
"It's a blessing to watch a young man that you know developed a passion for his sport and really, really worked hard at everything at every turn," Averion Hurts said.
The love and support the two Super Bowl quarterbacks receive from their fathers is shaping them into leaders in their own right, not just for their teams. Mahomes, for example, is now a father of two.
Hurts isn't a father yet, but said he's well aware of the influence he can have on the next generation.
"You don鈥檛 really realize the impact you鈥檙e doing until you reflect on it. And I think, to have these opportunities and be able to represent so many different people, it's something I definitely have in my heart when I鈥檓 out there playing," Jalen Hurts said. "You know, I definitely never forget where I come from and most importantly I know there are kids out there watching. Always kids out there watching."
