by (CNN) Super Bowl LVII was a momentous event for several reasons.
Patrick Mahomes made history as a quarterback his old age, Jalen Hurts showed his burgeoning stock on the biggest stage, and the Kansas City Chiefs cemented their place as the NFL’s next dynasty with a 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
But it was also a historic moment for much more than that, as it was the first Super Bowl to feature two black quarterbacks against each other. For a league where the majority of players are black, it was a sign of the advances on the field that have been made in recent years.
A day after Mahomes became the first black quarterback to win multiple Super Bowl titles and almost exactly 35 years after Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, the 27-year-old superstar opened up about their clash. Head with hurts and possibly inspire those who come.
“It was a special moment. I was glad the game went the way it did, even if it made me a little nervous at the end,” Mahomes told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “But Jalen played his tail, man. All respect to him.
“It showed that the black quarterback, like we’ve always been able to, can succeed in the biggest game of them all on the world stage. We stand on the shoulders of Doug Williams, Warren Moon, Shack Harris, all these greats and the boys who didn’t get a chance, they gave us this platform and hopefully we can inspire some kids to follow their dream and be in future quarterback whenever we’re on the couch watching the Super Bowl.”
Mahomes celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII.
A warrior feat
Although Mahomes has just completed the sixth year of his career, he is now in closed territory.
He was the only quarterback in NFL history to win two league MVP awards and two Super Bowls in the first six years of his career.
But aside from the accolades and the stats, the game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, was a triumph for Mahomes and the Chiefs’ resilience.
At halftime, Kansas City was 10 points behind the Eagles and just moments before Rihanna wowed the world, Mahomes appeared to have aggravated a serious ankle sprain he sustained weeks earlier.
Mahomes dodges Fletcher Cox and Jordan Davis from the Eagles on Sunday.
However, in the final 30 minutes, they were able to pull off a huge comeback with anything against the Chiefs as Mahomes showed guts and brilliance in the three-point win.
Mahomes said there was a combination of factors that allowed him to overcome his ankle problems and lead his team.
“First of all, I think the rest definitely helped. I was able to do the mobility stuff in the locker room and get the tape the way I wanted it in the second half,” explained the quarterback Tapper — an Eagles fan note.
“Whenever you get out of there, you let the adrenaline and your mind, your mind, really take over. You have to leave it on the soccer field. We have a long off-season to let it rest and come back 100% next year. I could do what I had to do on the football field.”
Mahomes celebrates his team’s Super Bowl LVII triumph with a victory parade down Main Street alongside Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at Disneyland Park.
Mahomes credits a key halftime break as the basis for the turnaround.
“First we had great half-time adjustments from the coaches,” he said. “I think some guys got up and talked and said, ‘Let’s leave everything on the field and see what happens after 30 minutes.’ The boys reacted. Everyone improved. Offensive line, everyone improved. We were able to find a way to win against a great football team.”
As is tradition, Mahomes and the Chiefs celebrated their Super Bowl victory with a trip to Disneyland.
With the trajectory he’s on, it might not be the last we see Mahomes there.
