Texas Tech. University issued the following announcement on May 15
Because of the coronavirus outbreak, commencement ceremonies will be held online via livestream.
Few athletes in the world are better known than Patrick Mahomes. The playmaking quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs has risen to the top of the NFL after leading his team to a Super Bowl title in January.
Now, he will give back to the place where it all started to inspire the next class of graduates who have had to deal with unprecedented circumstances in completing their college careers.
Mahomes, a quarterback at Texas Tech from 2014 to 2016, along with students Alicia Goodman (earning a doctorate in fine arts) and Keira Eynon (earning a bachelor's degree in human sciences), will address the graduates at the Texas Tech University Spring 2020 commencement. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional commencement ceremonies held at United Supermarkets Arena have been canceled. Texas Tech will hold virtual commencement ceremonies via livestream beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 23.
"Patrick's story and his rise to stardom, both here at Texas Tech and in the NFL, have been a great source of pride for Red Raiders and an inspiration for thousands," said Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec. "During that rise, Patrick has never wavered from the lessons learned from his family, coaches and his time as a student-athlete at Texas Tech, displaying class, humility and a competitive fire to be the best. We are very pleased and grateful that he will address our May 2020 graduates who have persevered in spite of unique challenges to earn their degrees."
Commencement ceremonies will be held for the following colleges and departments: College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources; College of Architecture; College of Arts & Sciences; College of Education; College of Human Sciences; College of Media & Communication; Edward E. Whitacre College of Engineering; Graduate School; Honors College; J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts; Jerry S. Rawls College of Business; University Programs; and Wind Energy.
The son of a former Major League Baseball pitcher, Mahomes came to Texas Tech after a standout career at Whitehouse High School in both football and baseball. He briefly played both sports for the Red Raiders before deciding to give up baseball and focus on his football career.
After playing in seven games as a first-year student, Mahomes took over as the starting quarterback for the Red Raiders for the 2015 season and became one of the top collegiate players over the next two seasons, leading the Big 12 Conference in numerous offensive categories and becoming one of the all-time greatest players in Texas Tech history.
His playmaking ability made him one of the top selections in the 2016 NFL draft, and the Kansas City Chiefs moved up in the draft just to select him at No. 10 overall. After sitting for his rookie season, Mahomes took over as the Chiefs' starting quarterback in 2018 and immediately set the sports world on fire. He threw for more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in leading Kansas City to the AFC Championship game and earning NFL Most Valuable Player honors.
With expectations rising for 2019, Mahomes rose to the challenge, leading the Chiefs to Super Bowl LIV and rallying his team from 10 points down in the final nine minutes for a 31-20 victory. For his effort, Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP.
Original source can be found here.
Source: Texas Tech. University
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